Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Second Edition

Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Second Edition

by Nicole S. Young
Released July 2015
Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
ISBN: 9780134097268

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Book description

Do you need help making your food look as delicious as it tastes? Are you a “foodie” hungry for more tantalizing photos of your culinary creations? Do you have a food blog that you’d like to take to the next level, with better images and a stronger business strategy? Then this book is for you!

In Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Second Edition, photographer Nicole Young returns to dish up the basics on everything you need to know to make great food images, from getting the right camera equipment to mastering the key photographic principles of aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. She offers tips on styling food using props, fabrics, and tabletops; and she explains how to improve your photos through editing after the shoot.

This new edition features many brand-new images and examples, accompanied by up-to-date discussions on achieving good lighting and composition. In addition Nicole covers developments in the industry that have emerged since the publication of the first edition, such as the entry of mirrorless cameras on the scene, and more. She also provides a brand new post-processing section focusing on Photoshop Lightroom, showing how to improve your photos through sharpening, color enhancement, and other editing techniques.

Beautifully illustrated with large, vibrant photos, this book offers the practical advice and expert shooting tips you need to get the food images you want every time you pick up your camera.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. 1. Food Photography Fundamentals
    1. The Tools and Setup for Digital Food Photography
    2. Poring Over the Picture
    3. Poring Over the Picture
    4. Digital Cameras
      1. The Limitations of the P&S
      2. DSLR and Mirrorless
      3. Full-Frame versus Crop Sensor
      4. Which Camera Should I Buy?
    5. Lenses and Focal Lengths
      1. Wide-Angle
      2. Midrange
      3. Telephoto
      4. Macro Lenses
    6. Tripods and Accessories
      1. Tripods and Camera Stands
      2. Tripod Heads
      3. Cable Releases
    7. Working with Digital Files
      1. RAW vs. JPEG
      2. White Balance
    8. The Exposure Triangle: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
      1. Aperture
      2. Shutter Speed
      3. ISO
      4. Calculating Overall Exposure
    9. Chapter 1 Challenges
  8. 2. Lighting
    1. Techniques and Equipment for Lighting Food
    2. Poring Over the Picture
    3. Poring Over the Picture
    4. Types of Light
      1. Natural Light
      2. Artificial Light
    5. Lighting Modifiers and Accessories
      1. Reflectors
      2. Diffusers
    6. Quality of Light
      1. Color
      2. Intensity
      3. Distance
    7. Direction of Light
      1. Backlight
      2. Sidelight
      3. Frontlight
    8. Chapter 2 Challenges
  9. 3. Styling and Props
    1. The Art of Presentation
    2. Poring Over the Picture
    3. Poring Over the Picture
    4. Styling Considerations
      1. Using a Food Stylist
      2. Ethical Considerations
      3. Styled Food vs. Real Food
    5. Ensuring Food Quality
      1. Using Fresh Ingredients
      2. Shopping Smartly
    6. Food Styling Basics
      1. Gadgets and Tools
      2. Using Stand-ins
      3. Maintaining a Clean Environment
      4. Styling from Camera View
      5. Following Your Instincts
    7. Styling Tips and Tricks
      1. Adding Bulk
      2. Using Garnishes
      3. A Little Mess Is Okay
      4. Real Ice vs. Fake Ice
      5. Adding Movement
    8. Prop Styling
      1. Relevance and Simplicity
      2. Dishes and Accessories
      3. Textiles and Textures
    9. Chapter 3 Challenges
  10. 4. Framing and Composition
    1. Improve Your Photos with Strong Compositional Elements
    2. Poring Over the Picture
    3. Poring Over the Picture
    4. Finding Balance
      1. The Rule of Thirds
      2. Background and Foreground
      3. Triangles and Groups of Threes
    5. Perspective and Framing
      1. Vertical and Horizontal
      2. Three-Quarters
      3. Eye Level
      4. Overhead View
    6. Focal Length, Lens Compression, and Depth of Field
      1. What Is Lens Compression?
      2. Why Focal Length Matters
    7. Focus
      1. Finding the Best Focus Point
      2. Focusing Tips and Tricks
    8. Shapes, Lines, and Colors
      1. Shapes
      2. Lines and Corners
      3. Colors
    9. Chapter 4 Challenges
  11. 5. Let’s Get Social
    1. Setting Yourself Up for Online Success
    2. Poring Over the Picture
    3. Poring Over the Picture
    4. Your Website Is Your Online Home
      1. Setting Up a Website and Blog
      2. Setting Up Your Portfolio
    5. Sharing and Networking
      1. Grow a Social Media Presence
      2. Build a Mailing List
      3. Attend Conferences
    6. Protecting Your Digital Content
      1. Register Your Copyright
      2. Use Watermarks on Images
      3. Protect Your Blog
      4. Words of Wisdom
    7. Chapter 5 Challenge
  12. 6. Processing Images with Adobe Lightroom
    1. Making Your Photographs Look Their Best
    2. Poring Over Adobe Lightroom
      1. The Library Module Workspace
    3. Poring Over Adobe Lightroom
      1. The Develop Module Workspace
    4. Getting Started
      1. Calibrating Your Monitor
      2. Photo-Editing Software
      3. Working in Adobe Lightroom
    5. The Library Module
      1. Creating a Catalog
      2. Importing Your Files
      3. Organization Tips
      4. Selecting Keepers
    6. The Develop Module
      1. Cropping and Cloning
      2. Basic Edits
      3. Working with Presets
    7. Exporting Your Files
      1. Prepping for Export
      2. The Export Window
      3. Working with Export Presets
    8. Chapter 6 Challenges
  13. 7. Behind the Scenes
    1. Photographing Food from Start to Finish
    2. Poring Over the Picture
    3. Poring Over the Picture
    4. Appetizers
      1. Props and Styling
      2. Lighting Setup
      3. Postprocessing
    5. Green Mango Smoothie
      1. Props and Styling
      2. Lighting Setup
      3. Postprocessing
    6. Grapefruit Salad
      1. Props and Styling
      2. Lighting Setup
      3. Postprocessing
    7. Khao Soi
      1. Props and Styling
      2. Lighting Setup
      3. Postprocessing
  14. Conclusion
  15. Index

Product information

  • Title: Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Second Edition
  • Author(s): Nicole S. Young
  • Release date: July 2015
  • Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
  • ISBN: 9780134097268