Winner – ITQI Superior Photo 2012

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Jerry

I received an e-mail from Vicki DeVico, a fellow photographer, that there is a photo contest for food photography and she knew that I photographed food. I checked it out and submitted a photo entitled “Fruit Tart”. The photo was taken for Chef George Kyrtatas of the Sweet Water Bar and Grill in Cinnaminson, NJ.

The first portion of the competition was public voting so, I asked my Facebook friends, photo club members, friends and relatives and everyone I could think of to vote for my photo…and they did. I made it into the top 15, the cutoff for the first round. Now it was up to the chefs and sommeliers of ITQI – the International Taste and Quality Institute in Belgium to select five finalists. The five selected photos will be on exhibit at A TABLE exhibition in Brussels in May. My Photo was selected and now I can say that I am an “award winning photographer.” Woo Hoo.

I just love food photography. I want to thank Chef George Kyrtatas for providing such wonderful subjects for me to photograph and allowing me to use them for the competition. I would also like to thank Lou Manna for getting me started in this field – your seminars really made the difference and got me going.

Fruit Tart and Red Swirl

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12 Food Photography Tips

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Jerry

For better food photos:

muffin

If your food has height, shoot from a low angle to show the height. If your food has texture, side or back light it to show the texture.

1) If your food has height, show it. Shoot at a low camera angle.

2) If your food has texture, show it. Light from the side or the back to show texture. Shadows show texture so don’t be afraid of shadows.

3) Watch your background and make sure that it doesn’t take away from what you want to say in your image.

heirloom tomatoes

Use diffused light...don't use direct sunlight. Use white boards to fill in the shadows. Use a white shower curtain to diffuse direct light.

4) Don’t use the on-camera flash.

5) Place the food near a window and have the light come in from behind or to the side.

6) The bigger the window, the better the light but, don’t use direct sunlight.

7) Use a piece of white paper or card board (foam core works great) to reflect light on to the front.

8) Use a tripod

9) Food can be a graphical work of art. Lines, shapes, colors, space created with a medium of food on a palette of the plate.

Scallops

When food is graphically pleasing...show it off by shooting from above. Light from the side. Shadows are your friends...sometimes. Shadows can add to the composition.

10) When the plate is graphically appealing, try shooting straight down on it.

11) Light from the side or behind if shadows add to the composition. Don’t be afraid of shadows but avoid too many shadows or shadows that hide important details in the food.

12) Shadows can be softened with reflectors.

BONUS

1) Try an unusual angle…shoot at a high angle and tilt the camera. If you want the food to tilt to the left, rotate the camera to the right.

2) Show a repeating pattern.

Lion Fish Dinner

Choose an interesting angle. Show repeating patterns.

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Depth of Field

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Jerry

For those of you who may not know, depth of field is how much of an image from front to back is in acceptable focus. Selective focus (also known as shallow depth of field) has been used in photography to guide the viewer to the important part of an image. This can make for very dramatic images. However, we usually don’t see with selective focus. Well, that’s not really correct. When an object is close and especially in low light, you do see in selective focus but, your brain is great at only letting you concentrate on the part of the field of view that is in focus. As soon as you start to view the out of focus are, your eyes change their point of focus and you adjust. So, what’s my point? I’m not really sure. Oh yeah, when we see, we really don’t see in selective focus but we do see with selective concentration. So, why is selective focus so often desirable in photography – especially food photography? Here are two images for your consideration. Which do you prefer? Which is more realistic? Which is more artistic? Which way would you prefer to see your food images? Your comments are welcome.

Pattypan Yellow Squash and Zucchini

Shallow Depth Of Field (aka Selective Focus)

Pattypan Yellow Squash and Zucchini

Deep depth of field.

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Food Stylist

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Jerry

Cranberry MuffinsYogurt SmoothieThere was a post in LinkedIn from a young lady that wants to be a food stylist and is looking for a photographer to do some portfolio work. My wife calls these “play dates”.

I responded and was pleased to find out that the stylist, Veronika, also lives in New Jersey.Pizza Bread

I looked at her website http://www.DREAMCAVERNS.com and learned that she was an artist by training but has experience preparing food.  We met last Sunday and it was a great day. Her fiance helped carry equipment and that is always appreciated. With her background in art, Veronika is truly new to styling but, learned quickly. The food she prepared was impressive and we had a very productive day. After all, anyone who uses star anise gets my attention.Peaches and Raspberries on a pineapple sliceStuffed Mushrooms

I recommended that she visit a website that has food styling classes (I’ve attended one of their food styling and food photography workshops in Chicago and was very impressed)  http://www.photostylingworkshops.com/store/home.php.

(Addendum: The website for photosytylingworkshops.com is no longer in existence. You can see Susan Linnet Cox’s workshop information at her blog…http://www.theinvisiblestylist.com/p/styling-workshops.html)

Veronika would love to be an assistant for a food stylist in New York City…anyone interested? I look forward to our next play date. Hopefully, that one will be at my place.

Quinoi and scallops

My regular food stylist is Chef Michael Giletto. Please visit his site at http://michaelgiletto.squarespace.com

 

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Exclusive iStockPhoto Contributor

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Jerry

It was very frustrating for a while. I’ve been anxiously awaiting to accumulate enough downloads to become an iStockphoto exclusive contributor. I deleted all of my other affiliations and I was ready to go. I hit my download goal and began the process. Unfortunately, iStockphoto was having problems. Their computers were unable to produce the approval rating. My approval rating was 0. Impossible of course, since I had over 200 photos in the collection and over 250 downloads. But alas, computers run the world. So, I would check daily to see if the problem was solved and then to my surprise, one day my approval rating was there. I seized the moment and completed my application. Woo Hoo! I am now an exclusive contributor. So, if you cannot afford a custom photo shoot, perhaps stock photography holds the solution to your needs. Check out my collection at iStockphoto by clicking on the graphic…

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Inspiration

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Jerry

Onion SoupIt’s cold outside – it’s winter. That means it’s time for Winterfest. This is an annual event sponsored by the Jersey Shore Chefs association that raises money for the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. A very worthy cause.

Beef dishThe association has a website http://www.jerseyshorechefs.com/Winterfest.html and they post photos of the dishes for the upcoming Winterfest dinner. (They know that good photos will inspire people to come to Winterfest.) I volunteer to do the photography for them.

Mushroom MystiqueThis year, Chef Phillip, one of the seven chefs preparing dishes for the dinner, made an exquisite mushroom dish. It looked beautiful. It inspired me to go out and buy mushrooms to photograph the following day. I went to the asian market where I found a plethora of mushroom varieties. (How many in a plethora?)

MushroomsSo, while my wife was playing Mah-Jongg, I was shooting up a storm. I had a great time and I think the photos show it.Mushrrom Tryptik

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Making New Friends

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Jerry

The Best of NJI photographed The Best of New Jersey Wine and Dine hosted by my food stylist/executive chef Michael Giletto at his restaurant at Ocean Place Resort and Spa in Long Branch, NJ. The dinner was amazing…yada, yada, yada.OP Wine and Dine

I had already known all of the chefs there except for one, Chef George Kyrtatas. He came over to our table and chit chatted (does anyone use that expression anymore?) We spoke for a while and I quickly came to realize that he was a really friendly, enthusiastic and very capable chef.Chefs at Work

I posted the photos of the Wine and Dine on Facebook and was surprised to get a call from Chef George. He asked if I would come to his home to shoot his food. Duh! Of course I will.

Fruit TartI packed up my studio and headed to southern New Jersey for the shoot. I walked in and the entire kitchen (and believe me he has a large kitchen) was covered with cooked food, raw vegetables, fruits, micro-greens, pastries and all manner of edibles.Dinner

Banana French Toast

Cup cakesWe photographed for five hours. Five hours of beautiful photos. Thank you George for a great experience. I look forward to working with you again and dining in your restaurant. And a special thank you to my friend Lew who assisted and carried lots of equipment in the freezing cold. Thanks Lew.Elegant Dining

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Have a happy!

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Jerry

Wishing everyone a joyous holiday and a happy new year.

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Happy National Brownie Day

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Jerry

Devil Brownie blow upWho created these holidays? There is a national day for just about everything and if there isn’t a day for it, most likely, there will be a month. So, today is National Brownie Day. Just so happens, that I have a client that makes brownies so today is the day that I will post a couple of their photos.

Clare from Devil Brownies is a member of the Freehold NJ Network for Success group, as am I. I met Clare at a monthly meeting, introduced myself and showed her my portfolio. She was very impressed but apologized because she had just finished taking photos for QVC.com.  Brownies with Powdered SugarAbout two month later, I got a call from Clare that her photos were rejected by QVC.com and we got together to shoot her brownies based on the strict QVC restrictions. Not a problem. We did the photos for QVC and threw in a few more just for fun. Of course, they were approved by QVC and their nut brownies are now available there.

Devil BrowniesYou can purchase Devil Brownies directly from Devil Brownies or from QVC and I wouldn’t complain if someone sent me a box.

So, here are the rest of the crazy holidays for December. I could really use a client in each of these. I can’t wait for December 30th…National Bicarbonate of Soda day.

December 1 National Pie Day
December 2 National Fritters Day
December 4 National Cookie Day
December 5 National Sacher Torte Day
December 6 National Gazpacho Day
December 7 National Cotton Candy Day
December 8 National Brownie Day
December 9 National Pastry Day
December 11 National Noodle-Ring Day
December 12 National Ambrosia Day
December 13 National Cocoa Day
December 14 National Bouillabaisse Day
December 15 National Lemon Cupcake Day
December 16 National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
December 18 National Roast Suckling Pig Day
December 21 National French Fried Shrimp Day
December 23 National Pfeffernuesse Day
December 24 National Egg Nog Day
December 25 National Pumpkin Pie Day
December 26 National Candy Cane Day
December 27 National Fruitcake Day
December 30 National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

Here is a link to the rest of the American holidays. Have fun!

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Cookie Pies

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Jerry

Peppermint Bark Cookie Pie‘Tis the season.” That’s what the plate said. I saw the plate at Home Good and just had to have it. That’s not all I found…small red, 7 inch cake plates. What could you do with a 7 inch cake plate you ask. Well, its perfect for a 6 1/2 inch cookie pie.

Cookie PiesHuh? Cookie pie? What’s that? It’s a great dessert from from www.barbarascookie pies.com. A 6 1/2 inch diameter cookie shaped like a pie and filled with the most amazing fillings. Enough about eating…now on to shooting.

Coconut Cookie PieBarbara is an entrepreneur going all in with her delicious invention. The cookie recipe has been handed down from generation to generation and Barbara is taking it to the next level. Autumn Pumpkin Cookie PieA few weeks ago we did halloween and thanksgiving pies. Today, I shot her holiday pies…tomorrow I shoot the pies coming out after the holidays. Check out her website – all the photos are done by yours truly.

Christmas Gift BoxesOh, they also come in gift boxes with holiday ribbons – makes a great gift for your favorite nosher.

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