Brief

OC 2 Task 1: Recipe

You have been commissioned to make an image for a quality Sunday newspaper
colour magazine. Choose a recipe you can illustrate by arranging the key ingredients in a single image. The style, mood and composition of the shot is your choice
Using studio lighting and a DSLR. Vertical (portrait format), Full Page A4.
This can be shot digital or analogue on any format, but must be shot in the studio.
● Plan a studio shoot with notes and sketches in your Blog.
● Consider the possibilities and limitations of the studio, viewpoint, focus, quality of
light.
● No hands, or human forms – strictly inanimate still life.
● You do not need to show the completed meal.

Submission – One Portrait Format A3 colour print with white borders.

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Research & Ideas

I want to do something festive for this I had thought maybe something Black forest inspired with cherries etc but I’d like to have warm tones primarily I think. I looked at Pinterest, Still Life Photographers, Recipe books but the Xmas section of the BBC Good Food mag/website was a winner for what I was looking for. I like the earthiness and textures of the mincemeat, pastry, flour. I plan to do the shoot at home on my worktop but have also bought hessian fabric to use for my still life shoots so that’s also an option.

The warm tones in the pies and wood worktop are nice and the flour is bright which contrasts nicely with the baking tray and dark shadow around it’s edge. The food looks good, it’s comfort food and gives you a nice cosy feeling looking at it. It’s a flat lay and the lighting is coming in from the right.

There is a lot to look at without being overpowering, it’s much lighter than the first photo which I’m not as keen on but I do like the composition. The focal points zig zag in my opinion (top left star, to the pie then the jar then spoon). The light appears to be from the top left but maybe with a reflector at the bottom. I am not completely sure because the shadow under the spoon doesn’t match.

This is going to sound odd… I liked this at first, and now I’ve looked at it a few times on this and tried to pick out what I like about it I’ve decided I actually not fond of it at all. To me something doesn’t sit right with the depth of field, like it’s not natural looking but I could be completely wrong but I remember discussing the DOF ratio in class and reckon this may be done in post-production? Also the mincemeat in the pies doesn’t look all that appealing in this compared to other pics. The light is coming in from the top left.

Images above: BBC Good Food

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Final Image