Q1. How did you choose the specific types of food for each portrait? What is their significance? Explain – be specific! (3 sentences min.) I chose the following foods because they were the easiest available to me and my models. Their significance in the picture is that they make the photo more complete and adds a touch of detail. For Nolan’s picture, we used the pretzel stick as a “cigar” to look like he is smoking and looking into the distance. For Maren’s picture, the ice cream was already on the table so she decided to have it while I was photographing her.
Q2. Consider the lighting in your photographs. What was the light source in each of your photos. What time of day? How did it affect the mood and atmosphere of the portraits? Explain – be specific! (3 sentences min.) The light source in Maren’s picture were the kitchen lights that were dangling over the peninsula. The time of day during the shot was at night at approximately 9pm. In Nolan’s shot, the lighting came from the sun which was slightly covered by the clouds. The time of day this shot was taken was in the early morning.
Q3. Think about the composition of your photos. Name the composition technique you used for each photo. Why did you choose to crop your photos as shown? Be specific! (3 sentences min.) The composition technique I used for Nolan’s shot was either FILL THE FRAME or RULE OF THIRDS. I chose to crop this picture as shown because I liked the space the his head took up and I wanted extra space in front of him because he was looking towards the distance. The composition technique I used for Maren’s picture was RULE OF THIRDS. I chose to crop the picture like this because I only wanted to show the important pieces of the shot and not include any unnecessary background details that would distract the viewer from the main piece.
Q4. How do the colors and color splash technique in your photographs contribute to the overall impact of the images? Why did you choose to mask the specific areas in color for each photo? Be specific! (3 sentences min.) The colors and the color splash technique contribute to the impact of the images. For Nolan’s picture, I chose to color splash the pretzel, his sweater, and the fence. I chose to mask these areas in color because I wanted the pretzel to be a focal point in the picture, for NJ’s sweater, I just wanted some extra color to not make the picture look bland. Finally, I colored in the fence because I liked the bright color the fence gave to the picture to add some pop. For Maren’s picture, I chose to color in the peninsula, including the ice cream, and the wall behind her. I chose to color in the table because it was the focal point of the shot and it added bright colors. Lastly, I colored the wall because it added more color and made the picture look more complete.
Q5. Consider the technical aspects of your photography, such as focus (lens size 75-300(lg) or 18-35(reg), or iphone mode/focus), depth of field (blurry background), and exposure (value in PS adjustment of your black, grays, whites). How did you use these techniques to enhance your images? Be specific! (3 sentences min.) For Nolan’s shot, I used a close lens because I wanted to make sure the pretzel was large enough to be seen. I used a blurry background for the shot as well so the main focus was the pretzel stick. For Maren’s picture, I used my iPhone 11’s 0.5 camera to encompass all of the details. But, I did not fully zoom out to be distracted from the ice cream.
Q6. What advice would you give to next year’s students for shooting food portraits? Be specific! (3 sentences min.) The advice I would give to next year’s students would be to focus on the directions Mrs. Otterbein gives you before you start shooting. In addition, I would like to share that the composition techniques will help you when taking pictures, especially with food which can sometimes be an interesting subject to shoot. Next, I would try and be creative as possible with this as food can be full of experimenting and creativity. Using food in expressive ways and using different angles lenses can change a photo for the better.
