Media Project: Culinary photography

KUKBUK.PL

Another inspiration for me while creating my own cookbook it is Polish website KUKBUK.pl. 

Website is created in form of a online magazine but also digital cookbook. It consist of beautiful design and of course fantastic recipes and professional images. Also it includes elements of traditions and culture. I would like to look here more at the design, layout and focus on images. 

ANALYZING IMAGES

Here is the first example of drink recipe - chocolate-orange latte. 

 

Picture here is beautifully designed. There is natural light. The drink is in the center of the image. On the foreground there are ingredients like coffee and orange. In the back there is something natural, it may be wood. In my opinion all colors works well together.  Even if colors are cool and raw, there is an orange which gives an accent to the image. In my work I should consider all the elements of the picture and it's composition. I could add ingredients and place them around. 

Another one drink recipe - pistachio coffee with rose water. 

Here the drink is a little bit on the left side. The image represents the rule of thirds. The drink is in focus here, and the background is blurred. Blurry backgrounds are often used in food photography. In the background I can see the decoration with nuts and a Christmas tree. Objects are related to the recipe because in it there is a cardamon, which makes the drink warm us in cold days like winter.  Moreover, coffee is inside the beautifully designed glass. I should consider also the dishes I will be use. 

Another example of image is here. 

Very interesting and great composition. I can see natural colors - blue and brown, woody. Here we have objects like plates, fork, glasses, fruits and nature. Then I can see the accent of color - raspberry. And of course there is a star - the cheesecake. The recipe is simple. 

FOOD COLOR

Color of food in image is very important. According to Color Matters (2022):"Color and the appeal of various foods is also closely related. Just the sight of food fires neurons in the hypothalamus. Subjects presented food to eat in the dark reported a critically missing element for enjoying any cuisine: the appearance of food. For the sighted, the eyes are the first place that must be convinced before a food is even tried." 

TEXTURES AND SHAPES

Then I found useful tips from culinary blogger about culinary photography and I will think about them doing my own food images. As Katie says: "The textures, colors and shapes in food can be so beautiful on their own. In those cases, I like to keep the backgrounds simple and neutral, and get up-close to the food so it steals the show. The trick here is not to get so close that you can’t tell what the food is—unless you’re going for a more Jackson Pollock-style image than food photo." Cookie+Kate Blog, (2022). 

ACTION SHOTS

This image is an example of action shot - action pictures bring photos to life and allow viewers to imagine themselves preparing or consuming the food. Shutter speed can be used to control the amount of blur in the motion, depending on the desired effect. If we want to catch a crystal-clear drop or pour, but we can also utilize blur to convey motion, as seen in the photographs above.

CAMERA ANGLES

Specific foods are better suited to certain angles. For example, photographing pizza from above (it will disappear if photographed from the side) and photographing a burger from the side makes more sense (so we can see all the layers, not just the top of the bun). However, it is good to consider image from different perspectives. 

COLOR PALLETTE

Also I can consider color palette for my cookbook, I can use Adobe Color and think about best colors. 

 

After looking at this beautiful pictures and tasty recipes I really consider my private culinary blog. I could connect my passion for food and writing, but also I like culinary photography and art. I could mix all of that together and it could be an good idea for my work in the future. I already wrote an article about food traditions and culinary heritage from my country and now I'm focusing on my own cookbook. I think I can follow my passion and continue it while I will be studying. Studying English language will be my base to know everything about the language and I could practice my writing skills during the study. While doing images to my cookbook I will consider elements such as light, colors and patterns. Also think about action shots, camera angles, layers and setting. I hope all of these elements will result as a beautiful piece of work. 

References

Burgar, A., 2022. How To Take The Perfect Action Shot In Food Photography - Use Your Noodles. [online] Use Your Noodles. Available at: <https://www.useyournoodles.eu/how-to-take-the-perfect-action-shot-in-food-photography/> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

Color.adobe.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

Colormatters.com. 2022. Color & Appetite Matters. [online] Available at: <https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-the-body/color-and-appetite-matters> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

Cookie and Kate. 2022. Food Photography Tips for Food Bloggers. [online] Available at: <https://cookieandkate.com/food-photography-tips-for-food-bloggers/> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

Cookie and Kate. 2022. How to Photograph Food. [online] Available at: <https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-photograph-food/> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

Cookie and Kate. 2022. How to Start a Food Blog: Step by Step. [online] Available at: <https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-start-a-food-blog/> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

FeltMagnet. 2022. How to Take a Photo With a Blurred Background. [online] Available at: <https://feltmagnet.com/photography/how-to-take-a-photo-with-a-blurred-background> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

Małe kulinaria. Fotografia kulinarna i przepisy. 2022. Fotografia kulinarna. Jak zrobić ładne zdjęcia jedzenia w 10 krokach. Poradnik na rok 2020. – Małe kulinaria. Fotografia kulinarna i przepisy.. [online] Available at: <https://malekulinaria.pl/fotografia-kulinarna-jak-zrobic-ladne-zdjecia-jedzenia-w-10-krokach-poradnik-na-rok-2020/> [Accessed 22 April 2022].

2022. Kawa pistacjowa z wodą różaną – PRZEPIS. [online] KUKBUK. Available at: <https://kukbuk.pl/przepisy/kawa-pistacjowa-z-woda-rozana/> [Accessed 22 April 2022].