AUGUST 22 - FREE WORKSHOP ASSIGNMENT FIVE: PLAYING WITH OUR FOOD

I am continuously fascinated by the textures and colors if food. From rough to shiny, greens to reds to purples to rainbows, the food we eat is a never ending delight for a photographer who loves color, shape, dimension and texture.

But rarely do we look super close at the food around us, and that is what we are going to do with this class. We are going to move in close – close enough to feel the texture. Close enough to see what we haven’t necessarily seen before. Close enough to explore the ridges and edges and color of our favorite delights.

PHOTO BY JULIE LHEUREAUX

Candies up close. We can see the sugar and the design of them so brightly and clearly. Julie decided not to make them regimentedly uniform, but to let a bit of chance happen in the spacing so they looked more natural and real. You may find it interesting to pack them in with precision… it’s a choice.

Subtle backlight from a large light source.

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA SMITH

Virginia came in macro-close for this bold orange shot. Keeping the lighting under control, she gives us beautiful highlights, lots of color and a real sense of what the blood-orange looks like just before we take a bite.

PHOTO BY IRYNA ISCHENKO

Using an old baking pan for a surface, the coffee beans were carefully moved to make them look random. Believe me, random is usually NEVER random. She is using a large, soft light (window) above the pan slightly to the right to bring us the beautiful highlights on the beans. The open sky light also adds a bit of blue to the overall photo. And this helps bring the brown beans to life against the old pan.

PHOTO BY JAMES KERN

Bringing the camera down to the level of the table helps us see the garlic from a new angle, and the composition provides a great way for the roots and little cloves to define themselves against the soft background and white tones of the image. White on white is always beautiful, and this shot lets us see the little bits of color the garlic has to offer.