1st Genre Photoshoot

After choosing "Cooking, Food, and Beverage" and "Science and Nature" as my top two genres, I decided to photoshoot "Cooking, Food, and Beverage" first since I have the most experience photographing food! After conducting my photoshoot, I shared all of my images with my classmates and picked my favorite images based on the critique/feedback I received.

My overall goal for my first genre photoshoot was to present food in a visually appealing manner. While my initial plan was to photograph various food cuisines, I later simplified this plan and limited myself to only one cuisine. To achieve this, I took pictures of dishes my family and I ordered at a local Japanese restaurant. Therefore, if I select "Cooking, Food, and Beverage" as my final magazine genre, I may make an Asian food magazine!

Below are the top 8 images from my photoshoot that I thought were the most enticing, captivating, and unique.

First of all, I think that because the dishes were already aesthetically plated and the food looked appetizing, my photography was professional-looking and of high quality. The pictures had good natural lighting, were clear/not blurry, and were positioned appropriately with the rule of thirds, allowing me to learn and practice proper photography skills. However, I encountered numerous failures on the way, some of them including the following: harsh shadows being present, not using a variety of angles or backgrounds, and not paying attention to close details. For instance, in images #2 and #3, I didn't notice that one of the spilled condiments was uncleaned and that there were uncleaned edges on the last image's dish.

Therefore, during my class critique, the main feedback I received from my classmates was to be more careful with the components in my pictures. I will incorporate this suggestion moving forward by taking a few minutes to observe the setting and identify any unappealing factors before photographing. I will also ensure that there isn't too much going on in the background of my pictures that would distract the viewers from the food. Evidently, I learned that food photography isn't as simple as it seems and that many significant elements need to be paid attention to if wanting to take a professional-looking photograph.