How to make it more appetising

[zx9]

Yes the face on ones do make the product look more important and interesting. For the flat lay can you go further away with the soft box and bring it around to the side a bit which would give more texture to the fish or add a bit of subtle vignette in post to darken the table and sort of semi spotlight the produce. They do need something.

Use a Samsung tablet to serve the Korean one on in that way they use a slab of slate. Not a serious suggestion but there must be something typically Korean that you could use as props, I don't know much about Korea to help with that one.

[JohnY]

Thanks Kath for reposting in Appraisal. I must apologise about being so long to get back.
The photography is fine and better than I could do.
I think that the fish looks overcooked and dry. Sorry there is no other way to put it. The fish should appear flaky and shiny. The spuds appear to be dry.
At least one member has suggested spraying the food with diluted glycerine. I certainly disapprove of that.The palatability of food must never be destroyed for photography. Melted butter or olive oil is just as good for photography as glycerine and both might actually improve taste. The tastes of those oils are very different in taste and appearance. Just remember that you want a dinner out of this as well as a photograph; so choose the oil accordingly.
I would have given Zou San two ticks if it were possible. The spears of asparagus should certainly pointing 'up plate'. The tomatoes should be cooked and off the vine. The tomatoes taste better that way, look better that way and are healthier.
I realise that you are doing a professional job and a professional job only needs to be as good as to satisfy the client. I am not a professional photographer or professional cook. I am sure that if there was a good meal out of the job then I would cook and present it to my taste. A good client might even recognise and appreciate the extra personal effort put into that and in future trust you with ingredients I could only dream about.
I think that the photograph is professionally competent but it doesn't make me want to go shopping and try to replicate it for lunch.

[zx9]

Mar 9, 2024 20:45:49 GMT JohnY said:

Thanks Kath for reposting in Appraisal. I must apologise about being so long to get back.
The photography is fine and better than I could do.
I think that the fish looks overcooked and dry. Sorry there is no other way to put it. The fish should appear flaky and shiny. The spuds appear to be dry.
At least one member has suggested spraying the food with diluted glycerine. I certainly disapprove of that.The palatability of food must never be destroyed for photography. Melted butter or olive oil is just as good for photography as glycerine and both might actually improve taste. The tastes of those oils are very different in taste and appearance. Just remember that you want a dinner out of this as well as a photograph; so choose the oil accordingly.
I would have given Zou San two ticks if it were possible. The spears of asparagus should certainly pointing 'up plate'. The tomatoes should be cooked and off the vine. The tomatoes taste better that way, look better that way and are healthier.
I realise that you are doing a professional job and a professional job only needs to be as good as to satisfy the client. I am not a professional photographer or professional cook. I am sure that if there was a good meal out of the job then I would cook and present it to my taste. A good client might even recognise and appreciate the extra personal effort put into that and in future trust you with ingredients I could only dream about.
I think that the photograph is professionally competent but it doesn't make me want to go shopping and try to replicate it for lunch.

One can only assume that you mistake the photo shoot as Kath posting a picture on Instagram of her next meal. The fish in the studio is not food it only has to look good, to tempt others to want to buy and consume similar product that is its only value. Not wishing to question Kath's finances you only have to look at the costs in planning, preparation, studio time, PP and the costs to running a business, the fish is worth a fraction of production costs. If Kath or her family wanted to eat the fish she could buy some from the profits, I certainly would not be eating it.

[Kath]

To be fair, I did post the shot in the what's for tea thread and I did actually eat the fish - which was not dry and tasted very good!


I think there have been some valid points raised here and I'll see what hte client thinks and if they're not happy, will offer to do a reshoot.

[zx9]

I think the only thing I ate from a studio visit was a handful of physalis, some of the other studios had hot and cold running booze but I can't remember those stories.

[beatnik69]

I think to make it more appetising looking, you need less food on the plate. Fewer spuds, tomatoes and asparagus stems. Maybe three spuds, five tomatoes and four or five asparagus. I'd lose the napkin, pot of spuds and drink too.