# Does my food look bad?



## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

hi folks, I'm new to this forum!
I have been posting food accomplishments (i.e. dishes that I make) on a Chinese forum but for some reason they always say my food looks bad. I have no idea how to improve and they wouldn't tell me (they just tell me it's bad, but not why it's bad). So I decided to look for another forum to discuss my cooking technique. First of all, I would like to show you several dishes that I received negative comments on, and hopefully get some constructive feedback 

This is Penne alla Vodka







This is apricot salami scone with strawberry and grape tomato sauce







Spaghetti alle vongole






Baked tilapia






Tilapia soup






Pizza


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## Steve Kroll (Apr 5, 2011)

It doesn't look bad, it just looks invisible. 

Seriously, I don't see any photos.


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## roadfix (Apr 5, 2011)

The problem is the Chinese forum, not your food.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

Edited since there might be anti-linking mechanism


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## Zhizara (Apr 5, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> Edited since there might be anti-linking mechanism



Still no pictures.  Try right clicking on the picture and see if you can "copy image" and paste it to your post.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

Zhizara said:


> Still no pictures.  Try right clicking on the picture and see if you can "copy image" and paste it to your post.


that's weird... too bad it doesn't let me edit the post any more. what happens when you click on the image?


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## GB (Apr 5, 2011)

I do not think most of it looks bad. Most of the dishes could use a little more color to be more visually appealing. The soup does not look good in my opinion. It looks oily and un unpleasant color and the black pepper looks bad against the color of the soup. White pepper might be better so it does not stand out as much. It could vey well taste delicious though so just because the color looks kind of odd does not mean it can not be great tasting. The scone is the only other one that looks like it could use some work. The scone itself looks small and odd shaped (not really that big of a deal), but the sauce looks like it was just kind of splashed on wherever. And again, the color of the sauce is not appealing. It could use some brighter fresher colors. It looks like the sauce was cooked a long time and all the color washed out.


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## Zhizara (Apr 5, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> that's weird... too bad it doesn't let me edit the post any more. what happens when you click on the image?



Firefox says it doesn't think it can complete the action.

Let me try.  BRB.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

ah I see the picture uploader probably restricted redirecting... duh I need to reupload the images somewhere else


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## roadfix (Apr 5, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> that's weird... too bad it doesn't let me edit the post any more.


....LOL.....you've gone past your edit time limit....LOL....
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f29/increase-the-time-for-edits-71315.html


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## Zhizara (Apr 5, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> ah I see the picture uploader probably restricted redirecting... duh I need to reupload the images somewhere else



Wait, I'm getting them now.


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## jennyema (Apr 5, 2011)

They never showed for me.

Why not post them here?


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

GB said:


> I do not think most of it looks bad. Most of the dishes could use a little more color to be more visually appealing. The soup does not look good in my opinion. It looks oily and un unpleasant color and the black pepper looks bad against the color of the soup. White pepper might be better so it does not stand out as much. It could vey well taste delicious though so just because the color looks kind of odd does not mean it can not be great tasting. The scone is the only other one that looks like it could use some work. The scone itself looks small and odd shaped (not really that big of a deal), but the sauce looks like it was just kind of splashed on wherever. And again, the color of the sauce is not appealing. It could use some brighter fresher colors. It looks like the sauce was cooked a long time and all the color washed out.



Thanks for the comments. actually the sauce was bright red in real life and looked really good... I don't know why it all looks bad in the picture :/
The fish soup tasted good and I don't know how to add more color to it because I don't want any other ingredients than what I put in it... it looks plain, though. how should I garnish a clear soup when everything I put in it will sink to the bottom lol


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## Zhizara (Apr 5, 2011)

There you go, all better.

It was really weird, though, I copied the addresses into the address bar, and it took me to the image.

I right clicked the image and selected "copy image".

Then I went back to your post and LEFT clicked and your image came up without my having to paste!

Weird, but true.


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## GB (Apr 5, 2011)

It could just be the picture. If the sauce was actually a brighter color in real life then I would say it looks just fine. 

For the soup, my main issue with it is that it looks oily. Did it look like that to you too? For color you could float something on top for garnish. Something like an edible flower (although that is pretty girly so maybe you would not want that) or even lay a few different colored breadsticks across the top or something. That was it brings a little more color and texture in.


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## Zhizara (Apr 5, 2011)

As for your question, there are others here better qualified to help you.  The pictures are kind of dark, but like I said, we have some good cooks who are also good at presentation, so hang tight, you're in the right place.  

Welcome to DC.  You'll love it here.  Plenty of information, great ideas, and lots of fun!


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## Zhizara (Apr 5, 2011)

roadfix said:


> ....LOL.....you've gone past your edit time limit....LOL....
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f29/increase-the-time-for-edits-71315.html



Yeah, but she just happened to have a Mod handy to fix it for her.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

GB said:


> It could just be the picture. If the sauce was actually a brighter color in real life then I would say it looks just fine.
> 
> For the soup, my main issue with it is that it looks oily. Did it look like that to you too? For color you could float something on top for garnish. Something like an edible flower (although that is pretty girly so maybe you would not want that) or even lay a few different colored breadsticks across the top or something. That was it brings a little more color and texture in.



lol yea I get what you are saying. The color of the soup in the picture actually coincides with the color of oil, so it looks like a bowl of pure oil lol. I guess I could cream it up but again... I'm anal about my ingredients and the taste they offer, so adding cream would not be helpful. Sometimes when you use certain fish, the meat will actually generate creamy looking soup by itself. But i guess tilapia isn't one of that kind.





Zhizara said:


> As for your question, there are others here better qualified to help you.  The pictures are kind of dark, but like I said, we have some good cooks who are also good at presentation, so hang tight, you're in the right place.
> 
> Welcome to DC.  You'll love it here.  Plenty of information, great ideas, and lots of fun!


thanks!
but yea, I use my cell phone to do all the photos so there's only that much I can do...


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## GB (Apr 5, 2011)

I am not one for sacrificing taste for looks so I would be like you in not wanting to add cream if that was nit the flavor you were after. The real question is how did it taste?


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

GB said:


> I am not one for sacrificing taste for looks so I would be like you in not wanting to add cream if that was nit the flavor you were after. The real question is how did it taste?


It actually tasted great, extremely savory (no msg added) thanks to the tilapia. I actually accidentally kicked the savory up a notch by using sauerkraut as the main veggies in the soup, and it didn't taste sour at all. The amino acid from the sauerkraut helped a lot I think. Only thing is that I can't get rid of the earthiness of the sauerkraut and it migrated to the soup a little bit, but it's nothing unpleasant and it might add some variety to the pure savoriness.. as long as the eater knows it's from the sauerkraut and not from something weird.


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## LPBeier (Apr 5, 2011)

I am still not getting pictures.  Hyperion, if you want I can let you edit your post and you can upload the pictures straight there.  But if most people are seeing them then it is up to you.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

duh!!! I went to update the post but when I clicked on Save it says time expired again!!! but this time I saved the new post to a text file so hopefully next time I can be quicker. MOD help!!! lol


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## LPBeier (Apr 5, 2011)

Try now


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

Thanks mod  finally they are showing. Is there a photo upload server for this site so I don't have to use tinypic?


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## LPBeier (Apr 5, 2011)

Go into advance mode when creating your post.  You will see a paperclip.  Click on it and it will allow you to upload your photos.


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## Andy M. (Apr 5, 2011)

Part of your problem could be lighting.  The penne pic is a bit 'muddy'.  Check the parsley color.  It looks like you didn't use flash.   You might also try to adjust the pic components (exposure, contrast, brightness, shadows, etc.) to sharpen and brighten the image.

For presentation, pasta dishes are usually shown as a bowl/plate of white pasta with the sauce, cheese and garnish covering most but not all of the pasta.  This provides some contrasting colors brightening the red and whitening the white.

It might also help if you backed off a little to frame the plate.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

LPBeier said:


> Go into advance mode when creating your post.  You will see a paperclip.  Click on it and it will allow you to upload your photos.



Thanks!



Andy M. said:


> Part of your problem could be lighting.  The penne pic is a bit 'muddy'.  Check the parsley color.  It looks like you didn't use flash.   You might also try to adjust the pic components (exposure, contrast, brightness, shadows, etc.) to sharpen and brighten the image.
> 
> For presentation, pasta dishes are usually shown as a bowl/plate of white pasta with the sauce, cheese and garnish covering most but not all of the pasta.  This provides some contrasting colors brightening the red and whitening the white.
> 
> It might also help if you backed off a little to frame the plate.


yea, I didn't use flash, because my phone doesn't have one lol. And that's the only camera I have. at the end I'm a cook not a photographer :P I tried to lighten it up with photo editor but the color is already unbalanced by the phone camera. well as long as pasta goes, mixing the pasta with sauce is actually part of cooking itself so I can't plate them separately.


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## PattY1 (Apr 5, 2011)

The only one that sticks out to me is "Spaghetti alle vongole". Looks (IMHO) over kill on the mussels. Maybe top half and use the rest on the rim of the other half of the bowl?


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

PattY1 said:


> The only one that sticks out to me is "Spaghetti alle vongole". Looks (IMHO) over kill on the mussels. Maybe top half and use the rest on the rim of the other half of the bowl?


lol yea there was just a little too much clams. next time I might dump the clams in along with the spaghetti in the pot when I combine the sauce with the pasta, so some of it stays at the bottom of the pasta. I just have to eat them before they get cold lol


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 5, 2011)

It is not the food itself, I believe it is the angle, camera, perspective and lighting of the photos. 

You may want to try taking the photos from just off the the horizontal, maybe 45 degrees up or even JUST above, not looking down into the plate.  That would give you more depth of field and dimension to the dishes.  

Lighting - remember that incandescent light is a warm amber light and florescent light is a cooler blueish light. This will affect the look of your food in the photo.  When I take my food photos I use an incandescent over head light and the flash.  Also, if take the photo over head and are using over head lighting you won't get a lot of shade and shadow on the plate so there won't be much dimension and again, things will look flat. 

What will also help is if you look at other photos of food (cooking magazines, TV, etc).  You need to look at them for the things above as well as color as contrast/interest (as was already pointed out). 

If you really want to take a lot of photos of your food, get a camera  when you can afford one.  Trust me it will make all the difference is  the world. I'll admit I use a DSLR camera, sometimes with a tripod, but you can find a decent camera for a decent price.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> It is not the food itself, I believe it is the angle, camera, perspective and lighting of the photos.
> 
> You may want to try taking the photos from just off the the horizontal, maybe 45 degrees up or even JUST above, not looking down into the plate.  That would give you more depth of field and dimension to the dishes.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the advice. I wish I could get one of those umbrella flash thingy, they can bring shadow to your object, which is not achievable with the camera's own flash. besides that, I also need a camera man so I get to eat the dish before it gets cold lol


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 5, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> Thanks for the advice. I wish I could get one of those umbrella flash thingy, they can bring shadow to your object, which is not achievable with the camera's own flash. besides that, I also need a camera man so I get to eat the dish before it gets cold lol



You're welcome. Just some things learned taking my own photos and from my design classes. 

I know the feeling. If I know I am going to want to take photos I try to get a place set up and ready and the camera out and set so once I plate the food I'm good to go, like for the challenges.  But is seems that a lot of times during the week have been know to go "oh that looks good, now where is the camera..."  and I'm eating a cold dinner after everyone else is almost done.


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## babetoo (Apr 5, 2011)

the food looks great. i think your phone doesn't take very good pictures. not focused and color is a little weird.


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## garlicjosh (Apr 5, 2011)

I know a lot of it has to do with the photos themselves because I can tell your white balance is way off and ISO isn't set right however, the soup does look oily and cloudy; two things that people really don't like with soup. the pizza looks to be all bread. with a crust that thick, they need to be loaded up a little more in order to really have more flavor to them, you also may want to dock the center to keep the bubbles down and keep the middle from rising to much....all in all, you're doing pretty good so keep it up. Cooking is a long tiresome progression but progression is always noticeable in your own cooking.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

garlicjosh said:


> I know a lot of it has to do with the photos themselves because I can tell your white balance is way off and ISO isn't set right however, the soup does look oily and cloudy; two things that people really don't like with soup. the pizza looks to be all bread. with a crust that thick, they need to be loaded up a little more in order to really have more flavor to them, you also may want to dock the center to keep the bubbles down and keep the middle from rising to much....all in all, you're doing pretty good so keep it up. Cooking is a long tiresome progression but progression is always noticeable in your own cooking.


in fact, regarding the pizza, that puffed dough with simple topping is the kind of pizza I'm trying to achieve. I love those bubbles, they taste great. the crust is actually very thin, about 1/8 inch.


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## garlicjosh (Apr 5, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> in fact, regarding the pizza, that puffed dough with simple topping is the kind of pizza I'm trying to achieve. I love those bubbles, they taste great. the crust is actually very thin, about 1/8 inch.



well then..ok

as said, your stuff could use some work at least from a photo stand point..it's hard to judge someone's cooking simply on a visual point even more so when the photos are of low quality.


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## Hyperion (Apr 5, 2011)

garlicjosh said:


> well then..ok
> 
> as said, your stuff could use some work at least from a photo stand point..it's hard to judge someone's cooking simply on a visual point even more so when the photos are of low quality.


yea I agree, I'll probably post some of those recipes in the future to discuss


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## spork (Apr 5, 2011)

I think they look good, *hyperion*.  They have an appealing home comfort style to me.  As professional restaurant plates, though, I might offer a general critique (mind you, I have no expertise).

I think a plate should show off its individual components.  So, for example...

For the penne dish, I'd like to see some well-defined penne shapes, a better sense of the sauce, more modest unmelted cheese on top.

Or, the spaghetti, I can barely see the noodles.  The cherry tomatoes plus capers would really pop in a photo that showed them off.  The outside shell of a few clams would look fantastic.

I can't identify a single ingredient in the tilapia soup.  Use green cabbage plus dash of vinegar.  A bigger chunk of meat to show that it is fish.

And pizza is dough + sauce + topping.  I need to see them as discreet layers.

As preparations go, I'm impressed.  You have versatility; it's obvious that you're a good cook.  If it's presentation you'd like to improve, I would consider more layering, building or architecture.  If it's the quality of the photos, well, that's a very different skill set and discussion better posted at a Photo Forum.  Oh, and one last thing - lose the big parsley sprigs, please!  They look like plastic umbrellas.  

I would dig into your plates with gusto!  We're glad you've joined DC.


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## buckytom (Apr 6, 2011)

andy, josh, and dave nailed it.

all of the dishes look good to me but could look better with improved lighting and white balance.

i've made lots of dishes that were appealing looking to the naked eye but the pictures didn't do them justice so i never posted them. it was almost always due to the lighting and angle.


i like dave's advice of looking at professional food pics and trying to imitate them. i've done that and my food pictures improved dramatically (lol, but still not always good enough to post )

btw, one quick tip i can offer is to add grated cheese seconds before you take the picture so it hasn't melted into the dish. the cheese will look nicer if it's still contrast-y white.

also, when plating spaghetti i'd always noticed mario batali would carefully lift the strands and twist them as he lowered them onto the plate. for some reason pasta just looks better when it's a little more organized. and as patty mentioned, i would have either used fewer clams or arranged them a bit better.


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## Selkie (Apr 6, 2011)

1. I never use a flash head on. It will flatten your photo! Generally, a flash is used for fill lighting *outdoors* (ONLY). (Portrait photography is another issue, but food modeling seldom, if ever uses flash.) Adjust all of your lighting beforehand with directional lamps of the proper color temperature, and use your camera settings (aperture/time) to establish your depth of field and to get the desired brightness.

2. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use a tripod.

3. Get the photo correct when you shoot it. NEVER depend on post picture software adjustments. Learn to be a photographer, NOT depend on a computer to do the work you should have done at the time you took the photo. Post production software is for MINOR adjustments, or special effects... NOT a crutch for bad decisions.

4. Never stop learning. No one knows it all.


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## garlicjosh (Apr 6, 2011)

oh yes..I was going to say something about the clam dish... for sure way to much clam and also I noticed it was very light on the sauce...to me it didnt really look like a enough to coat the pasta..if that is the case you might want to think about an oil drizzle on it. A dish like that, you could get away with about half the amount of clams or even less, arranged really well, that dish would look really great. But for sure keep up the work and deferentially take a look at some food photography or generally photography to get a better idea of shooting that stuff..its helped my pictures shine and really let people into what I am doing.


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## GB (Apr 6, 2011)

I would just like to point out that food photography is filled with tricks that would not work at home when you are cooking for real. For instance, that professional photo of a roast turkey for thanksgiving is a raw turkey that has been shellacked. That picture of a cup of coffee has soap in it to create more bubbles so it has more depth and does not look as flat. Because of tricks like these (as well as proper lighting and technique) it is hard to get food photos that look as good as they do in mags.


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## Hyperion (Apr 6, 2011)

Selkie said:


> 1. I never use a flash head on. It will flatten your photo! Generally, a flash is used for fill lighting *outdoors* (ONLY). (Portrait photography is another issue, but food modeling seldom, if ever uses flash.) Adjust all of your lighting beforehand with directional lamps of the proper color temperature, and use your camera settings (aperture/time) to establish your depth of field and to get the desired brightness.
> 
> 2. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use a tripod.
> 
> ...


These are good comments  but I just feel like they are screaming for expensive equipment lol


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## GB (Apr 6, 2011)

Are you striving to ake your food look good in photos or good in person. If you are just looking to make it look good in person then forget all the photography comments. They are different animals all together.


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## Hyperion (Apr 6, 2011)

GB said:


> Are you striving to ake your food look good in photos or good in person. If you are just looking to make it look good in person then forget all the photography comments. They are different animals all together.


well my goal is to one day own my restaurant, so looking good in person will be a priority


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## powerplantop (Apr 6, 2011)

Ok what I see is that your shooting with bad light and bad angle of light. I know this is hard but shoot with indirect natural light. I know when you cook dinner the sun has already gone down. But if you shoot in natural light your photos will look a lot better. 

Now I know that it is not possible to always shoot in natural light. But most of the lighting in homes will give odd coulors to your photos. 
Lowel E1-92 Ego Two Light Sethttp://www.amazon.com/Lowell-E1-92-...UTF8&coliid=I396J1PMBFENR&colid=1QGXOSTGZQIDI is a good set up Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen uses one of these setups. 

At home I have this set up 
CowboyStudio Photography Lighting | Studio Equipment | Studio Accessories

To really take you photos from there you will need editing software. You can do most of what you need with cheap software. Adobe Premiere Elements is a good starter one. I used it for about a year until I upgraded to Lightroom. 

If you follow the link in my signature line you can see some of my food shots. You welcome to ask me questions.


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 6, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> These are good comments  but I just feel like they are screaming for expensive equipment lol



Not really. The camera will be the most expensive, depending on what features you want.  

A tripod can be purchased at WalMart for around $20 (last one I bought)

Lighting - that all depend.. You don't need to have lighting equipment. If you have a directional desk lamp point it at your white ceiling and create bounce light.


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## Hyperion (Apr 6, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> Not really. The camera will be the most expensive, depending on what features you want.
> 
> A tripod can be purchased at WalMart for around $20 (last one I bought)
> 
> Lighting - that all depend.. You don't need to have lighting equipment. If you have a directional desk lamp point it at your white ceiling and create bounce light.


Actually I do have some pretty bright kitchen ceiling lights that make the kitchen look like a surgery room. Do you think a PowerShot SX1IS will be sufficient for food grade photos?


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## CharlieD (Apr 6, 2011)

There have a lot of good sugestions here. And so hereis my 2 cents. Soup would look much better if it was a clear soup, keep broth crystal clear. You can experiment with lowering temps of cooking, making sure the water doesn't over boil. Things like that that would help. And GB is corect no pepper. Food photografy is very hard.

And the clam plate, first thing that came to mind is rearange. Noodles in the middle, clams aranged around the plate, facing same diertions. It would look like a flour or is it flower Help with speling please?)
Otherwise it's all good.


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## bakechef (Apr 6, 2011)

I agree that you don't need an expensive camera.  Look for one with manual controls, so you have that option when you need them.

I have two places where I take food photos, one is near a window with natural light and one is under the chandelier in the dining room.  

I never use a flash for food photography, I rarely use a flash at all.  I think that pictures look so much more natural with natural light.  You can always tweak them a bit on your computer when you post them.

As far as your food, I think it looks good for the most part.  I will not get into personal preference because that is so subjective, but I would suggest working on lighting and angle.

I am not a great photographer, but I have learned how to make the food look as good as I can in the pictures.














These were all done with natural light and a steady hand.  I will admit that I may be better at taking the picture than food styling though!

I will say that I like the look of that pizza, The crust is my favorite part!


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## Hyperion (Apr 6, 2011)

bakechef, how did you manage to get natural light? did you cook in the morning or wait until morning to take the photo?


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## Sprout (Apr 6, 2011)

For the soup, putting it in a black bowl might help remove a bit of the "blah" look to it. If you can't add ingredients to provide contrast, try different colored dishes. I agree about leaving the pepper out. Add it just before eating, after you've taken the photo.


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## Hyperion (Apr 6, 2011)

Sprout said:


> For the soup, putting it in a black bowl might help remove a bit of the "blah" look to it. If you can't add ingredients to provide contrast, try different colored dishes. I agree about leaving the pepper out. Add it just before eating, after you've taken the photo.


lol this was exactly what I was thinking. miso soup also has this blah color and they often serve it in a black wooden bowl


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## Andy M. (Apr 6, 2011)

*Just Foolin' Around...*

Just foolin' around with these photos.


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## bakechef (Apr 6, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> bakechef, how did you manage to get natural light? did you cook in the morning or wait until morning to take the photo?



I have a big west facing kitchen window, so I get lots of afternoon light.  I also have a chandelier (not exactly natural light) that throws off just enough light for photos.  It's all about finding that place in your house that has the best light.


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## bakechef (Apr 6, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> Just foolin' around with these photos.



I like your lighting adjustments, but maybe a little to much sharpness for me.


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## garlicjosh (Apr 6, 2011)

no fancy high priced stuff is being demanded.. here is a small sample of what i've shot only recently






















^ice cream had started to melt once I finally got the shot I wanted
no fancy camera stuff or lighting..basic kitchen lighting, adjusted ISO and white balance, shot and fixed in Adobe lightroom. some, I darkened the background or blurred the background more to give you more of a focal point. I have a ton more on my computer I just grabbed some at random.
All of this shot with like a $30 camera..no my pictures never shine as hard as they could but they shine enough to bring detail and ideas of what I am doing...


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 6, 2011)

Here are a few I took with just overhead lighting, a table lamp that happened to be on in the room and the flash. I did use Photoshop to zoom in and then crop the images.


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## Andy M. (Apr 6, 2011)

Nice shots, Dave.


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## buckytom (Apr 6, 2011)

this thread has turned into food porn.

very nice pics, everyone.


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 6, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> Nice shots, Dave.



Thanks Andy!


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## bakechef (Apr 6, 2011)

Another trick that I like to use, is lots of bokeh, having a small part of the picture in focus and everthing else blurring into the background.  I like this method, because it leads the eye to the details, and gives the picture more depth and makes it a little more three dimensional.

This can be achieved with a point and shoot using the portrait mode.  I get this effect with a digital slr with a really old lens 50mm f1.8


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## LindaZ (Apr 6, 2011)

It doesn't look bad, but a little out of focus, maybe back the camera off some?


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## taxlady (Apr 6, 2011)

LindaZ said:


> It doesn't look bad, but a little out of focus, maybe back the camera off some?



It has a very short depth of field. It's supposed to be out of focus in some places to draw your eye to the in-focus places: the cookies, etc. on the sides.


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## GB (Apr 7, 2011)

Bakechef, I think you are confusing bokeh with depth of field. While they are closely related, they are not the same thing.


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## garlicjosh (Apr 7, 2011)

GB said:


> Bakechef, I think you are confusing bokeh with depth of field. While they are closely related, they are not the same thing.




that's what I was thinking as well.

However I use the same tech in a lot of my stuff. focus a great deal on a specific section..usually parts that most of the colors can be seen and where the texture is most notable. I've had a few people comment on it recently saying they really enjoy that in my shots.
Oh how I love the lens correction tool of lightroom

but really bakechef, it's a great shot over all


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## Selkie (Apr 7, 2011)

To me, the color temperature looks WAY OFF (too warm).

As quoted from "The Luminous Landscape", a serious enthusiast and professional photographer web site:

"Please note that unless you are ever-so-slightly crazy (ESSC), bokeh doesn't    matter all that much. What sane photographers mostly care about is that the    out-of-focus areas not be ugly or garish enough to be intrusive or distracting.    If any particular lens meets that criterion in any particular picture, then    you really don't have to worry about it too much beyond that. And, if any photographer    wants to exploit interesting or unusual or "bad" bokeh for artistic    purposes, there is, as far as I know, no law against that."

"It is a Japanese word meaning, roughly, "fuzzy," and it is used to    describe old people with cobwebs in their heads among several other things —    including the out-of-focus areas of photographs, which, I'm told, might more    specifically be referred to as "boke-aji."

In short, it is the quality of the out-of-focus portion of the image. It's as difficult to describe as "umami."


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## spork (Apr 7, 2011)

Before I add to the discussion, I'd like to say that I think *hyperion's* photos are not so bad, considering they were taken with a phone-cam with little or no post processing.

Selkie's explanation about _bokeh_ is spot on.  It is the undefinable _quality_ of the unfocused areas of an image.  For example, a Nikon 500 reflex produces the impression of looking through a window splattered with raindrops, whereas my 300 has a ultra-fine particulate fuzz that tricks the eye into thinking it too is in focus.  My Pentax 85, at full dilation, creates images outside the depth-of-field with a surreal, dreamy fog.  The term is usually reserved as an attribute of a camera lens.

I have a very simple, home-made light box of snap-together PVC pipe.  It simplifies lighting and shooting still life.


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## bakechef (Apr 7, 2011)

GB said:
			
		

> Bakechef, I think you are confusing bokeh with depth of field. While they are closely related, they are not the same thing.



I know just about enough about photography to be dangerous, which means not a lot. LOL

Photography terms and techniques are my weak point, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it all, some day it will just click, until then I will just muddle through!


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## GB (Apr 7, 2011)

Not to worry bakechef. Bokeh is something many people have a hard time understanding. It is not an easily definable thing.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Apr 7, 2011)

Hyperion said:


> hi folks, I'm new to this forum!
> I have been posting food accomplishments (i.e. dishes that I make) on a Chinese forum but for some reason they always say my food looks bad. I have no idea how to improve and they wouldn't tell me (they just tell me it's bad, but not why it's bad). So I decided to look for another forum to discuss my cooking technique. First of all, I would like to show you several dishes that I received negative comments on, and hopefully get some constructive feedback
> 
> This is Penne alla Vodka
> ...


In my opinion, your biggest problems aren't food related, but photo related.  The subject of the pictures is good, but there isn't much to add interest.  Pictures require the proper lighting to look good.  

For instance, in your picture of the Penne Pasta, there are shadows that are just there.  They aren't dark enough to add dimension or contrast, especially since the lighting didn't make the natural tomato pop.  Try using you flash, and getting about 3 to 4 feet away from the plate.  Place the plate onto a pretty piece of cloth that will compliment the reds of the food.  Place an attractive glass strategically next to the plate, preferably either a glass goblet filled with a colorful liquid, or one with an interesting paint scheme on the outside will help the picture.  Also, the shredded cheese on top takes away from the clean look of the food, and makes everything a little too busy.

With your Scone, again, you need more light.  Use the flash.  I understand what you were trying to achieve with the sauce.  But it has to have smooth, clean lines, not the irregular and sometimes wavy  look.  These shout - AMATURE - to the world.  I believe the food is much better than is the picture.

The Spaghetti alle vongole is almost where it's supposed to be.  Simply change the camera angle to a slightly lower position, in order to create more ddrama.  Again, make it a little brighter, increase the contrast.  The distance works with this dish.

The fish is lackluster in appearance.  With that sprig of Rosemary sitting on top, almost looking like it's in a shadow, the picture becomes boring.  You don't have to change the ingredients, but it would help to add a bright green garnish, or maybe a quartered lemon slice, with the peel.  The picture again needs to be brighter to make it more appealing.

With the Tilapia Soup, you are way too close to the subject.  Back off and present the soup in a pretty place setting, with a lean and simple table cloth, a champagne glass beside it, with bright and shiny silverware sitting on a perfectly folded cloth napkin.  This will take the observer's eye away from the broth, and at the same time, reduce the impression that this soups is loaded with fat.  You might even garnish it with fresh parsley, that isn't half submerged, but rather, sitting on the side of the bowl.

Finally, the pizza - simply move back a little, and plate it attractively on colorful cloth placemats.  Maybe have a slice removed from the pit to show off the crust.

Hope this helps.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## roadfix (Apr 7, 2011)

"Senior moment" is also referred to as bokeh-teru.....


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## Oldvine (Apr 7, 2011)

I'm not sure, but the picture do not depict Chinese food... in my opinion.   If the pictures are supposed to make me think of non-Chinese recipes, they succeed.


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## franksun (Apr 7, 2011)

Chinese food require the chef to cook food not only delicious but also smell and look good. We call it look good, smell good and taste good. Your food may smell and taste good but looks ugly. The first one have too much white things on that make people uncomfortable. The second one is too small and looks like been bite by someone. The third one make me want to ask how do I eat the noodle? I think you should place the noodle and oyster(look like) into different dish. The tail of the fish has gone and its belly been broken. The soup has too much black dot on and the color looks not very well. Piza(maybe) is too thick.


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