Who doesn’t love food photography? Wonderful creations designed to satisfy our stomachs can be demanding photographic subjects but, when done correctly, they can be very rewarding visually.
Food photographers (the good ones) approach their subjects using all of their senses. While there’s no way (yet) to impart smells in a photograph, proper technique can capture the color, texture and dimension of a freshly prepared dish. A truly successful photograph aims to take the viewer to the place and time of image capture, to the moment the dish was plated.
Let’s examine an …

Here are six different, colorful liquid pours our studio created for a commercial client. I wanted to show an actual application of how we used the techniques discussed in yesterday’s lighting glassware instructional video. These were all shot using just one or two lights, though strobes were used (instead of hot lights, as in the video) in order to freeze the liquid in motion.

Let’s use some very simple lighting to shoot glassware in the studio:

Though I’ve always loved words, writing hasn’t necessarily come easily to me. I learned to write because of photography and it has been a great addition to my marketable skills.
In the early 90’s I worked as a catalog photographer for a large production house here in Cincinnati. Our clients included numerous department stores and the studio employed seven full-time photographers and probably around 20 support personnel. It was a fun place for a young photographer and every day was full of learning…at least for the first year. The second year …

There are a whole bunch of websites showing great images but this is what feeds my RSS daily and keeps me informed about the photo industry and the business of photography. Lots of great information here…in no particular order:
Microstock Diaries - Publisher Lee Torens shares marketing insights and publishes his actual monthly earnings for readers. “Microstock Diaries is a blog for people who sell photos in the microstock market. It’s also for people considering doing so. I share my experiences as a microstock contributor and my observations of the …

 
Sometimes clients hire us for literal documentation of a subject and other times we’re hired to illustrate a concept, as in this cover for Dramatics Magazine, the monthly journal of the Educational Theatre Association.
Our studio has worked with Dramatics Magazine for a number of years and they always generate fun, creative ideas for cover illustrations. In this case we were employed to illustrate the play “The Realm” by Sarah Myers. The play is about a post-apocalyptic world where everyone is forced to live underground. The editor, Don Corathers, wanted …

Yesterday I wrote about preparing a portrait setup in advance, which is especially important when dealing with busy people. This 8 minute video shows celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz working with one of the busiest (and most important) subjects in the world, the Queen of England. How about these stats regarding setup: 3 weeks of preparation, 11 photo assistants, 4 portrait setups and just 30 minutes for photography to get 1 image. There are some great moments in the video, especially when (after hours of dressing in a very elaborate, …

In our commercial photo business we often photograph ‘real people’ for advertising and editorial work. Our subjects range from doctors and lawyers to construction and industrial workers, photographed either in the studio or on location. Often there’s not much time to get to know the subject due to either their schedule or ours. Today I’d like to take a look at how we prepare for advertising and editorial portraits in the studio.
The accompanying doctor photos were shot for Cincinnati Magazine’s “Top Doctors” issue. This is a popular regional magazine that …

“Slow down to go faster”? What does it mean? It may mean that if you do something slower, more methodically and deliberately, you can get the job done faster because it will be done right the first time. I also like saying “measure twice, cut once”. It’s the same kind of thing. Change your pace, take the hurry out of things and you’ll find rewards. Sometimes it’s good to vary our approach in order to expand our horizons.
What does that have to do with a Holga film camera? If you’ve …

At some point in my career, after I had begun to master some of the technical aspects of the medium and had seen my work published in a few places, there came a bit of a road block. It happens to all creative people. At some point the ideas just don’t seem to be coming and creativity takes an unannounced vacation. I’ll admit that still happens on occasion. But, as a professional, I’m not allowed to cancel a shoot just because I may not be “feelin’ it” on a particular …