Help needed please :)

Its the little things that make a big difference with product. For examples the marks in the chopping bored really stand out to me. Maybe a nice new one next time.

Also the compostion - framing - flat light and the general feel is a little boring. I think you red to do one or the other. Either its a straight product shot with no interest so the chopping bord is not needed or its a lifestyle type product shot in which case i think the whole set needs looking at.

The packaging is a waste of time. If the plastic was a feature such as branding then i could understand but its just plastic and takes away from the texture of the product. I know they may have asked for shots in packaging but sometimes its your job to make them see why they are wrong.

Beat me to it there Alastiar on the marks ;)
 
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The chopping board was made by the bakery owners son and is what they use as there "best" at trade stands, taste testing ect, the shooting in packaging was a must as the idea is what the customer will be getting lets say the finished product (more cakes have labels on and thats what they wanted)it is a product shot but that picture is more creative than the rest, i marked the centre of the board so all the cakes where positioned the same. i do agree tho on un wrapped would look better but not what the client wanted. and I'm putting the white background to no light being used apart from natural lighting, i found any other light gave to much glare on the plastic packaging!
 
The package is not the finished product the cake is. THe plastic is just what holds it. If a client insisted on this i would shoot it but it would be after much persuading from me otherwise.

Again just because the client sees that as there best its your job to tell them otherwise. A quick trip to a shop and you have a mark free board. This tottally ruins the image.

The light here is the biggest problem. Its flat and there are no interest. I really don't see much more here than an average point and shoot shot. Product lighting is so important and yes its hard to get it right. I often shoot glass items for product and thats a nightmare for glare but you use your lighting and reflectors to get it right.
 
I agree with Andy that the set-up needs a rethink.. the chopping board may be ok for shows (but really, it needs replacing, it's old and damaged), but photography shows every flaw forever, unless you're going to PP it out.

If the packaging has to stay, I'd sugges at least one cake is unwrapped to make it look more appealing. This might be how the customer receives the cakes, but it not the way you want them to think about the cakes (sterile, plastic..).

Natural light is highly unlikely to get the results for this type of shot. You need to add the light to control the light to avoid the refelections on the packaging, light the background correctly and make the cakes look more appealing.

Food and product photography is tough because it's not about just being technically perfect, it's about portraying an image, emotion and persuading someone to do something (buy the product).
 
Spot on Alatair. And these are the things that a good product or food photographer will think about. Note i use the word good as with everything they are not all good.

Food is such an emotional subject and one that uses all of our senses thats why getting the product shots right are so important for things like this. As Alastiar has said this looks flat and sterile. If that is the feeling the company wants then great if not i would suggest a reshoot and look at all the details further.

You should look at food photography and instantly feel hungry craving for the product. This does not do that.
 
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asphotographymk said:
The package is not the finished product the cake is. THe plastic is just what holds it. If a client insisted on this i would shoot it but it would be after much persuading from me otherwise.

Again just because the client sees that as there best its your job to tell them otherwise. A quick trip to a shop and you have a mark free board. This tottally ruins the image.

The light here is the biggest problem. Its flat and there are no interest. I really don't see much more here than an average point and shoot shot. Product lighting is so important and yes its hard to get it right. I often shoot glass items for product and thats a nightmare for glare but you use your lighting and reflectors to get it right.
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Yes the plastic is hard as nearly every way i tried with light i had nasty glare.
i don't have the equipment (or the money at the moment) for all the equipment needed but i feel I've done my best with what i have, i so agree with the packaging but its not my place to argue with them, they asked for all the products to be in there packaging as they will be when you buy them. and finally for the picture it might be flat in the background but i feel the cakes don't look flat, they look as they would if they where on a plate in front of you.
 
But Stuart.. don't do what the last guy that asked for advice on food photography did and go off in a huff when it doesn't work first time. Nothing worthwhile does, and the challenge you've set yourself here is a very, very tough one.

Andy made a suggestion earlier that you could suggest the bakery get a pro in and ask if you could assist. I think this is now the time to consider this option, it's a very steep learning curve if you go it alone. Remote advice online will always be too little, too late when you've the bakery breathing down your neck for results.
 
Alastair said:
I agree with Andy that the set-up needs a rethink.. the chopping board may be ok for shows (but really, it needs replacing, it's old and damaged), but photography shows every flaw forever, unless you're going to PP it out.

If the packaging has to stay, I'd sugges at least one cake is unwrapped to make it look more appealing. This might be how the customer receives the cakes, but it not the way you want them to think about the cakes (sterile, plastic..).

Natural light is highly unlikely to get the results for this type of shot. You need to add the light to control the light to avoid the refelections on the packaging, light the background correctly and make the cakes look more appealing.

Food and product photography is tough because it's not about just being technically perfect, it's about portraying an image, emotion and persuading someone to do something (buy the product).
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Yes i agree with all you have said there but as i said above this whole exercise was for the cakes in there wrappers and the fruit cakes in there tins, the idea is packaged cakes as they will arrive to you, don't ask why but that part was the most important (as in my first post)
Yes food photography is unlike any others i have done and what looks easy really isn't
 
Useful link, compare your shot with the progressive sequence of shots working towards the end result. There's a lot to this food photography lark :D
 
Alastair said:
But Stuart.. don't do what the last guy that asked for advice on food photography did and go off in a huff when it doesn't work first time. Nothing worthwhile does, and the challenge you've set yourself here is a very, very tough one.

Andy made a suggestion earlier that you could suggest the bakery get a pro in and ask if you could assist. I think this is now the time to consider this option, it's a very steep learning curve if you go it alone. Remote advice online will always be too little, too late when you've the bakery breathing down your neck for results.
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Far from it Alastair, i signed up on here a few years ago knowing that you only get the truth which is what i like the most, you can't run before you can walk and practise makes perfect, i made it clear to the owners when we sat around this afternoon and looked at what pictures we had that i am not a pro and if these aren't good enough for them to go and ask him back and ask if i may join him for experience but they were really pleased and even offered to pay me for the day which i declined as i am not a pro and this was done for family nothing more.
 
stuartgreen said:
Yes the plastic is hard as nearly every way i tried with light i had nasty glare.
i don't have the equipment (or the money at the moment) for all the equipment needed but i feel I've done my best with what i have, i so agree with the packaging but its not my place to argue with them, they asked for all the products to be in there packaging as they will be when you buy them. and finally for the picture it might be flat in the background but i feel the cakes don't look flat, they look as they would if they where on a plate in front of you.
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Theres the point. You don't have the equipment. Things like plastic are hard to light. Other than the fact it would not have been shot in the plastic under my advice if it did end up that way it just has to be done and you have to use expertise and equipment to get it right.
Its not the background that looks flat its the over all lighting. Which is why the cakes look flat. This is not slagging your work off this is genuine advice. I think i needs a reshoot to be honest and to be light. THe answer to photography difficulties is not it was hard to light so i didn't light it.
 
Ok was impossible to light with what equipment i had so rather than make a hash of it i did the best i could which was not lighting it, yes you feel a re shoot is needed but the client was happy with the work id done, who am i to argue?
I know you keep saying "you wouldn't of shot the cakes in the packaging" but like i have said numerous times before this was the point of the whole exercise.
Can you explain a little more on how the cakes look flat? i understand the background is flat but the detail in the cakes looks ok to me for just natural lighting.
 
stuartgreen said:
Can you explain a little more on how the cakes look flat? i understand the background is flat but the detail in the cakes looks ok to me for just natural lighting.
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By killing the reflections on the plastic you've killed all the reflections, the result is a landscape glowering sullenly under an overcast sky, rather than a landscape glowing boldly in the golden hour.

The packaging is making this harder.. but a flapjack should have a syrupy sheen (which will probably need a spray of vegetable oil for a boost) if it's not to look like OSB. Chocolate icing should have a sheen that screams "Eat me! I'm fresh!", not a stale matte surface.

Lose the packaging.. please.. relegate it to the cake(s) in the background and put something you'd like to eat up front (hint to the client, you don't eat the plastic).
 
Alastair said:
By killing the reflections on the plastic you've killed all the reflections, the result is a landscape glowering sullenly under an overcast sky, rather than a landscape glowing boldly in the golden hour.

The packaging is making this harder.. but a flapjack should have a syrupy sheen (which will probably need a spray of vegetable oil for a boost) if it's not to look like OSB. Chocolate icing should have a sheen that screams "Eat me! I'm fresh!", not a stale matte surface.

Lose the packaging.. please.. relegate it to the cake(s) in the background and put something you'd like to eat up front (hint to the client, you don't eat the plastic).
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Yes all this i agree with but PACKAGING IS A MUST, don't ask why i said a few time how better they would look un wrapped but the client wanted them packaged
 
You could punch it up a bit in Photoshop:

bf1e473b.jpg
 
Firstly Stuart, fair play for having a go. Unless you take some shots you wouldn't have a point to improve from. However, whilst i am a mere hobbyist I have to agree entirely with Andy and Alastair's comments, the picture is very flat and the brownie looks a bit battered.

I think it is often easy to think some of the Pro's are being harsh and trying to put you off when you ask for pre or post shoot advice but I really do think they are trying to be absolutely realistic. Sometimes it's better to turn down an offer or to suggest you assist a pro. I've assisted a pro for my company and I'm so glad I did.... He took hours setting a shot up and lighting it and the results spoke for themselves. I knew I wouldn't have done it justice with the kit I had at the time (it was a studio shoot for vehcles).

Im going to stir the hornets nest further........What if the wrapping was just peeled back but still technically on the cake:shrug:

I wish I could offer some more constructive advice but I'll leave that to the pro's on this occasion. I fancy having a go at shooting some cake now, so if nothing else you've inspired me to have a go too..... And I think I know how im going to do it..... shoot a cake, eat a cake, shoot a cake, eat a cake :thinking:
 
Nick_1981 said:
Firstly Stuart, fair play for having a go. Unless you take some shots you wouldn't have a point to improve from. However, whilst i am a mere hobbyist I have to agree entirely with Andy and Alastair's comments, the picture is very flat and the brownie looks a bit battered.

I think it is often easy to think some of the Pro's are being harsh and trying to put you off when you ask for pre or post shoot advice but I really do think they are trying to be absolutely realistic. Sometimes it's better to turn down an offer or to suggest you assist a pro. I've assisted a pro for my company and I'm so glad I did.... He took hours setting a shot up and lighting it and the results spoke for themselves. I knew I wouldn't have done it justice with the kit I had at the time (it was a studio shoot for vehcles).

Im going to stir the hornets nest further........What if the wrapping was just peeled back but still technically on the cake:shrug:

I wish I could offer some more constructive advice but I'll leave that to the pro's on this occasion. I fancy having a go at shooting some cake now, so if nothing else you've inspired me to have a go too..... And I think I know how im going to do it..... shoot a cake, eat a cake, shoot a cake, eat a cake :thinking:
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You would be very ill now if you had been there today, some very rich fruit cakes and lots of them, peeling back the wrapped could of helped but not what was requested :shrug: And i totally understand that the pro's giving there advise isn't to put me down and genuine advise which is all being taken, if i thought i could give the shoot my best i would of turned it down and they were advised by me today if they are not happy with my shots to go for a pro who will meet every need they are looking for as they have wasted nothing with me being there today (well apart from a few freebies :) )
 
stuartgreen said:
You would be very ill now if you had been there today, some very rich fruit cakes and lots of them, peeling back the wrapped could of helped but not what was requested :shrug: And i totally understand that the pro's giving there advise isn't to put me down and genuine advise which is all being taken, if i thought i could give the shoot my best i would of turned it down and they were advised by me today if they are not happy with my shots to go for a pro who will meet every need they are looking for as they have wasted nothing with me being there today (well apart from a few freebies :) )
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Here is the thing. I get daily requests from clients insisting they want a certain thing that i know just wont work or wont look good. I am not there just to say yes and give them the rubbish idea they had my job is also to give the clients my expert advice on what would work best. So the clients comes to me and says they want shots in the wrapper i look and see that its just not going to look great like that so i say "i am happy to do it like that but it would be much more appealing if we have one cake out of the packaging. IN the packaging the cakes do not look very appealing and it does not sell these lovely looking cakes so well." Client says (most of the time anyway) " o yes i did not think about that, thats a great idea"

I have had some awful requests from commercial clients that i know will look rubbish. I am hired to produce the best images possible and that sometimes involves advice on how to do that

The client in this case has said they are happy with them. Now thats great, however that does not mean they are whats best for the client. The client wants to sell delicious looking cakes and so far thats not the impression i am getting. Do them a favor and if your not willing to pass this over to a pro and assist then the very least i would suggest is to reshoot. Look at the little details such as the board, light the items to add more punch to them (if you need to hire a flash gun do that), look at the whole set including backdrop. framing, layout of items, think about reflection and where it is comeing from. Using large boards to cover light spill may be a good thing for this.
 
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