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The Chicken Vesuvio Is Ready For Its Close-Up. …Right?

I’m off to South Carolina to cover the Family Circle Cup for BetterTV (go here to see a bunch of my Better segments), so I thought I’d make Kendrick’s “new favorite” dish for dinner tonight. I made a whole bunch of Chicken Vesuvio, because I want him to not starve over the next couple of days. This time, I used a couple of suggestions sent in by reader Heather: I dredged the chicken pieces in flour first (to make them brown nicely and to give the sauce a bit more body), and I used semi-thinly sliced white potatoes.

Results:

Now, I’m hardly an authority on food photography…but I’m trying to get better, and I found Andrew Scrivani’s New York Times article unbelievably informative (thanks to reader Alana for sending on the link!). When I took the above photo, I tried to use all of his suggestions. Let’s take ‘em one at a time:

1. Shoot in natural light whenever possible. I couldn’t shoot in natural light (it was nighttime), but I did turn off the flash.

2. Fill your frame with the food. I tried to minimize the empty space in the shot, filling the frame with the food (and a touch of the plate, which I think is pretty – it’s Kate Spade, from our wedding registry).

3. Set up your frame with the same care you might apply to dressing yourself for a night out. I did my best to arrange the plate carefully, loading much less onto it than Kendrick wanted to eat (I added about three more heaping scoops immediately after the photo was taken, much to his delight). I don’t like salad much (save for this one and this one), but I put some on the plate for color’s sake.

4. For bright and sunny days…soften the level of brightness [using a white card or paper]. N/A (nighttime), but I did place the plate on a neutral-colored tablecloth because Scrivani advises that “neutral colors like white or tan will help reflect light back on your subject.”

5. When shooting in low light, move the food to the brightest part of the room. Done! I put the plate on our dining room table, right next to our brightest lamp (which I set off to the left so that the food was side-lit, as Scrivani advises).

(I’d also add one more tip: I’ve found that the more complex the plate, the more it behooves you to photograph it directly from above; simpler plates often look better from a low side angle.)

So…is the photo better than usual? Any other suggestions?



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April 14th, 2010 | Posted by Jordan | Eat, Home | 6 Comments »

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  • akbarnard

    Do you read smitten kitchen? Her food photos are outstanding, and I'm pretty sure she has in her archives some other tips about photographing food. She does a fantastic job. Natural light is really the key- and try some artsy angles too- sometimes you get a fantastic shot without realizing it!

  • jordanreid

    I'll check it out…thanks!

  • http://themanhattanfoodproject.wordpress.com elizabeth

    Things that have helped my food photos:

    –always adjusting white balance (I can do a custom one on my P&S, which is best)
    –bouncing light off of white surfaces when I can
    –using a tripod
    –using a timer (helps reduce unintentional blur)
    –ensure you're using the macro focus setting
    –using P and M modes whenever possible (M is tougher but I'm learning!)
    –practice practice practice!

    Figuring out all of the functions that my camera can do has really gone a long way in making my pictures turn out better–if you compare the most recent post on my blog with the one before it, you can really see a difference.

    SK is awesome–I would also check out Steamy Kitchen, White on Rice Couple, and the photography section of Food Blog Forum.

  • http://www.alwaysorderdessert.com/ Alejandra Ramos

    Oh this definitely looks better. Congrats!

    This is totally one of my favorite subjects!

    When I started my blog, I used a point and shoot and knew nothing about shooting food. Actually, my first blog tagline used to be “Stories, Recipes, Mediocre Food Photography”! I started reading a lot about it and learned that one of the best things to do is to definitely shoot most of my food in natural light. (Occasionally I would even save a plate or a slice of cake until the morning and quickly shoot it before work!). When I have to shoot under artificial light, a tripod definitely is key. Doesn't even have to be a big fancy one; they sell cute little tabletop tripods you can even keep in your purse to use at restaurants.

    I also recommend the macro setting, which is great for shooting up close. about a year ago, I upgraded to a DSLR and started investing in lenses and special flashes, but you can do a lot with just a point and shoot.

    Kamran is a really sweet 17-year-old food blogger who does a great job with just a point and shoot. Here are his tips: http://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2009/07/foo…

    Also, you should check out the Food Blog Forum: http://foodblogforum.com/food-stylingphotography

    You can also use things like a mirror or a big white board angled towards your food to fill in the shadows and flood it with light. (Much the same way they aim reflectors at you when you do a TV shoot). This post goes into that concept a bit: http://www.mycookinghut.com/2008/12/02/tips-on-…

    These are some great tips on food styling: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2007/07/30/fo…

    And these are some great overall tips on food photography for food bloggers: http://veganyumyum.com/2008/09/food-photography…

  • http://twitter.com/steamykitchen Jaden

    Love those tips! You're makin' me hungry….

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