entréeCompany Specializes In The Unique Field Of Food Photography

NANAIMO – For professional photographer Tim McGrath taking a great picture is important, but how that photo is taken can be even more crucial. Specializing in the field of food photography for clients as varied as restaurants, newspaper flyers and cookbooks, McGrath has learned during the past 11 years that the techniques used when capturing an image can play a huge role in conveying emotion and in eliciting a response.

“One of the most important things to look for in a good picture is the composition. Don’t make it look too cluttered, think about the message you’re trying to convey and who will be viewing it,” he explained.

As a food photographer understanding the end use of the image is essential. If for example a photo is to be used in a menu, it should make the person looking at it hungry. The image might be lighted in an indirect fashion, or shot at a low angle with a narrow depth of field to make it look seductive and appealing.

If on the other hand the photograph is to be used within a cookbook it’s more important to show how the dish will look in its finished state to aid future chefs wanting to try the recipe. In a situation like that the item will likely be placed in a more direct light, perhaps shot looking directly down on it, as the end result needs to be more instructional than emotional.

“What is it you’re trying to say with the picture? It you’re trying to make them hungry you want to focus on the texture, the color and that sort of thing. What you don’t want to see is a cracked table or a cluttered and distracting background. Those things will draw the eye away from the food, which is the last thing you want,” he stated.

The needs of the cl ient, the eventual use of the photo and the attitude and expectations of the persons who will view the photograph are all factors McGrath has to take in before he even begins his work. Each image is unique and conveys a different message. “Basically what it comes down to is you’re telling a story,” he said.

For more information visit the firm’s website at: http://its-food.ca

Written by David Holmes