Putting Food Onto Film – Some Tips

On February 23, 2010, In business, By Billy John

Images of food are everyplace. We cannot walk down any major shopping street without being barraged by them from the windows of all the food shops. We open a magazine and there they are again pushing up their mouth watering delights at us.

When you first take a look into the world of food photography you may sense that you can never take photos like the professionals but you could amaze yourself.

Light is the King when it comes to photography. When you get it right you get the results and when you mess it up we have all seen the results. Like any other form of still photography taking the time to get the lighting right will pay huge dividends in the results.

Using natural light from a window can be perfect for food pics because it gives food that natural look. Support this with bounced flashlight and you can get a simple yet perfect result.

If you are going to be doing a lot of food photos then consider setting yourself up a food light box to make your job easier and quicker. This consists of a framed area covered in diffusion screens with lights behind on stands or attached to flexible tubes so you can move them easily into position. The food sits on a plain smooth single coloured background cover that is usually white so there is no background to remove with Photoshop later. Make sure the cover is easy to wipe in case of food splashes.

Slow is great with food so use a slow shutter speed which will allow time to capture the depth of the image. Put your camera on a solid tripod to stop shaking and use a shutter release cable.

Choose your props very carefully to suit the end results that you are looking for. The props will make or break your photos. It’s usually the props that set an amateur pic aside from a pro shot.

Do not skimp on your equipment if you want to do good food photography. Having a top quality SLR camera with a good lens will make all the difference. You must have full control over all the settings – shutter speed – aperture setting – zoom – to be able to create top shots. Using good quality lighting will also pay massive dividends.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

How To Save Money On Wedding Photography

On February 19, 2010, In business, By Barron Shaw

Few brides would want to be frugal when it comes to wedding photos, as they provide everlasting memories. We, too, are hesitant about advising people to attempt saving money on wedding photos; however, with the rates rising dramatically on professional wedding photography, this service may be too expensive for some brides to handle.

There are some answers here for the budget minded bride on how to save cash on your wedding pictures:

1.) Search Among Your Family or Friends for a Photographer. There is certain to be somebody who is into photography and owns better equipment than ordinary folks normally have. Try to find a relation who takes good photos and you can ask him to help out. You should employ the services of the persons who are willing to assist to trim your wedding expenses. If you do find somebody, be sure to speak with them in advance and make him/her aware of any particular poses you desire.

2.) Contact the Local University to Hire a Photography Student. The chance to add some photos to their portfolio by photographing an event will delight them. They are not professionals, but you can count on them to have fresh and creative ideas which can translate to memorable photographs.

3. Providing your attendees with single-use cameras is another alternative. At every table, provide a themed single-use camera in order for attendees to snap pictures. You’ll get pictures taken from a variety of viewpoints, and you can select your favourites. Appoint a single person to collect the cameras and have the pictures brought in for developing.

(4) If you must have a professional do the job, shop around and contact several photographers for quotes. Tell them you are trying to stay to a strict budget and see what they can do for you. You may well be pleasantly surprised by their reaction. Cutting back on the amount of photos taken will also help you stay within your photo budget.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Food Photography – Top Tips

On February 19, 2010, In business, By Julie Wong

Taking food photos is an artform. It takes a lot of experience to get it right. Non-the-less here are some simple tips to help.

Let there be light

Light is obviously the tool of a photographer second to the camera itself. Getting this right is always the trick with any kind of photography. With food photography though it is super important. Get it wrong and no amount of photoshop work will bring the picture to life.

Props

With food photography props often save the day. The reason restaurants use big and fancy plates to serve food on is because we eat first with our eyes! Choosing the right props for a food shot is imperative. Get it right – masterpiece. Get it wrong – roll up your sleeves and start again.

If you do a lot of food photography then shopping at second hand markets can be a great way to build your box of props. You can pick up expensive items like large pots and dishes and vases for a few dollars and a smile. If you do not do much then you may have to go shopping for what you need and bill the client!

Be Fast

Unfortunately food won’t stay appealing for very long. As a food photographer you will want to be well prepared and ready to shoot your picture as soon as the dish is finished. This will give it no time to melt, collapse or lose its color. So knowing what you want the picture to turn out like will help you to prepare for the photo. One way food photographers prepare is to have everything arranged before the food is finished. By placing a temporary stand-in plate is an excellent way to get the lighting right, and when the food is finished you switch it with the finished dish and your picture is ready to be taken.

Simple way to enhance your photos

One simple way is to simply use a light high quality vegetable oil and brush it on the food! This will create a high quality shiny finish that we love to see on food.

Get to know the chef

You will usually be working with a food professional be it a stylist or chef. Hopefully you are not on a low budget shoot and have to do the displays yourself.

Take a few minutes before the shoot to talk with the chef and ask them how they like to work. Ask them if there is anything you need to know about the food that may not be obvious. If nothing else this will make them feel good so you will then be able to work closer and better together.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

How To Have A Great Wedding Day But Save On The Photography Bill

On February 18, 2010, In business, By James Wong

Unfortunately the cost of wedding photography is usually very costly, sometimes thousands of dollars. Not everyone can afford extremely high priced photos of their perfect day. Here are a few money saving tips when budgeting for wedding photography.

Advertising for the right person

An excellent place to advertise is at a local college or university They will have fresh skills and ideas when it comes to wedding photography, and they will cost a lot less.

Digital Over Prints

Go digital instead of getting prints. This will save you a profuse amount of money. Photographers now offer this as an alternative to choose from. Get a CD rather then prints and proofs of all your pictures. After you receive your CD look at online photo developers to print to photos for you.

Create your own wedding album

A great way to personalize all your pages in your album is to try scrap booking. No one will know your wedding and guests like you do. This way you can go through all of your photos and reflect on the memories. You will enjoy creating your album and not only that but you will also save hundreds of dollars opposed to having your photographer design an album, and they may not include pictures that your friends sent you as well.

Watch the time

How long do you really need your photographer around you? Instead of having them come with you when you re getting your hair done, make up done, and dress sized just get them to come for the ceremony and a bit of the celebration afterwards. A great way to get pictures of the bride preparing for the wedding is to have the bridesmaids take the photos.

21st Century – use disposables!

Having disposable cameras at the reception is also an excellent idea. After everything is said and done all you have to do is drop them off at a photo development outlet, then go through the ones you really like and make larger prints for frames around your house. You will probably end up getting a few funny photos but a lot of wonderful ones as well. This will also give you a wide variety of pictures because your guests will be taking pictures of each other and not just at the bride and groom. Get each table of guest to write on the camera who was taking the photos so you can add the detail into your album.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Want To Be A Wedding Photographer

On February 3, 2010, In business, By Jo Wong

A wedding is the kind of occasion that people want to display pictures of for years to come. Every bride and groom wants someone who is well trained and who will guarantee quality. If you choose to be a wedding photographer you can make a lot of money by doing so. As well as the money though there is the risk that you must manage well.

If this is going to be your first wedding shoot you will want to make sure your contract is written up properly and a disclaimer included in it. If you don’t have a disclaimer you could be sued afterwards. There are a few reason you should not be held accountable for and they are failure of equipment, miss placed pictures after they were sent away, and photos that do not develop properly. You do not want to be sued for breaching your contract.

The hourly rate and how many pictures are to be taken should also be included in the contract. Something else you should include would be the fees for developing and the fee of the album. Your client’s requirements are important so make sure you talk it over with them. They might want a certain person or family they would like pictures of since they don’t get to see them often, so that should be discussed as well if it is an issue.

Your clients will probably request certain photographs so make sure you make a list. Here are a few common ones, pre-ceremony, wedding ceremony, post-ceremony and reception. Discuss with the clients about which shots they want and who’s going to be in the pictures. Pay attention to what your clients are saying because each one will be different.

When you schedule your clients in make sure they pay you a deposit. At least 50% deposit should be paid prior to the wedding. You should set a date when the remaining amount will be paid because you do not want to be bothering the bride and groom during the reception for payment! They would think you were unprofessional and wish they had hired someone else.

Photoshop is a good program to use if you are going to be processing the pictures yourself. Flaw removal, montage, and changing the color are a few of the enhancements you can use with Photoshop.

Look for ways to add extra value that you have not told them about. This will always generate good feelings. A special surprise will keep everyone talking and generating more business for you in the future. Think different. Imagine for example if you uploaded all their pictures onto a password protected part of your website so that they and their friends can login and view.

In the end doing wedding photography can be lucrative and fun as long as you build on your people skills.

Discover more about Bridal Photography and Wedding Photography Singapore.

categories: dating,hobbies,wedding photography,relationships,marketing,business,photography,weddings

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

How To Make Your Wedding Truly Worth Remembering

On February 2, 2010, In business, By Alma Fisher

Nothing can be more agonizing than the fear that something might not work well on your wedding day; therefore you need to avert any untoward incident. The matter is aggravated by the fact that it requires a herculean effort to see a wedding day pass without any hitches. A wedding has its own exclusive set of situations, and meticulous preparation and flawless implementation is necessary to ensure that these situations don’t cause havoc on the marriage day.

How much you are prepared to spend on the marriage is a prime consideration that must precede any planning. A marriage is a costly affair, but there are small things, the awareness of which can save you a lot of expenses. For example, when it comes to handling decorations inside the marriage hall with flower formations and other frills, you can employ a relative or a friend who has a flair for such things. The job does not require any major skill and can save you a lot of money. Besides this, instead of buying flowers from the market, you can hunt your backyard for wild flowers that can make fabulous bouquets, without you having to spend a penny on them.

The venue is probably the most important feature of a wedding. You must put in a lot of effort in ensuring that you are choosing the right venue. Choice of a venue must be dependant on how many attendees the venue can hold, where it is located and what all amenities it provides.

Wedding photography is another important aspect that requires careful consideration. The euphoric moments of your wedding day should be captured by the photographs and they should remain as images that will spark off all your beautiful memories when you see them after several years of married life.

The cameraman that you intend to engage should be competent enough to understand your requirements and deliver on them. If you live in Singapore, then getting this done will be simple. To find a good Singapore wedding photographer, all you have to do is a quick search by visiting any search engine that targets Singapore results using the keyword ‘photographer wedding’. In fact, you can also discover some great prices for wedding photography services online.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Wedding Photography – How to Succeed In the Business

On January 30, 2010, In business, By Elizabeth Clark

The wedding photography industry is a competitive one. This article will provide beginning photographers with tips on how to do well in the industry.

1) When you intend to include destination weddings in your work, establish a web-based ordering plan that will run smoothly and efficiently. Naturally those who are from out of town will not have the chance to come to your studio. You should have a plan for conducting orders over the internet. Think about letting a different vendor be responsible for handling the selling and ordering duties.

(2) To get referrals for your studio, do some relationship building with other vendors. Remember to include hotels, resorts, and catering and bridal services. Offer portrait sittings, prints and consultations to these vendors at no cost. For instance, be content to shoot (without charge) a suite or portrait shot for a resort. Be certain that you are on the top of the list of vendor referrals. Be on the lookout for new businesses in your area and ask to be included on their preferred vendors list.

3) Offer Quality (this is understood as a must.) This implies that you should take photos that have the correct exposure and color level, with proper editing. Dedicate time to create books that are beautiful.

4) Above all, have the attitude that you will do whatever has to be done, to make the wedding go smoothly. Do not hesitate about going to the store, prior to the wedding, to get something for the bride, even though you are just there to photograph the wedding. Do not stick to just doing your job of photography. If you assume added responsibilities, this will improve your good name in the business and increase your referrals as a result.

(5) Make an effort to really connect with your clients. There are plenty of talented photographers in the business. An extra element of service and comfort is added when you connect on a human level.

If you adhere to the preceding advice, you can boost your success as a photographer in the competitive field of wedding photography.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

A Different Look At Wedding Photography

On January 30, 2010, In business, By Joel Wong

Wedding photography includes pictures of the couple before the marriage, as well as coverage of the actual event and reception. The two approaches in wedding photography are traditional and photojournalism. Traditional bridal photography consists of classically posed images. In this approach, there is much interaction with the photographer on the day of the wedding. In the photojournalistic approach, the images recorded are much more subtle with less photographer interaction. These two approaches are the two extremes of photographic styles. Today most photographers will side with one of the two styles.

There are certain things to keep in mind while hiring a photographer to cover your wedding. Every photographer possesses an individual style. There is some research you should do before you decide who you want photographing your wedding. To find the perfect photographer you should start looking well ahead of time. Look into your photographers creative side more then the business side when hiring a wedding photographer. One shouldn’t be concerned about comparing various package details or the number of prints he is going to get. Take care of all the last minute details so your photographer isn’t preoccupied with thoughts about payment on your wedding day.

Don’t boss your photographer around all the time. Nobody wants to be pushed around, not even your photographer so ask your guests to be polite as well. No photographer likes to be directed as to what to shoot and how to do it. The photographer will become less creative if there is lots of third party interaction. Sometimes the relatives and friends are so preoccupied in instructing the photographer that they almost miss the entire wedding.

Go for trust on your big day with your photographer is one of the best tips to give. Trust allows natural expression to flow from everyone. After all you want the day to flow with joy and fun so trust is a prerequisite for that to happen.

Don’t forget to feed your photographer. Your photographer will need to eat, no matter how professional and hardworking they are. He would be the last person you want to starve. And try not to give your photographer a very long list of things to do. This would distract him from what you actually hired him to do.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Easy Ways To Make Money With Event Photography

On January 27, 2010, In business, By Willy Wong

A great way to make money with photography is to focus on events. You will be surprised about how many people want events covered and photographed.

What to do

The key trick is in choosing your market slice. You must choose a slice of the market where people want to keep memories alive in print. It must also be an event that is hard to capture for a not professional so that they will need your services.

One idea is to go to kids sports events. Get permission from the coach to click pics for the parents watching and then start clicking away. If you turn up with a great big telephoto lens like the ones used for pro coverage of events, you will be taken seriously. Make sure you get all the kids doing great action shots and then hand out flyers to all the parents watching with your web address. If you can write down the parents email address so you can email them the URL of you site then upload the pics to your web site that day and email everyone. If you have a simple shopping cart set up you can make money in a few hours as people pop in to see the pics and buy them for $20 or more a pop.

You can do a similar thing with weddings. Take all the normal shots as part of the wedding coverage but then get your URL printed on the wedding invites and all the other wedding materials and also get an email list of all the wedding guests, offer the couple a nice 20% discount for doing this and then take lots of extra pics at the wedding of the guests doing all the things they do. Upload all the pics to your site and send the emails. You will then make a lot more money than the 20% discount it cost you because then 20 or 30 people will be also buying your pics at $20 or more a shot straight from your site. Charging a higher price for high res pics is also a great money spinner.

The trick is to find a corner in the market place where you can excel by being the best photographer in the room, and offering an easy way for people to buy your photos.

Dog shows, fashion shows, horse shows, car shows, livestock competitions, rock shows, – the list goes on. Keep your eye out in the events section of your local paper to see what is happening. Always ask for permission to shoot pics and if you need to offer the people 10% of the income if feel you need to so you can get easy access.

Discover more about Wedding Photographers and Event Photographer.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Budget Bridal Photography Ideas

On January 23, 2010, In business, By James Wong

Your special day can be the realisation of a long-held dream; you want everything to be just perfect – and why not – from your venue to your flowers, dress and makeup and everything else in between. But, for most people, even though is is a very special day you will still have a budget to work to. And when it comes to top-range services such as wedding photography, staying focused on the budget target can be hard. However, with a little bit of research, forward thinking and planning, and a vibrant dose of flexibility, you will be able to keep within budget for sure to ensure you have an affordable wedding while creating the memories you deserve.

Finding affordable wedding photography at the price you can afford is achievable in a number of simple ways. So read on.

Starting with word of mouth is a smart place to start. Talk to friends or work colleagues that have held weddings similar in size and outline to what you are planning to determine what photographers worked well within their set budget target.

Drop by at your wedding venue and ask the management if they have a list of professionals that they know. This could save you hours of time plus hundred’s of dollars.

Think about using a professional wedding planner. It could be the best budget choice you make for your wedding. They are professionals and know the best people to work with and how to keep on budget.

But when it comes to affordable bridal photography, sometimes fixing the range and type services you require rather than choosing a low-priced photographer will help you stay within your budget – more is not always better and at the end of the day having high quality is better than high quantity. If you have your heart set on a particular wedding photographer that works in a way you love, then compromise to get to the price that you need; perhaps have the photographer only take your ceremony and formal shots and then ask your guests to help take photos throughout your reception to be assembled into an album at a later date.

One really simple idea is to provide your wedding guests with cheap disposable cameras. This will add fun, variety and an unexpected component to your wedding day. Your wedding album will then become very unique indeed.

Another great and creative tip is to invite your friends and family to do part of the wedding preparations for you such as the flower display. Not only is this a great way to involve your friends you can ask them to not give bridal gifts but to do something else instead. And seeing many wedding gifts end up not being used then this can be a great idea. Instead your friends will probably be thrilled and delighted to be involved. This will enhance your marriage experience for everyone and spare you money.

Ultimately, inexpensive bridal photography is about creativity and flexibility, time and energy. Being willing to work out of the box and think of small and often creative ways to save money, eventually all those small steps will add up to big savings.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
« Previous Entries Next Entries »
Go To Top »