Monthly Archives: October 2019

Insperation #5 – Quentin Bacon

Pancakes

Pancakes

A lot of the backgrounds from Quentin Bacon give off the rustic and homestyle feel. For example a lot of the backgrounds are these aging table counters which gives that rustic look to the images. Other backgrounds give this vibe of it being made at home with the table cloths, plates and cooking accessories. And some background look like they were made in a restaurant or other setting like a bakery. The background in the image is a table with a white cloth. The props he uses in the image are a silver stand for the cupcakes and a jar containing maple syrup (or motor oil).  The angel of the view is like frontal eye level view of the pancakes but with a slight overhead view. A lot of his images contain depth of field, having a blurred background. It makes the main subject more noticeable. Another thing i notice in his images is that they are a mix of over head and three quarter view. Some of his images are also close up. The reason I chose this image is because it looks really appetizing. The pancakes stacked up nicely on each other (probably with cardboard), and each one is a golden-brown color. The blueberries also look plumped and juicy. Then the maple syrup runs down the pancakes like a water fall.

Andrew Scrivani

Andrew Scrivani, photographer, director and producer has several photographs that capture my attention. The one that stands out the most, amongst the rest is the image below, with the eggs, lentil salad and tomatoes. What I enjoy about the image is that it is places on the grid which makes it look like the rule of thirds was used. The food is placed on the further right, leaving a small space between the plate and the food. Even though the photographer cropped out a small piece of the plate, I think the image is complete, and nothing is missing from it. When it comes to contrast, the viewer can see the details of each and every example that was used in the red subject which is are the tomatoes. The lentils of this photograph are half focused and half out of focus. The reason is because the photographer decided to create a depth look within the image. He tried to capture the most important aspects of the setup which were the bigger elements such as the eggs and tomatoes. The scallion added to a more fun look because it is a yellow-greenish color, which isn’t seen anywhere else in the photograph. The view of this image is more of an overhead, but not to dramatic. It is definitely not eye level, but more like an in between eye level and overhead. This angle makes it have more of a realistic effect since the viewer can see the 3D aspect of it. The background was wisely chosen in my opinion because it is not too dark and not to subtle. It is a right color so that the main focus would be the plate on the food. However, the photographer did a good job using a wooden-like plate because it brings all the food together to form an interesting photograph.

Insperation #6 – Andrew Scrivani

Food

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I chose this image because it looks the most appealing to me, plus I really enjoy spaghetti and meatballs. The placement of the plate with the spaghetti and meatballs is centered but not equally distant because the plate is more closer to the bottom edge of the photo. It is very clear that the main subject of the picture since different parts of the plate land on different intersections when the image is set in a rule of thirds grid. I’m not entirely sure of the perspective as the foods are not diminishing in size. Perhaps it has converging lines because the fork and spoon intersect but again I’m not really sure. So the angel of view is over head. There is tonal variations between the backgrounds and main subjects. For example the white plate pops out against the wooden cutting board. Then the spaghetti and meatballs are more visible in the white plate than they would be if they were on the wooden board (also that would be weird if they were on the board without a plate ). In the photo it appears the light in the photo is soft light, I say that because the shadows do not make a clear distinct figure/shape. It’s more vague the outlines and more conjoined instead of forming a distinct outline. The edges also look soft. I could be wrong but to me it also looks likes the light used is window light.

 

Andrew Scrivani

rasberries

Andrew Scrivani’s work is intensely beautiful. My favorite of this photographs is the simple raseberry. I love the color consistency and attention to detail. You can see the deepest detail of the rasberry, only one is concentrated on and the raseberry is in sharp image while the rest is in blur or out of focus. This photograph has a simple day light with bounce and it works beautifully with this color and fruit as you can see with the light, a piece of the fruit looks a bit transparent hence works well with this kind of light. From the looks of it, the natural light was a back light because of how it appears behind the subject of photograph. There is a shadow underneath the fruits which leads me to also believe it can be a diffused light. Andrew’s work is so simple yet to pleasing to the eye because of the balance of the subject matter and lighting.

Quentin Bacon

Unlike other photographers we have discussed, Quentin Bacon is most known for the Photographs taken of food. His photographs allure the audience with the natural lighting and equisite detail set from the cheese in this dish. What sets this photograph well is the attention to detail, notice how the image of the food is sharp and the background is blurred out yet we are able to make do that it is some type of restaurant, wood chairs polished, it also sets a lovely ambiance to fill with the fine dinner show to us in the image. It’s also clever in that Bacon tried to keep a constant color scheme here with white brown and white and the color consistency also makes the photo all the more appeasing. Notice that the light is equally distributed there is a soft light, its not hard on the food and it doesn’t give it an over saturated look.

Quentin Bacon

  • depth of field
  • white background
  • not too busy
  • neutral to the subject

The photograph is appetizing because of the composition, the way it’s plated evenly on the to wooden board. The two separated sandwiches that creates depth of field, as we focus on the centered sandwich. The background is white and does not distract the audience from the subject, the cloth underneath the wooden bounces light onto the board and sandwiches. The use of natural/available light makes the sandwich refreshing, as it is a healthy looking sandwich. Moreover, the use of extra ingredients such as the herb and the tomato directs us to the sandwich. Plus, the angle that the photograph was taken compliments the sandwich because the bread is tilted slightly so we can view the ingredients but can still see the bread.
What I noticed about his style of food photography is that they make use of filling the frame or not, high angle, a few are at eye level.  As well as make us of his props and background, some props make the image feel more authentic and tells a story of the creation of said food. The background enhances the subject and the details.

Quentin Bacon

I feel that food photography is very important because it’s what will get people to go ahead and make the food purchase. The food has to look very delicious and Quentin Bacon does a wonderful job of showing food.

From looking at all of her photos, her pictures feel as if I’m at the table with the food as well. I love how she’s able to bring the food to life. My favorite picture on her page is the dish od Mac and cheese. This image shows how cheesy the meal is.

The Smith DC

I like how she was able to capture the moment. I feel that this brings it out more than just a regular close up of the dish. This was a smart image because it shows not only the outside of the dish but the inside and what to expect when they put their forks in the dish.  Another great thing about the image is the lighting, I think there’s only a key light because the dish is well lit and I don’t see any shadows. I feel broad lighting was used. The lighting makes the dish look really appealing and there’s a good amount of contrast or clarity which brings out the crispness on top of the dish.

Quentin Bacon

Quentin Bacon, uses his background to connect with the subject, which are the different kinds of foods and drinks. For example, he does not use a solid white background, as seen with other photographers, who make the food the only subject in the image. The background he uses includes cups, silverware, ingredients used, etc. The image below is of what seems like a bean stew with bread on the side. In this photograph the viewer can see that there is a variety of colors and contrast between the background and the main dish. The table cloth is a vibrant dark blue color that brings out the color of the food because of its orange color. Bacon did this intentionally because blue and orange are complementary colors. The photograph was taken on an overhead angle slanted a little to the right, since the image is not centered and not on eye level. When it comes to composition, I think the plates could’ve been organized differently because the far right hand plate is cropped out, therefore making the image distracting. I believe there was no need to add a third plate and if it was necessary then it could’ve been more towards the center and out of focus. The green parsley in the photo makes the orange beans have even more contrast between them. The crumbs on the left hand side give the image a more realistic mood because when food is being served, it can get messy at times. The lighting used does a good job at focusing primarily on the big pan with the bread pointing out. The details of the bread are crisp and clear. Overall, the photo was well taken and the viewer can tell that the main subject is the big pan towards the front since most of the surrounding items are out of focus.

 

 

Inspiration: Quentin Bacon

Bacon’s style of food photography is very unique and appealing. The background in a lot of these photos are very simple backgrounds like a wooden table or a marble table, a tablecloth, there are even some photos where the background is someone holding the food either the person eating it or the chef. One of the things I notice stands out about these simple backgrounds is that it provides a nice contrast to the food that is the main subject of the photo. I feel like the simplistic backgrounds bring out the detail and color and texture of the food more since there is nothing too heavy in the background that is distracting, and if there is like a person for example Bacon uses shallow depth of field so they are not the main focus of the photo. This photo I have chosen from Bacon is one that I really enjoy a lot.  I love the detailing of the squeezed blood oranges as well as the detailing of the freshly cut ones. Also the simple table top background really allows the colors to pop out more even from the juice on the table to the knife to pop out more. I also love the juice in the cup and the deep purple red color that shows there along with the dark orange coloring on the skin of the oranges.

Peter Hurley, Celeste Sloman

Peter Hurley, a New York City photographer specialized in headshots and portraits. At first glance the viewer can see that, even though there is three point lighting, he has a specific style for the most part, which is butterfly lighting. There is a lot of lighting coming from over the models’ heads, which is one of the most favorable styles when shooting portraits. The lighting just hits the skin and it fills the texture of it which lead to there being softness in his photographs. Also, the eyes are a significant point of attention in his photographs. The reflection of the lights create a depth into the models’ eyes. When it comes to composition, in his People Portraits, the models are centered and have more of a serious tone to them due to their facial expressions. Even though, there is a lot going on in the background, Hurley did a great job making sure the main focus was the model by putting more lights on them. There is contrast between their faces and the rest of the photographs.

 

Celeste Sloman, is also a photographer specialized in portraits. The difference between her and Peter Hurley, is that her photographs are mainly from the subjects’ shoulder, up, instead of full body or three quarters. The main focus is their facial expressions, which, for the most part, are subtle and calm. The background is a solid color, or very little movement going on, which brings out the subject more since there are no distracting objects in the way. I enjoy the way Sloman uses objects or sunlight to create shadows, that have become patterns, in the subjects’ faces. She has a minimalist and simple style which is why the viewer can tell that there is not an overuse of light.