How is the Fashion Photographer Doing Food Photography?

 Photography is the art of capturing real beauty in such an appealing manner as to be astounded by the sheer excellence of the image. It doesn’t come easy, like just grabbing a camera and going out there and shoot. It takes a lot of effort, training and time to get the perfect pitch. Understanding the colour profile, the light quality and what not. A great photographer takes care of an array of elements for a perfect photograph. A photograph which is not only visually appealing but is also food for the mind. One that succeeds in arousing certain emotions in the viewer is without a doubt the ultimate portrayal of beauty. You might have seen some photographs, which make waves, win awards and become signature photographs for certain issues or situations like the photograph of the crying face of an injured man in Godhra riots, the one where a malnutritioned child is sitting hopelessly and a vulture is sitting beside waiting to feed on him and so many others. These photographs have proved to be revolution. They have been etched into our memories because of their core nature. The crude reality has been highlighted through such photographs, no wonder it is said, that a picture is worth a thousand words. No article would have created such ripples in our society as these photographs. Hence, we can see that photographs are a reflection of our world, our society. They serve as beacons of the supreme creator. When it comes to photography, there is no dearth of categories that one can dabble into. You have fashion photography, food, glamour, wildlife, product and so on.What happens when a photographer of one field switches to another, whether temporarily for an assignment or decides to permanently move over to the other category. Well, some inherent features of the former are bound to follow the photographer into the latter one. Some are helpful whereas some traits might be a bit of trouble. So, let us some similarities and differences between the two types of photography one by one.

 

Similarities

• Fashion and food photographers both need to communicate with their client in order to understand their preferences regarding the shoot. They need to figure out the mood, the purpose etc. before the shoot. This allows them to work their shoot around that particular theme, although experimenting a bit.
• Fashion and food photographers who are just starting out need to do some volunteer work, sometimes for free and sometimes for a nominal amount. It takes a lot of time to establish yourself in the photography business. So, you need to go the extra mile to make your mark and it goes with both kinds of photography.
• Both involve colour play. Colour combinations are a must watch in both kinds of photography. In case of fashion, it implies the background, the wardrobe and natural elements, if any. In food photography, it is the small elements like ingredients or dressings that should compliment the overall colour scheme of the photograph.

 

Differences

• Fashion photography involves humans, the most dynamic, unpredictable creature on Earth. Whereas food photography mostly involves inanimate subjects, like food items, dishes and other accessories related to that. So, the approach is a bot different for both. In fashion photography, you can interact with the models to come up with a better idea or just go ahead and experiment with different makeup looks, accessories, wardrobe etc. In food photography, you are limited in that sense, as you have got your food item or product, your camera and that’s it. You need to figure out everything on your own. There’s not much scope regarding experimentation.
• Interplay of numerous elements has a role to play in both but in different forms. In fashion photography, large elements like, location, wardrobe, makeup etc. affect the mood of the photograph. In food photography, you need intricate details of the particular food item, play with colours and do something more with dressing and that’s it. In this manner too, fashion photography seems to be more dynamic as compared to food photography. In other words, subtle and simple elements affect food photography whereas you need something noticeable against a model to enhance the look and feel of a fashion photography shoot.
• Fashion photography is best shot in studio lights whereas natural light is more apt for food photography. Although way too harsh lights might be bad for both of them.
• You need to induce movement here, like in case of flying food items, you need to manually do that because you have inanimate subject for your photo shoot.  In fashion photography, you have humans as subject, so, you can just tell them to show or hold a certain pose or angle and you are good to go.

 

These similarities and dissimilarities might led you to believe that some traits of a fashion photographer might be helpful when going for food photography whereas some might not be. This comparison helps us to draw the line between these two types of photography. This does not mean that there’s any less effort in any one of them. Both are truly integral to the media. They have their own market or industry and both kinds of photographers work hard to make their way through the flooded lane of so many talented photographers. It’s all about taking the time to sync in the way of working and realise the needs and requirements of the kind of subject you are doing with. Ultimately it all comes down to experimenting with lighting, colour schemes and other external factors related to photography. So, it might not be that big a deal for a professional photographer. Moreover, there’s no limit for a creative person, one who learns quickly and adapts to the situation well. The professional photographers have seen their share of experiences. So, they might fit in perfectly, although after being outcast by some. But there’s no harm in trying out varied aspects and carve out a niche for yourself. As most of the important discoveries were a result of small mistakes. So, you never know what might come your way and give you the hope to carry on your new journey.