How long have you been shooting with Olympus cameras?
It has been since the E-10. The files were clean and looked very
good straight out of the camera. Since I shoot a lot of high key images
on white backgrounds, with the Olympus cameras I never have
to retouch for dust spots. The sharpness of the lenses, resolution and
colors are simply the best. With the E-10 seven years ago I shot a picture
for the Marriott marque. It was cropped vertically (down to around
twomegapixels) and then blown up to 60x80 and hung on a billboard
next to the Kodak billboard in downtown New York.
Confessions of a food Photographer
43 Photographer The Member's Issue July/August 2008
About Lou Manna:
Lou Manna is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in national ad campaigns, major magazines and more than 30 cookbooks,
including Jacques Torress Dessert Circus and Dr. Phil McGraws The Ultimate Weight Solution Cookbook.
After shooting for the New York Times from 1975 to 1990, Manna went on to establish his own Fifth Avenue studio, where he works with corporate,
advertising and restaurant clients to create photos that can only be described as exquisite. In 2006, Manna published Digital Food Photography, a book that teaches readers how to use digital technology to enhance food photography.
For this issue of the webzine we had the opportunity and
pleasure to interview Lou Manna. His work is featured in
many outlets throughout the food world. In addition to being
one of the most well known food photographers in the world,
he also shoots the E-3 and he was very open and ready to
let us interview him.
If you had to describe your style of photography, how
would you describe it?
In food photography you eat with your eyes first you have a composition
which keeps your eye in frame as you get in close to the food.
You want images which are simple and clean, really having less is often
more.
What style of photography do you enjoy most?
I seek to make Lou shots. The client wants a specific shot - showing
knife and fork, and level. Lou shots on the other hand will be from
an angle like you are flying over to get a different look at it. I shoot
tethered to a 20 monitor and the client is able to see the pictures
right on the screen. The review image is shown from the video out port
on my E-3. That gives me the instant pop-up and I can see the histogram.
With the E system I hardly have to use Photoshop. Everything
comes out just perfectly. I like angles and closeups which make you
want to reach in and touch it.
I also give workshops, and most of the guys who use other cameras,
I find that their playback is not nearly as good as with the E-3.
In play back the E-3 surpasses the sharpness quality and color of the
other guys, I am able to show all the info on the screen quickly and
find the pictures that the client wants. Having the simple zoom and information
displays make the camera setup work well for my needs.
What inspires you, so you keep a fresh perspective on
your work?
When I go to different restaurants I look to see what they are doing.
I also use a variety of food stylists to keep things fresh. One day I
will shoot hamburgers and the next Filet Minion, so it keeps me fresh.
I have found that with the high quality photos my clients have even
claimed that sales have gone up 100% from the photos. People are attracted
to the product because of the presentation of the pictures, and
that keeps driving the clients back to me. It makes me feel good doing
what I do.
How has your step from film to digital been?
I embraced it in 1995, I was one of the first digital photographers. I
studied electrical engineering in college. I love anything technical. I am
a gizmo type of guy, as most photographers are I guess. I was even
able to transmit photos via my cellphone back then. I havent shot film
in YEARS.
How long have you been shooting with Olympus cameras?
It has been since the E-10. The files were clean and looked very
good straight out of the camera. Since I shoot a lot of high key images
on white backgrounds, with the Olympus cameras I never have
to retouch for dust spots. The sharpness of the lenses, resolution and
colors are simply the best. With the E-10 seven years ago I shot a picture
twomegapixels) and then blown up to 60x80 and hung on a billboard
next to the Kodak billboard in downtown New York.
Do you shoot with and Medium Format cameras?
Once in a while I use a Phase One back, but I hardly use it, most
clients are more impressed with the E-3 files, and it is more than
enough for what they need. Their is a big difference in quality from my
Olympus cameras.
What makes a good photojournalist and did you enjoy
photojournalism?
It is about capturing the moment, and to be at the right place at
the right time. I worked for the NYT for about 15 years but instead
of following the pack I would go around back and get the guy out the
back door and have him wave at me. I was able to get something different
than what everyone else had, and that gave me an edge. Even
in food photography capturing the moment is important, there is a moment
when the food is looking the freshest, plumpest, and most succulent.
To be able to capture it and light it really makes a difference with
the right equipment.
Any specific images that you would like to talk about and
share how you created them?
Shooting the canolies was a lot of fun. We hung around 50 of them
on a grid and then had to try to get them to stop spinning. I used the
50-200 to help compress the distance of that four wide by five feet
deep and three foot high grid.
Do you shoot real food?
Yeah, we always shoot real food in the main subject. For example
with the Canolies we had them bake the shells, then they tied the line
in the canoli shell. After that we stuffed the shells. If I am shooting
for Haagen-Dazs I will use real ice cream. However, if we are shooting
barbecue food and in the background we have ice cream, then we will
probably use fake ice cream in that instance. Most of my pictures are
single scene shots, like the Heirloom tomato was shot on location in
the Bahamas.
What is it like being a food photographer?
I love food. We usually dont eat the food which has been on the
set, but we often have leftovers. I get to eat that, so its great and my
assistants love it too. Its tough to be on a diet but someone has to do
it. I enjoy it, tremendously the people in the food industry are all very
nice. Sometimes though it is stressful, because the shots are like a
fashion shoot. Often we have a food stylist, an assistant food stylist, a
prop stylist, a assistant prop stylist. We also have a client or two an ad
agency or a PR person, and an assistant or two from the clients side.
On my end I have my studio manager and my assistant. So we have
like ten people or more on the set. For me my staff is indispensable.
For example, Kristen, who does all my post processing handles everything
after I take the shot. I trust her to bring the best out of it.
What was the event, activity or point in time when you
then were able to consider yourself a professional photographer?
I was still in college shooting for a local newspaper, just making
money in something I loved was enough for me. What could be better
than that.
What is your most bizarre/funniest story from your photography
career?
Almost every photo shoot is an adventure, just recently we were
shooting in a freezer, taking photos of the yogurt, but it was one of
the hottest days of the year. It really was weird to have to put on parkas
and long underwear, but it worked out. Also, not too long ago I
was shooting catfish farms in Mississippi and leaning out of the helicopter
to shoot down, and when I put my camera on my lap I realized I
didnt have my seat belt on. If I had just leaned out a little more I could
have become one with the catfish.
Do you shoot Raw or Jpegs and Why?
I shoot both but to tell you the truth I use the jpegs most often,
they are wonderful. They keep their integrity, and are spot on. I never
have to white balance, or clean the backgrounds. It makes my digital
darkroom workflow a lot faster.
Tell us about your darkroom workflow?
We shoot on a compact flash card, watch it on the monitor, make
the selections with the client, and then I give Kristen the card with all
the originals, and she makes two copies of it at that point, She then
takes the selected photos and does any retouching and resizing. We
make the native size at 9x12 at 300 DPI and give those to the client.
Once we do any work on it, we then save it as a tiff. Finally, we resize
it at 6x8 at 300 dpi, and 6x8 at 72 dpi for web use, and then if the
client has any other sizes or needs we will do that.
Do you do a lot of post-processing in Photoshop itself?
Not necessarily, because the super sonic wave filter makes the
images so clean. I like the colors I get. I do shoot in vivid mode, it just
has a nice touch. All my other settings are straight out of the camera.
In Photoshop I sharpen it a little bit with unsharp mask at 16% at
1 pixel, I usually do it a couple times, If I do it a couple times it just
looks better and each time we go down in size I will do it again. I find
that a lot of pictures on the web or in a publication dont have enough
sharpening. Thats something people have to get going on.
It has been since the E-10. The files were clean and looked very
good straight out of the camera. Since I shoot a lot of high key images
on white backgrounds, with the Olympus cameras I never have
to retouch for dust spots. The sharpness of the lenses, resolution and
colors are simply the best. With the E-10 seven years ago I shot a picture
for the Marriott marque. It was cropped vertically (down to around
twomegapixels) and then blown up to 60x80 and hung on a billboard
next to the Kodak billboard in downtown New York.
Confessions of a food Photographer
43 Photographer The Member's Issue July/August 2008
About Lou Manna:
Lou Manna is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in national ad campaigns, major magazines and more than 30 cookbooks,
including Jacques Torress Dessert Circus and Dr. Phil McGraws The Ultimate Weight Solution Cookbook.
After shooting for the New York Times from 1975 to 1990, Manna went on to establish his own Fifth Avenue studio, where he works with corporate,
advertising and restaurant clients to create photos that can only be described as exquisite. In 2006, Manna published Digital Food Photography, a book that teaches readers how to use digital technology to enhance food photography.
For this issue of the webzine we had the opportunity and
pleasure to interview Lou Manna. His work is featured in
many outlets throughout the food world. In addition to being
one of the most well known food photographers in the world,
he also shoots the E-3 and he was very open and ready to
let us interview him.
If you had to describe your style of photography, how
would you describe it?
In food photography you eat with your eyes first you have a composition
which keeps your eye in frame as you get in close to the food.
You want images which are simple and clean, really having less is often
more.
What style of photography do you enjoy most?
I seek to make Lou shots. The client wants a specific shot - showing
knife and fork, and level. Lou shots on the other hand will be from
an angle like you are flying over to get a different look at it. I shoot
tethered to a 20 monitor and the client is able to see the pictures
right on the screen. The review image is shown from the video out port
on my E-3. That gives me the instant pop-up and I can see the histogram.
With the E system I hardly have to use Photoshop. Everything
comes out just perfectly. I like angles and closeups which make you
want to reach in and touch it.
I also give workshops, and most of the guys who use other cameras,
I find that their playback is not nearly as good as with the E-3.
In play back the E-3 surpasses the sharpness quality and color of the
other guys, I am able to show all the info on the screen quickly and
find the pictures that the client wants. Having the simple zoom and information
displays make the camera setup work well for my needs.
What inspires you, so you keep a fresh perspective on
your work?
When I go to different restaurants I look to see what they are doing.
I also use a variety of food stylists to keep things fresh. One day I
will shoot hamburgers and the next Filet Minion, so it keeps me fresh.
I have found that with the high quality photos my clients have even
claimed that sales have gone up 100% from the photos. People are attracted
to the product because of the presentation of the pictures, and
that keeps driving the clients back to me. It makes me feel good doing
what I do.
How has your step from film to digital been?
I embraced it in 1995, I was one of the first digital photographers. I
studied electrical engineering in college. I love anything technical. I am
a gizmo type of guy, as most photographers are I guess. I was even
able to transmit photos via my cellphone back then. I havent shot film
in YEARS.
How long have you been shooting with Olympus cameras?
It has been since the E-10. The files were clean and looked very
good straight out of the camera. Since I shoot a lot of high key images
on white backgrounds, with the Olympus cameras I never have
to retouch for dust spots. The sharpness of the lenses, resolution and
colors are simply the best. With the E-10 seven years ago I shot a picture
twomegapixels) and then blown up to 60x80 and hung on a billboard
next to the Kodak billboard in downtown New York.
Do you shoot with and Medium Format cameras?
Once in a while I use a Phase One back, but I hardly use it, most
clients are more impressed with the E-3 files, and it is more than
enough for what they need. Their is a big difference in quality from my
Olympus cameras.
What makes a good photojournalist and did you enjoy
photojournalism?
It is about capturing the moment, and to be at the right place at
the right time. I worked for the NYT for about 15 years but instead
of following the pack I would go around back and get the guy out the
back door and have him wave at me. I was able to get something different
than what everyone else had, and that gave me an edge. Even
in food photography capturing the moment is important, there is a moment
when the food is looking the freshest, plumpest, and most succulent.
To be able to capture it and light it really makes a difference with
the right equipment.
Any specific images that you would like to talk about and
share how you created them?
Shooting the canolies was a lot of fun. We hung around 50 of them
on a grid and then had to try to get them to stop spinning. I used the
50-200 to help compress the distance of that four wide by five feet
deep and three foot high grid.
Do you shoot real food?
Yeah, we always shoot real food in the main subject. For example
with the Canolies we had them bake the shells, then they tied the line
in the canoli shell. After that we stuffed the shells. If I am shooting
for Haagen-Dazs I will use real ice cream. However, if we are shooting
barbecue food and in the background we have ice cream, then we will
probably use fake ice cream in that instance. Most of my pictures are
single scene shots, like the Heirloom tomato was shot on location in
the Bahamas.
What is it like being a food photographer?
I love food. We usually dont eat the food which has been on the
set, but we often have leftovers. I get to eat that, so its great and my
assistants love it too. Its tough to be on a diet but someone has to do
it. I enjoy it, tremendously the people in the food industry are all very
nice. Sometimes though it is stressful, because the shots are like a
fashion shoot. Often we have a food stylist, an assistant food stylist, a
prop stylist, a assistant prop stylist. We also have a client or two an ad
agency or a PR person, and an assistant or two from the clients side.
On my end I have my studio manager and my assistant. So we have
like ten people or more on the set. For me my staff is indispensable.
For example, Kristen, who does all my post processing handles everything
after I take the shot. I trust her to bring the best out of it.
What was the event, activity or point in time when you
then were able to consider yourself a professional photographer?
I was still in college shooting for a local newspaper, just making
money in something I loved was enough for me. What could be better
than that.
What is your most bizarre/funniest story from your photography
career?
Almost every photo shoot is an adventure, just recently we were
shooting in a freezer, taking photos of the yogurt, but it was one of
the hottest days of the year. It really was weird to have to put on parkas
and long underwear, but it worked out. Also, not too long ago I
was shooting catfish farms in Mississippi and leaning out of the helicopter
to shoot down, and when I put my camera on my lap I realized I
didnt have my seat belt on. If I had just leaned out a little more I could
have become one with the catfish.
Do you shoot Raw or Jpegs and Why?
I shoot both but to tell you the truth I use the jpegs most often,
they are wonderful. They keep their integrity, and are spot on. I never
have to white balance, or clean the backgrounds. It makes my digital
darkroom workflow a lot faster.
Tell us about your darkroom workflow?
We shoot on a compact flash card, watch it on the monitor, make
the selections with the client, and then I give Kristen the card with all
the originals, and she makes two copies of it at that point, She then
takes the selected photos and does any retouching and resizing. We
make the native size at 9x12 at 300 DPI and give those to the client.
Once we do any work on it, we then save it as a tiff. Finally, we resize
it at 6x8 at 300 dpi, and 6x8 at 72 dpi for web use, and then if the
client has any other sizes or needs we will do that.
Do you do a lot of post-processing in Photoshop itself?
Not necessarily, because the super sonic wave filter makes the
images so clean. I like the colors I get. I do shoot in vivid mode, it just
has a nice touch. All my other settings are straight out of the camera.
In Photoshop I sharpen it a little bit with unsharp mask at 16% at
1 pixel, I usually do it a couple times, If I do it a couple times it just
looks better and each time we go down in size I will do it again. I find
that a lot of pictures on the web or in a publication dont have enough
sharpening. Thats something people have to get going on.
