Product Shoot - Nonya Food Photography

[kevinyap]

Taken with Nikon 50mm f1.8. Body : D90

This is my 1st try on product photography. This is Nonya Nogh Hiang. Appreciate feedback and critique so i can improve...

1. in what area is critique to be sought?
Composition, shadow, color, styling, PQ etc.

2. what one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?
Temptation to try?

3. under what circumstance is the picture taken? (physical conditions/emotions)
Indoor, beside large window, evening sun, freehand

4. what the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture
It is tempting. Cute. Good focus (I think). Nice OOF background

 

[knoxknocks]

Edited your image's URL so that it can be seen

 

[shaoken]

Sorry but from your pic, it doesn't seems like Nonya Nogh Hiang.
It seems more like Ayam Buah Keluak.

 

[sk8]

Hi, IMHO the lighting is a little too flat/harsh and the background too sterile. How about putting the dish on a kopitiam or kitchen table, or have hands holding the bowl instead? I would also suggest that just a few seconds before the shot, you drip fresh gravy over to make it glisten and steam. Otherwise the dish looks like it has been sitting there for a while. Lastly,I would also suggest a higher angle shot so we can see more of the contents in the dish.
Hope that has been helpful. Cheers.

 

[soons]

Image is tilted.
And the item on the background, left side is kind of distracting to me.

 

[wildsoyabean]

i dont like the tilt. and i cant see the whole dish of food which is impt to me. and whats the half crop chili, spoon and chopsticks doing? not trying to nitpick....but its really distracting looking at spoon without head, chilli chop halfway and chop sticks chop halfway

 

[stardeenaw]

I suppose the inclusion of spoon and chopstick is to enhance the nonya culture? However the position of the spoon and chopstick looks abit off, it is does not give viewers a 'ready to dig in' feel, especially when the chopstick is pointed the wrong way.

A higher angle will do more good, maybe you can place the spoon and chopsticks in a way that it points towards the food (in theory, it is called line of interest if i rmb correctly). The rest of the items could be left out.

 

[nysheng]

are u sure this is ngoh hiang?? i hope u do know what u are taking.. cause ngoh hiang isn't only in the nonya culture..and what i remember of ngoh hiang isn't served in a bowl nor does it have pork belly in it.

the tilted image spoils it completely. viewer gets a lob-sided feeling and all mood is gone. lighting is a little too harsh too. ur iso is probably too high since it's taken indoors. composition wise, alot of work is needed. food photography isn't easy. the set up is everything. ur current set up seems a little too half hearted in a sense. what's the bowl of chili doing in the bg? is it supposed to be there? if it is, why is it so far away? and so out of focus?

 

[night86mare]

in food photography, the arrangement on the table is very important, you aren't a food blogger, you have the time and leisure to snap a nicely displayed dish.

as others have mentioned, the tilt doesn't work, becauase the image is better without it.

next, the elements other than your dish have to work IN HARMONY with your dish, not distract from it. placing bits and pieces of cutlery in the frame haphazardly will only diminish the impact of your image.

 

[catchlights]

first thing, lighting is flat, no texture at all, be it soft or harsh, that does not really matter, it is still flat.

 

[catchlights]

try bring the lighting to the side, plus a reflector to fill a little on the shadow side.

 

[Zeisser]

Should have taken the shot at a slightly
high angle to give accentuation of the dish as a whole.Brush some
oil onto the the porky belly skin to glisten it...looks more appetising
and tasty but now it looks rather bland.

 

[JaPhotos]

Hi Kelvin,

Just some pointers for you to consider in your next attempt.

1) A successful food photo uses the color, and texture of the food to makes it attractive. Try going for a close up composition. If you want to include other accessories, ensure that they lead to your object (using lines, shapes, etc).

2) Lighting/shadows should be used to your advantage to enhance (brighten/contrast/etc) the color of the food and reveal the texture.

I am sure if you consider the above two points in your next food photography, it will greatly enhanced your results.

All the best!

 

[jackzhangxiao]

The image is dark.

It doesnt give me a feel that I must eat this...


And I dont think this kind of alinement is suitable for commercial shot. you put is horizontal is better.

 

[sprewell]

image is not well composed and the food as a result is not the main focus of this image.

 

[havocidal]

to begin with, you're shooting food. But at that angle, you are placing a stronger emphasis on the utensils/cutlery than on the food itself.

It is made worse with the poor composition (which feels more like a snapshot) and bad lighting.

 

[BoyCam]

Try taking a look at some books on composition. For example how to achieve balance in the image with a simple 'triangle rule'. You could also try the typical Depth of Feild approuch with the the background items less distracting thus bringing out the focus of your main subject.

All the best!

 

[intrigued]

Well I do see the food. not too much on the utensils and the chili which is about to be turn into rumpah. The tilt do works for me. Shows a sense of uniqueness, yet I do not know why people says the food its not the focus now as the user had use the rules of thirds in this photo for the food as it subject.

 

[soons]

Well I do see the food. not too much on the utensils and the chili which is about to be turn into rumpah. The tilt do works for me. Shows a sense of uniqueness, yet I do not know why people says the food its not the focus now as the user had use the rules of thirds in this photo for the food as it subject.

dunno leh... just that looking that the picture does not make me feel like eating the food...

 

[madmartian]

Looks more like Babi Ponteh to me. Could have used a darker bg & control the lighting. You layed to many utensils which takes the attention out of your dish. & this looks like a cold dish left on the table for a long time already & it don't look fresh enough to eat.