I have to say that writing this entry to photograph cakes is going to be a delicious torture, and for you to read it too, especially if you are on a diet ... The example photos will make you run to the pantry or the most Cernana pastry shop, that if it does not give you directly for throwing you in the oven, then photographing and immediately taste! The one who warns is not a traitor And with that said, I tell you that in today's article I will tell you how to photograph these delicious pastry products such as cakes, muffins, buns, and so on. Well, these tips are the same for a muffin than for a cupcake. The important thing is that you know how to make them seem even more appetizing instead of subtracting flavor or visual interest, you know that it is eaten by sight and these desserts are usually made with love and taking care of every detail of the presentation, so you can not spoil the process and screw up with the photo. So open your eyes and pay attention to these simple (but effective) tips to do justice to the delicious candy you just prepared or who has had the kindness to bake for you
1. SET THE STAGE
Yes, yes, you read that right. And it is not that you are going to make a play or a musical, but this task requires a decoration as careful as it has been the preparation of the candy. The environment should be beautiful and pleasant, in line with what you are photographing. In this way the result will be even more palatable. If you have a place near a window through which light enters, perfect. If not, we will see the issue of lighting later.- Order. And for this the first thing you should do before photographing cakes or any other candy is to clear the work area. No hookahs or cooking or anything else. Everything that comes out in the photo that is not intentionally placed (and carefully placed) will spoil the result because it will reduce the prominence of the product by diverting the viewer's attention. So you know, clearing
- Background. You can serve a smooth wall, a soft color or that contrasts with the color of the product. If it is not possible, get one or more cards that will be a perfect background (essential white, soft colors are the most successful or any color that combines with your dessert). You can also use some cloth or wrapping paper. But of course, something nice, do not go to pull that crumpled paper that was left over last Christmas, huh? Heal it a little! Here you can see how to build an «infinite background». Another trick that also works is to use a background wood because it brings a lot of warmth.
- For personal and informal photos, you can resort to festive ornaments in the background. Something discreet and stylish to bring freshness to the image.
- Do you have a nice garden? Seize it!
- The vintage is in fashion, but it is that this pastry also does the sea well. If you have a tableware and / or a beautiful cutlery in vintage style, do not hesitate to take it out to set the photos. But ... be careful, let it be a subtle, subtle accompaniment, not a steal-protagonism-of-the-cake
2. ADD THE STAR INGREDIENT: THE COMPOSITION
Just as your dessert has one or two star ingredients without which it would not work or have a completely different flavor, the same happens in photography. One is the lighting and the other the composition. Do not forget to take care of these aspects when composing your image:- Blur. Use a wide aperture to blur the background. Thus you will focus the attention of the viewer right where you want. Also, the bokeh can be very beautiful when there is a lot of color in the cake. A focus on the background can also give good results. Do several tests and keep the one you like best.
- Less is more. If you are going to photograph several cakes, buns or muffins at the same time, try to have only one focused (like the image above), or isolated from the rest. In this way you will be creating a center of interest where you can gaze and, in addition, the image will be more balanced.
- Perspective. Don't just shoot from your normal position, in fact, better avoid it. Get down, get on a chair, move around the product, but don't always stay in the same position. The closer you bring the product to the eye of the viewer, the more appetizing it will be, especially if you see it at the same height as your eyes or from an attractive perspective , for example an extreme sting (zenith angle).
- Apply the rule of thirds , the horizon, use the negative space ... but e vita at all costs put the product in the center of the image unless it is with an intentionality and very careful. As tempting as the candy itself is to center it to give it prominence, however, you will get the opposite effect.
3. TRANSMIT SENSATIONS
Pastry is mainly related to two senses, taste and smell. The photos in principle can only be seen, but you can get them to almost smell. With some tricks you will get the viewer to perceive the smell of the cake or cinnamon, or the aroma of fresh out of the oven and saliva without realizing it. For this you can:- Photograph the product in the same oven or on the tray, so you make sure that the aroma of freshly baked arrives.
- Highlight the texture with a very close shot so you feel how it melts in your mouth.
- Fill in the frame. If there is nothing else in sight, it will seem to have the candy so close that the desire to take a bite will be inevitable.
- Show inside. The cake is not only what you see on the outside, showing a piece or photographing the cut cake so that the filling is seen, it will make it seem much more palatable.
- Accompany the product of an aromatic plant and / or one of the ingredients. Not only will it serve as a decoration, it will also stimulate smell and / or taste.
4. LIGHTING
As I mentioned before, composition and lighting are the two most important factors. The first we have already tried, now we will see how you can illuminate your delicious dessert so that the lack of light does not cloud its splendor- Natural light. I repeat myself again, but it is important… Whenever you can stand near a window. Or even in the garden. Now, if the light is very hard (central hours of the day and the sun gives directly on the window) you have to be careful because this type of light causes very pronounced shadows and nothing looks good, your dessert should look soft and sweet ;). To do this, if you are in the garden, put yourself in the shade, under a large tree, under a roof… or take advantage of the first and last hours of the day when the light is softer or diffused. And if it is through the window where sunlight directly enters, a very effective trick is to cover with a white curtain or place a tissue paper on the glass. Infallible. You will achieve a perfect light because the paper will work as a diffuser.
- Light box. If you cannot opt ??for the first option and you have a light box, use it. You do not have? And you still haven't thought of getting one ? You can also build it, it 's very easy! And the results will surprise you.
- Flash. As a last alternative use the hand flash (never the one that comes in the camera if you want to achieve a decent result). Bounce the flash or use a light window or diffuser. It is to illuminate evenly and in a pleasing way to the eye, a "flash" would create very annoying shadows.
- Reflector. If you have a great one, if not, don't worry because a white cardboard will help you to reflect the light you have and illuminate the other part of the dessert. In this photo you can see how its author illuminates a miniature car with a homemade light window and two homemade reflectors (a cutting board and the base of a box). It explains everything and also includes a link to the result. You can use the reflector with both natural and artificial light.
- White balance. If you don't know what it is, read this article . To know why it is important to keep this aspect in mind, look at the following photographs. Do you think the two are correct or do you think there is one that has "better color"?
5. INSPIRATION
Creativity is learned. And he is looking for her. The muses don't always come to visit us when we need them, just like that. Browse the web for inspiring photographs, browse bakery books, visit cooking blogs ... in short, take a sweet walk around any place where you can find photographs of cakes or the like. One tip ... don't do it hungry Look at these from IKEA what originals. If you knew the sweet sacrifice and torture that has meant for me to look for images to illustrate this article with the best examples ( with-what-sweet-that-I-am ), you would not hesitate, besides putting it into practice, to give it a « I like it »and share it on Facebook, Twitter or Google + to make up for the kilo (or two) I have taken by writing it Thank you and see you next time!