Food storyboard - C&C needed

sNarah

Rightio. This lot have been annoying me all day.
Something feels "off" but I'm not sure what exactly and I'm stuck on it.

Any advice as to what could change, what would work better, and so forth?

I want to this to work but all I'm getting is "meh".

sNarah

What the??? Just noticed that line on the left hand side, bottom image, no clue what it is!

Squidgy Black

That line looks like a hair on the lens

Ricky91t

On a totally unrelated note, I'd save this as a jpg instead of a gif, The quality doesn't look great at all! I can't comment on the food photography though.

Necronomicon

Is it also on the bottom right of the smaller images, or is that something else? Hope they can be cloned out easily.

xshayx

Strange lines aside I really like it works well as story board, like the processing. Wouldnt mind tucking into the grub either!

Dodgykeeper

What is it you are trying to achieve??

The backround is a bit cluttered tbh, the fact that the pics are taken from different positions is bothering me as is the quality of the pics.

From a food point of view I have never seen Prawn Cocktail served in a coffee mug before, and again tbh I dont think it works!

Cakes.

I think more hand in the 2nd and 3rd images would be better and the whole sauce bottle in the 6th.

sNarah

Ricky91t wrote: »

On a totally unrelated note, I'd save this as a jpg instead of a gif, The quality doesn't look great at all! I can't comment on the food photography though.

Yeah, I know, don't want to upload it yet and suck at PS so that's why. It's more a quick screengrab really but it's not looking it's best indeed

Necronomicon wrote: »

Is it also on the bottom right of the smaller images, or is that something else? Hope they can be cloned out easily.

Just looked back through the workflow, only on that image, must be hair. Puh. Can't do cloning but I will retry this anyway so, lesson learned: keep hair on oneself!

xshayx wrote: »

Strange lines aside I really like it works well as story board, like the processing. Wouldnt mind tucking into the grub either!

Thanks Shay

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

What is it you are trying to achieve??

The backround is a bit cluttered tbh, the fact that the pics are taken from different positions is bothering me as is the quality of the pics.

From a food point of view I have never seen Prawn Cocktail served in a coffee mug before, and again tbh I dont think it works!

Good question... not sure IF I'm trying to achieve anything really, more a spurr of the moment which ended up overtaking my day. Basically, create a food photography worthy image - does that make any sense?

I noticed the positions afterwards as well - it looks like it makes the bigger image sort of tilt to the left hand side I find. But, how would I improve that? By that I mean, you have the different steps, do you mark an area and keep within there, shoot the same angle for all of them?

And I like the coffee mug, but you're probably right though...

Mountainsandh

I think the mug + the trees on the (cork ?) board below are too much together. The black outline trees, that we can only see bits on some pics, and whole on others... makes me look for the trees.
I like the mug too, great contrast with the blue chopping board, I like that, but then it's a bit of a let down when the prawns are on it ? Maybe just with the dish that's in it, they would stand out more on a plain mug when they're fanned out at the end. A plain brown mug actually. Or a pottery type.
I'm not a fan of seeing the label on the sauce either.
Just my 2 cents...

But I want some now, so it does work

KarmaGarda

Not bad at all. To add another crit to the above, I'm unsure about the progression from 4 to 5 to 6.

Firstly, I don't think you need both images 4 and 5 (personally I'd lose 4). Then there's a weird jump from avocados going in to putting the dressing on a dish that seems to have magically grown prawns.

So I'd lose 4, and create a new image after the avocado showing you building the prawns.

Apart from that, I agree with everyone else in that it made me go get a cookie... damn you!

FoxT

I really like the tone, ie the colour tone, but I'd lose the mayo bottle, it looks v artificial with everything else so natural. Also the lettuce looks limp in some of the shots, not crispy. That is nitpicking though. Want! nomnomnom!

sNarah

sNarah wrote: »

Just looked back through the workflow, only on that image, must be hair. Puh. Can't do cloning but I will retry this anyway so, lesson learned: keep hair on oneself!

Are you sure? Looks to be on the bottle in image 6, too. To the upper right of the label.

Anyway, if I'm honest, I'm not mad about the shots at all. Maybe it's the GIF's added pixelation, but the noise on the image, coupled with the general dark tones/shadows, etc. doesn't appeal to me.

I think food photos should be very well lit, almost high-end fashion shoots of edible objects. These photos look very grubby or something. Don't make the food appeal to me. The area in the photos seems cluttered and sloppy.

All the different symbols, logos, patterns and themes going on (cup, chopping board(?), bottle, etc.) makes the photos very busy in my opinion. also in the last photo, the window in the background pushing all the shadows forward onto the front of the cup and such (relative to where the photographer is) doesn't seem very appealing.


Now, that said, I think it's only fair I point out that whilst I love food (i wouldn't eat anything else) and enjoy viewing the odd bit of food photography, my own personal attempts at it have been piss poor, so take my advice with a pinch of salt and 200ml of water. Stir gently.

Fionn

great idea - i like it!! very good effort

as the others have said the different positions of the shots gives it a lack of continuity or something
and i think maybe the lighting is way too moody for a food shot!!

otherewise - well done

sineadw

Hmmm.. the first thing that jumped out at me from a crit perspective is that the framing of the images is a little too similar. Probably because you've called it a storyboard, my brain automatically goes to movie director mode, but I think it would add to the overall image to have mixed the shoot up a bit. Start with your establishing wide shot, move in closer as the drama unfolds.. mix it up a bit - might give more visual impact.

That's what I'd be trying anyway

farwood

sineadw wrote: »

Hmmm.. the first thing that jumped out at me from a crit perspective is that the framing of the images is a little too similar. Probably because you've called it a storyboard, my brain automatically goes to movie director mode, but I think it would add to the overall image to have mixed the shoot up a bit. Start with your establishing wide shot, move in closer as the drama unfolds.. mix it up a bit - might give more visual impact.

That's what I'd be trying anyway

thats what came to my mind as well


try to change perspectives...make your viewers curious by presenting extraordinary angles etc.

why is the whiteboard parallel to the window?
why is there so much...how do you say in english?? depth f field, i think.... it looks like a snap shot with any cheap camera... so much depth of field, that you can hardly concentrate on the food...
the eye is permanently wandering from all the stuff that is standing next to and behind the scenery etc....

clarify the scenery... put a structure to it... or let it vanish into the backround by shallow depth of field.

ever tried unusual perspectives?
If you talk to a human being, you talk face to face... your eyes meet at the same (height) level.... do this with the food.
or even, if it should look like impressive adorable food, make your position that you have to look up towards the prawns... just a bit of playing around... and see what catches you through the lens would probably catch the viewer ....lateron.

Nina

Abelloid

Ricky91t wrote: »

On a totally unrelated note, I'd save this as a jpg instead of a gif, The quality doesn't look great at all! I can't comment on the food photography though.

That jumped out at me too, .gifs have only 256 colours. I was waiting for an animation to load.