Assignment: "Food Photography-Desserts" Jan. 27 - Feb. 10

[Saralonde]

As mentioned last week, we are going to start a month of Food Photography. This might be particularly appealing to those of you shut in by winter weather and to those of you doing 365s. This coming week we start with the best part of a meal, Desserts. Some suggestions: Try looking at magazines and in cookbooks for ideas. Notice the lighting. Natural lighting is wonderful for food photography. That's why you always try for a table by the window in a restaurant (and drive your dining companions crazy by shooting all the courses, LOL). The last thing you want is an image with an unappealing blue cast to it.
Consider the depth of field. Do you want something shallow to pinpoint one area or do you want the entire scene to be in focus?
Are you going to go in close or pull away and include some of the area around your subject. What can you include with your food item that makes it more interesting?
What point of view will you use? Straight down, off to the side, through a window, etc., just try different angles.
Think about what you want to say. This is homemade and comfort, this is sumptuous and elegant, this rich and flavorful?
Make me want to eat that food! If this was in a cookbook, would I want to make it? If it was an ad in a magazine, would I want to buy it?
Since Food Photography is such a huge subject, here are some resources for you:

Food Photography – An Introduction- good tips from Darren
Big and Tasty Food Photography Tips Roundup - great roundup of tutorials and videos. And if you watch the videos, you'll know why you should scream at your food

I'm trying so hard to keep desserts at of my house right now (New Year's resolution ), so I took this yesterday at a bake shop:


As always, rules:
Please note the change in closing time as well as the size limit.

Just a note to new posters: DO NOT start a new thread for your post. Please just hit the reply button at the bottom of any current post and put your image there.

1. Your original image you submit should be taken between the 27th of January and the 10th of February. Each week as an assignment closes on the Wednesday, it will be AUTOMATICALLY deemed *CLOSED* after 8am GMT ( 3am EST) and any posts after that time will not be eligible for the assignment competition. Don't wait until the last minute to post!

2. Your post must include "Assignment: Food Photography - Desserts" (to show your permission to count it for the contest) and the date the picture was taken (to show that it is a valid entry).

3. EXIF data should be intact. It helps if you can include the main points (including camera, lens, date taken, ISO, shutter speed and aperture) in the text of your message.

4. Only one entry per member (if you can't restrain yourself until the end of the first week you can post two or three separate pictures but your entry should be in a separate post and the only marked with the text above). It must be an original image taken by you.

5. Remember the cross-site image size limit (740px on the longest side).

6. If the image does not exist in post at the end of the contest, it is disqualified. If you modify anything on flickr and re-save the image then the link is broken and the message needs edited to link the picture again before it will be included in the contest.
For everyone, please do not repeat other people's photos by quoting them until the contest is over. If you want to comment on or discuss an entry you can use a link to it (or just delete the picture from the quoted text).

7. If you are looking for the winners of the mini-contest, please check the front page of the DPS blog Saturday late afternoon (EST) and here.

Next week we continue with Food Photography, but now we are going to make up for the sweets we had with Fruits and/or Vegetables. Can you make them look as good as dessert?

[mseigafuse]

A simple, but very tasty dessert ... Chocolate Lava Cake


Camera: Pentax K100D
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/16.0
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Program: Manual
Date and Time (Original): 2010:01:30 20:48:45

[lerner2669]

Camera: Nikon D60
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/1.6
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 250
Flash: No Flash

[karwash]

Initially I had planned to use a picture of my home-made semifreddo, but it didn't look as appetising in the picture as I thought it would. After a (too) long consideration I ended up with this one...

"Too late!"


Date picture taken: January 31, 2010
EXIF
Camera: Nikon D40
Exposure: 0.4
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 52 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: +1 EV
Flash: No Flash
More EXIF on flickr (click picture to view)

[tzk333]

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/2.5
Focal Length: 85 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE
Date and Time (Original): 2010:01:30 21:20:51-05:00

[Sweedon]

Camera: Canon EOS 50D
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE
Date and Time (Original): 2010:02:01 09:27:58-05:00

[sdhondatuner]

Skittles... Taste the rainbow of flavor



Taken: 01-30-2010
Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikkor 18-55 mm
Exposure: 0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV
Flash: No Flash

PP: Cropped & sized for flickr.

[gungo]

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

[HeatherGill]

I hope I did this right

[CindiK]

This very nice man at the MCafe let us set up some shots of desserts. They are all vegan and all wonderful. Thanks to Bill. (P.S. The blueberry pancakes were divine)



Camera: Konica Minotal Dimage A2
Date: January 30, 2010
Exposure: 1/20 s
F-number: 9
Exp. Probram: Manual
ISO: 200
Max Aperture value 3.36
Flash: did not fire
Focal length 19.6mm