What’s Your Preference?

villafane928 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 06:50 PM

I was called by an owner of a Japanese restaurant and was asked to take pictures of all his main dishes. Now I never turn down a chance to get paid so I agreed. That was the easy part. I looked at a few articles on how to photograph food and was like how hard could it be, it doesn't move and if the pictures in the Chinese food restaurants were any indication of the quality that was expected, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Boy was I mistaken! There were these angry soushi chef that were putting out these absolute works of art! They gave me a dark dining area corner to work in and then proceeded to parade these magnificent dishes out and they were piling up on me like the i love lucy show in the factory! The cheap beginner studio lights I brought with me had to come into play. These suckers made the room feel like I was in Vietnam. Not to mention the anxiety starting take over me drew my core temp probably over 1oo degrees. There was no escape because blocking the entrance was these two angry chefs that i mentioned earlier with there arms folded eyeing my every move as to not mess up their fabulous masterpieces. So I sucked it up and stated on the journey of shooting and shooting and shooting. Was I ever going to get the lighting good enough to represent these dishes like they deserved to be? To make a long story short (or is it too late for that?) 4 hours later 5 diet cokes and the pain of accidently licking this red gel-like substance off my hand that apparently was the grandaddy of all spicy hot garnishes coming out of the south pacific, I claimed victory went home and managed to put together a set of images that looked halfway (and i mean halfway is being generous) respectable. To add insult to injury when i asked for a glass of red wine to use as a prop, thjey give me a concoction of a wine with juice as a filler so he wouldn't "waste good wine" hence the nice row of tiny bubbles going around the top of the liquid false wine. I was too concerned about the lighting to notice the bubbles till i began my editting. Also didnt notice the smudgy glass either.
Moral of the story: Make sure you know what you are walking into on any PAID shoot and do your homework. Photography brings new challenges everyday, just when you think your getting it BAM it throws you a 3-2 breaking ball. Hope you enjoyed my misery tale and i hope you can find something good in these images. i wasn't going to post them but i thought it could be a lesson to all of us with this passion of ours.

and when i opened this at home i was like "yeah a nice one!", till i noticed the "broken heart" and try as i may i couldnt find the tutorial on how to turn a plate in the right direction in photoshop! i know i could have attempted to photoshoppingly put the raw fish heart back together but i was so drained of anything that resembled intelligence that i just looked up the word for "uncle" in japanese and just went to bed.

jakethepig · #2 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 07:02 PM

Well, what a great story and don't be too hard on yourself. All this food looks delicious and you got all the great colours of the food. I think you did a fantastic job. Your captures sure got my mouth watering. I love the story and I love the pictures.

Dave.

SandeeWig · #3 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 07:06 PM

Thank you, Jeff, for that wonderful rendition of your nightmare. Poor you! I hate to laugh at your misery, but I guess this is one of those times when you either have to laugh or cry. I can just picture the "angry chefs" looking over your shoulder!

Even still, I think you did a wonderful job with the images. Some very creative dishes they put together for you! Wow! I'm not a sushi fan myself, but they sure do make them look enticing enough to try...except for that first one that looks like a tree is growing out of it.

The dishes are well lit, sharply focused, and I think you did a great job of working with the situation. I'm sure they were pleased with the results.

donis22 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 07:13 PM

I think you did an excellent job! taking pictures of food is a challenge,but you nailed it. Was the owner of the restaraunt happy with them? Also just curious, how does one charge for something like that? per pic?

zona5101 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 07:14 PM

great story and a good lesson,. Your images are excellent. Now i'm hungry!

Jamfke · #6 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 07:20 PM

Hey man, you done good with the conditions you were given! Those pics look good enough to eat...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Really, you did a good job, and you now have an idea on what to do on your next opportunity. Winning situation all around!

villafane928 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakethepig

Well, what a great story and don't be too hard on yourself. All this food looks delicious and you got all the great colours of the food. I think you did a fantastic job. Your captures sure got my mouth watering. I love the story and I love the pictures.

Dave.

thanks dave ,always here to lend a boost you are a great asset to this site

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandeeWig

Thank you, Jeff, for that wonderful rendition of your nightmare. Poor you! I hate to laugh at your misery, but I guess this is one of those times when you either have to laugh or cry. I can just picture the "angry chefs" looking over your shoulder!

Even still, I think you did a wonderful job with the images. Some very creative dishes they put together for you! Wow! I'm not a sushi fan myself, but they sure do make them look enticing enough to try...except for that first one that looks like a tree is growing out of it.

The dishes are well lit, sharply focused, and I think you did a great job of working with the situation. I'm sure they were pleased with the results.

thanks i appreciate the words of encouragement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by donis22

I think you did an excellent job! taking pictures of food is a challenge,but you nailed it. Was the owner of the restaraunt happy with them? Also just curious, how does one charge for something like that? per pic?

Charge? Not enough thats for sure. I charged $200 thinking i would be there an hour or two at the very most. So four hours shooting and i lost track on editting being i was in and out so i probably got $2.75 an hour...lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by zona5101

great story and a good lesson,. Your images are excellent. Now i'm hungry!

thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamfke

Hey man, you done good with the conditions you were given! Those pics look good enough to eat...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Really, you did a good job, and you now have an idea on what to do on your next opportunity. Winning situation all around!

thanks for leaving a comment it is appreciated

villafane928 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 09:56 PM

This sushi ship was so hard to capture to where i did it justice. i was in very tight quarters with a 60mm macro fixed lens. i eventually changed lenses but still did not come away with a shot that i felt represented the work i was looking at so i zoomed in on the second one here to show the sushi fisherman

the fisherman

Glayva · #9 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 10:09 PM

Hi Jeff
Just to let you know that there are many desperate professionals who take on jobs that they have never done before. It is very risky. Take wedding photography. There is no second chance so most wedding photographer will have worked as an assistant with someone or "gate crashed" a wedding and hidden themselves in the background. Gaining experience is the only way. Your client wasnt particularly helpful.