Your Cook Posting Expertise

[gmc2003]

Where's my jetski, its goina rain again tonight,

Take the St. Lawrence river and you'll wind up about a mile from where I live.

Chris

 

[civilsmoker]

Colin, great post and question:

I will share some simple rules I follow:

1 - good light = good color,
- sunlight is NOT good light for color
- turn the shades down
- I use my under counter blue spectrum LED lights for my pics - excellent color (ring light suggested above will give the same effect

2 - take many many many pic from different perspectives & angles with different light
- over time you will learn which light/angles "show best"

3 - simple plating, start with sides and plate protein last as it is the star

4 - don't worry about how it looks to others, share your creation and it will be enjoyable!

Note, I use my phone camera (IPhone 13 Pro) but it has an incredible camera but the number one rule above is lighting and that makes the picture.... I do have 7 years of restaurant experience (prior to being an engineer) and have plated many many plates over the years but rule 3 applies still. A plate with 3 items on it has visual balance and that simple thing can make it more appealing.

PS Food photography is one of the more challenging things to do because of the colors and perspectives to showcase a plate. at 35 to 44 degree angle from the table top is one of my favorite perspectives..... Start by focusing close in on the protien with it being in focus and near the front then move out to have the full plate in the view..... If using a camera phone it will focus on the protein and put a slight out of focus of the sides as they go out from the center.... This will create a very nice perspective..... See the examples below, 3 different perspectives. Note the simplistic plating and combinations of 3 and 4s, ie 4 plate sides, 4 ribs then 3 sides of 3 each.... PS I did not plan a post till I cut the ribs.....

I plan some posts but most posts are not planned, I just take snapshots as I cook and then post cooks and I have time to do.

To summarize rule 4 is the one rule that rules them all....... there is no shame or sharing ones creation, because it is a real-life example, and we all appreciate it! Just enjoy the journey!

Perspective examples with different focus'
40 degree angle, protein in focus:

Just shy of 30 degree close up:

The top view, I like this perspective a lot but is very challenging to get the light right with no shadowing.

 

[Colin1230]

Colin, great post and question:

I will share some simple rules I follow:

1 - good light = good color,
- sunlight is NOT good light for color
- turn the shades down
- I use my under counter blue spectrum LED lights for my pics - excellent color (ring light suggested above will give the same effect

2 - take many many many pic from different perspectives & angles with different light
- over time you will learn which light/angles "show best"

3 - simple plating, start with sides and plate protein last as it is the star

4 - don't worry about how it looks to others, share your creation and it will be enjoyable!

Note, I use my phone camera (IPhone 13 Pro) but it has an incredible camera but the number one rule above is lighting and that makes the picture.... I do have 7 years of restaurant experience (prior to being an engineer) and have plated many many plates over the years but rule 3 applies still. A plate with 3 items on it has visual balance and that simple thing can make it more appealing.

PS Food photography is one of the more challenging things to do because of the colors and perspectives to showcase a plate. at 35 to 44 degree angle from the table top is one of my favorite perspectives..... Start by focusing close in on the protien with it being in focus and near the front then move out to have the full plate in the view..... If using a camera phone it will focus on the protein and put a slight out of focus of the sides as they go out from the center.... This will create a very nice perspective..... See the examples below, 3 different perspectives. Note the simplistic plating and combinations of 3 and 4s, ie 4 plate sides, 4 ribs then 3 sides of 3 each.... PS I did not plan a post till I cut the ribs.....

I plan some posts but most posts are not planned, I just take snapshots as I cook and then post cooks and I have time to do.

To summarize rule 4 is the one rule that rules them all....... there is no shame or sharing ones creation, because it is a real-life example, and we all appreciate it! Just enjoy the journey!

Perspective examples with different focus'
40 degree angle, protein in focus:
View attachment 671819

Just shy of 30 degree close up:
View attachment 671820

The top view, I like this perspective a lot but is very challenging to get the light right with no shadowing.
View attachment 671818

Wow, the cream is rising to the top.
Thanks so much @civilsmoker .

 

[JLeonard]

Wow, the cream is rising to the top.
Thanks so much @civilsmoker .

That last pic has me wanting to lick the screen!

Jim

 

[civilsmoker]

Wow, the cream is rising to the top.
Thanks so much @civilsmoker .

Thanks Colin, ps your pics of the smoked makers mark are pretty good, just drop a rib in with it and you will be a pro!!!

That last pic has me wanting to lick the screen!

Jim

You and me both Jim! Them were good ribs!

 

[Colin1230]

Thanks for the responses everybody.
Question. How many compose a post in a word processor, say Word, and then cut and paste to your titled thread?
The Apple Smoked Makers Mark thread was done entirely with my Samsung Galaxy phone and definitely turned out better than doing it on my Kindle Fire. The camera is so much better but the keyboard is not.

 

[civilsmoker]

Thanks for the responses everybody.
Question. How many compose a post in a word processor, say Word, and then cut and paste to your titled thread?

I do my almost all mine from my iPhone…….but I do lots of work from my phone….

 

[Brokenhandle]

All mine are done on Samsung s22.

Ryan

 

[thirdeye]

Question. How many compose a post in a word processor, say Word, and then cut and paste to your titled thread?

I do that sometimes especially if I'm cutting and pasting something from another documents or from a webpage that might have different formatting. But when typing directly into the dialog box, and want extra safety I'll use 'Ctrl A' to highlight everything, then 'Ctrl C' to copy it to my clipboard.

 

[zwiller]

Just will add more thing that is sort of obvious. A good looking subject makes good pictures. For smoking, appearance is affected by your smoker type and the moistness of the meat's exterior. Using an MES I had to do a pellicle to get ANY color development since it move so little air.

 

[fxsales1959]

Thanks for the responses everybody.
Question. How many compose a post in a word processor, say Word, and then cut and paste to your titled thread?
The Apple Smoked Makers Mark thread was done entirely with my Samsung Galaxy phone and definitely turned out better than doing it on my Kindle Fire. The camera is so much better but the keyboard is not.

I do most all posts from my laptop, as logging in with iphone is a pain. As I've mentioned typing is not my forte'. I f I posted from my phone with auto-correct I'm afraid there would be too many ducks.

 

[forktender]

I do most all posts from my laptop, as logging in with iphone is a pain. As I've mentioned typing is not my forte'. I f I posted from my phone with auto-correct I'm afraid there would be too many ducks.

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