Wednesday, February 07, 2007
THE SAGE
On my recent post, Fuji Magic at PhotoWorld 2007, I highlighted how fortunate I was for have taken advantage of Fuji’s Photo Clinic offer in which I was given invaluable advice by Ariel Tresvalles and Bobot Meru on how to further develop my skills in photography. Many fellow shutter bugs I had spoken to about this rare opportunity expressed regret for either not knowing about it, or simply ignoring it altogether
However, fret not, for there is another ongoing opportunity being conducted by Mark Floro through the auspices of i-Mag Magazine’s online forum.
Mark, besides a master photographer in the advertising field, also teaches at PCCI in Makati City. He is among the few Filipino professional photographers who had taken formal photography classes in the states — College Art of Design in California).
He also excels in food photography, and along with his wife, Linda, a food stylist, they have been working together as a team for quite some time now. They were recently featured in i-Mag’s issue Number 2 in which Mark commented, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a wizard of light or a guru of Photoshop. If the food arrangement does not look perfect or have that ‘tulo laway’ appetite appeal when the shutter is pressed, no amount of light magic, or digital editing will save the shot.”
Anyway, remember this picture of kutchinta which accompanied my previous entry, Dolor's Kakanin?Well, I posted it on i_Mag's Sugar Free Forum and asked for Mark's critique.
He responded that it was overall a good shot: nice highlights on food; the compostion was good; the color was pleasant; and it has a good appetite appeal to it.
Furthermore, Mark thinks the food arrangement could have ben made to appear more simplified in a natural way. He also feels somewhat uneasy with the rear items with the way they lean. As for the grated coconut on the plate, Mark claims it as debatable; that, his wife, Linda, a food stylist, doesnt like it, but he does, in a way.
There was also that white empty space on the right side. He suggested that I should either rearrange the items or add some prop(s) so as to fill it. Mark also thinks the first piece should have been changed, for it appears to have a thumb print on it. Finally, he would much prefer to apply selective focusing on the first and second pieces instead of the second and third, which I have done. He then suggested that I reshoot another plate of kutchinta and then show to it to him again.
How could I refuse that offer? That is very much like having an ongoing private lessons with a master!
Told Mark that I never really realized how intricate food photography can be with its many subtle nuances to be carefully observed and considered; that arranging a food shot is as critical and demanding as creating a still life composition. Indeed, those suggestions that Mark had made could definitely make the subject (kutchinta) even more appetizing and the entire picture more appealing. And yes, I do intend to reshoot another plateful of kutchinta.
So that was my very first lesson in food photography. Thank you, Mark. You are a true sage.
By the way, food arrangement is not the only subject that you may want to present for Mark's critique; it can be a landscape or portrait. What's more important is that there is Mark Floro who will give it his time and honest opinion. So please, take advantage of it.
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Labels: photo critique, photography
posted by Señor Enrique at 3:12 PM
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