The rise of minimalist cooking is changing the art of food photography. The following is a look at some of the techniques adopted by photographers to capture the simplicity and the spirit of this modern cuisine. Whether it is because of the recession or a genuine desire to downsize and simplify, minimalist cooking has become extremely popular.  Everything from expensive and hard to acquire  ingredients to rarely used, specialized utensils and equipment have been pared back to the bare minimum. Less is definitely more. Many photographers have noticed this change, either consciously or intuitively and are evolving and adapting their techniques to suit. The old sumptuous saturated glistening overfilled image just doesn’t seem to be a good match for this new approach to cooking and food in general.

The photographers who get this and have a feel for the subject have started to utilize a few specific techniques which serve to emphasize the subject matter but in a much more understated way and this article will lay out a few of these basic techniques. It is not intended to be a comprehensive photography primer and most of the techniques will not require expensive equipment. It needs to be stated though, that even a basic dSLR camera will be capable of much more flexibility than even the best point and shoot due to the amount of control available to the operator. This does not mean however that perfectly acceptable results cannot be achieved with the point and shoots, just that the range of possibilities is smaller.

Simplicity is the Key

When composing the shot keep things very simple, plain white plates and brushed steel or plain counter tops work very well. If the image needs a bit of additional color, a sprig of a fresh herb such as sage is more than enough. Shoot on a level with or just a few degrees above the food. We are used to looking down on food and, in photography, offering a fresh perspective is always a good idea as it wakes the viewer’s brain up. It also adds interesting possibilities for lighting but more about that later.

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Back in the day there was no such thing as digital photo editing. If you wanted to enhance your photos there simply weren’t any options. You just had to hope that your photos came out decent. Recent technology though, allows us to edit and enhance our digital photos after they’ve already been taken! Here are 3 simple ways that you can enhance your photos with digital photo editing software.

Digital Photo Editing Tip #1 – Cropping

Digital photo editing makes it easy to correct a digital photo that may not have been lined up very well. You always want to make sure that the focus of your photo, whether it be a person or an object, is in the middle of your frame. If it is not then you can use the crop feature to edit the photo so that the important parts of the photo are highlighted or centered. You can also crop a photo in order to clean up unnecessary background activity or to reduce the size of an image so that it can be more easily shared over the internet.

Digital Photo Editing Tip #2 – Red Eye Removal

One thing that can ruin a photo fast is red eye. Red eye is caused by the reflection of light off of the retina in the eye. The red color actually comes from the blood vessels that are nourishing the eye. Most digital photo editing software programs offer a red eye removal tool. If the digital photo editing program that you are using does not have a red eye removal tool then just simply zoom in to each eye and paint over the red reflection. I personally use Photo Editor X because it allows me to remove red eye with the click of a button.

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In 1856 Adolphe Braun published photographs of Countess di Castiglione, an Italian courtesan known to be a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III. The Countess commissioned photographs of herself in various signature poses, often fully garbed in court attire. The photographs are widely viewed as the first examples of fashion photography with Countess di Castiglione as the first fashion model. At this point in history photography was emerging as an exciting new way to document events. More creative minds saw the artistic potential. The Countess saw an opportunity to feed her narcissistic needs by showing, sharing and loving her apparent rare beauty. She used her feminine instinct for flattering dress and sensual movements as a tool in creating groundbreaking images for Adolphe Braun (and others) to photograph. The rush of adrenaline the Countess must have felt upon viewing the photos must have been intoxicating, as she spent her entire personal fortune on the pursuit of re-creating moments in her life.

The story of the Countess di Castiglione is very indicative of the power of photography and its effects on the subject to be photographed. Narcissistic or not, it is quite an experience to see oneself from a different point of view and in a flattering manner. Our self-esteem is heightened, our ego becomes even slightly inflated and perhaps we find ourselves walking a little taller. Let us turn to the photographer. The person behind the camera is as necessary as the subject. He or she knows how to manipulate the subject, either physically or emotionally in order to achieve that one single moment of perfection and capture it on film. Even with technology, there is a great amount of skill involved. Beyond lighting, location and coloring, there are the rare and hidden skills of making your subjects feel at ease, bringing out the best in them and finding their inner spark. Then to be able to bring it all together in a breathtaking series of photographs is truly an art. Like any artist, there is an intensely powerful appreciation for one’s work. He or she has taken a person, some clothing and a setting, and transformed it into an image that speaks a thousand words in a thousand different languages to millions of people – without making a sound. That is a powerful talent.

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Photography, as we are all well aware, is the art of creating or capturing still moments by recording them either on photographic film or an electronic sensor. Photography is widely used as a platform for professional purposes, personal expression, entertainment publications or simply as a hobby. Read more photography tips and techniques and types of photography.

What is Editorial Photography?
Editorial photography simply refers to the photos that feature in magazines, newspapers, publications, but are not for advertisement purposes. The publishers have to procure these photographs from one source or the other. These sources are either employed by the publications themselves or they can even choose to accept editorial photographs from freelance photographers. Any photographs that accompany the articles in any medium of publication, or even the photograph that features on the cover, are included in the field of editorial photography. See more on digital photography.

Editorial photography differs from commercial photography since it does not include any advertisements. As is suspected, editorial photography does not pay nearly as well as commercial photography, but its importance for the impact of any content cannot be undermined. To get opportunities for commercial photography, editorial photography is a great way to build one’s portfolio.

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