The food photography course will cover all the technical aspects of photography that you will need, including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, depth of field, contrast control, lighting and composition. Photographing food is very rewarding and I enjoy showing students the most important skills I have learnt over the years. It is very important to master the basics first before moving on to more advanced techniques. I will teach you how to pre-visualise your final image, then plan and set up what you have pre-visualised. This is a hands on course and we will be working on a range of shots using different lenses and lighting techniques.
Richard Barley
Technical
Shutter speed
Aperture
ISO settings
White balance
Depth of field
Composition
Natural light
Flash light
Who should attend
This course has been designed for complete beginners who lack the technical skills to photograph food and produce consistent results. If you are a chef, student or business owner who would like to photograph food using natural light or flash this course is for you.
Investment
Most people will cover the course content in about twelve hours. I recommend six hours per day. Three hours in the morning then lunch followed by three in the afternoon.
One to one tuition £400
Preparation
Preparation is key. If you would your food photography shoot to be successful you need to plan everything in advance. Making a story board from a selection of magazine cuttings or blog posts will help you come up with ideas.
I constantly look at magazines when I am in the news agents to get ideas. I then break down the technical aspects of what makes the image so good. I work out how the photographer and food stylist came up with the result. It is worth bringing along some magazine cuttings with you when you attend the course.
Shutter speed
You will see very static images and images with some movement in them. Mastering shutter speed will help you make creative images in your camera without having to resort to Photoshop.
I will show you techniques with sugar and flower using different shutter speeds to produce different results. I always recommend using a tripod and it is worth buying one before you come on the course.
If you need any advice about the best camera equipment to buy for food photography please get in touch.
Aperture
Depth of field is directly related to the size of the aperture in your lens and how close your lens is to the food. It is one of the most important elements of food photography to master. We will use depth of field charts to produce the exact depth of field required.
Aperture also effects the amount of light coming through the lens to your cameras sensor. I will show you how to balance shutter speed, aperture and ISO to produce consistent results. I have developed a system for teaching the technical side of photography that you will enjoy.
Q. Can you offer the course in my restaurant?
A. I can travel to your restaurant and bring along my mobile studio.
Q. Do I need to buy professional camera equipment before I attend the course?
A. I can recommend Canon cameras and lenses, please get in touch for a list of equipment. The Canon 80D including the 18-135mm IS Nano lens is the combination I recommend at the moment.
Q. Can you recommend a good tripod set up for food photography?
A. For overhead shots the Manfrotto 131D arm is well worth buying. The tripod legs need to be long to allow you to work at a kitchen worktop or table. The tripod to buy is the Manfrotto 058B Studio Camera Tripod With Leg Braces. The head is also very important, I recommend the Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head, please note that this combination is heavy and is suitable for studio use mainly.
Q. Can I bring the food I would like to photograph over to you?
A. Yes that is fine, just let me know what sort of food you are bringing along before the course.
Q. If I travel by train to Worcester can you pick me up from the station?
A. Yes I can come and collect you from the station and can also recommend accommodation in Worcester.
Q. I am not very technical and I am worried that I will not understand the theory?
A. Photography is quite a technical subject but don't let that put you off, that is what I am here for. Mastering basic techniques and a simple workflow is the key to successfully photographing anything. I show you my exact workflow for photographing food. It is a simple step by step process and the course will not include irrelevant information (that seems to be all over the internet at the moment). Don't forget that it is one to one tuition, and I will not move on to the next topic until I am sure you are making good progress with the current topic.
Q. Do you offer Adobe Photoshop courses as well?
A. I recommend using Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop Elements. You will need a separate course to master these complex programs.
Q. Are you a food stylist and a photographer?
A. I am a photographer and enjoy setting up shots, but if you need to use your own stylist or chef I can work with them.
Q. How many days do I need to come for?
A. It is a two day course. About twelve hours one to one tuition. You can let me know a couple of dates you have free and I can check my diary.
