I am soooo guilty of just shooting pretty pictures. Maybe I should tape a "intent and purpose" sticker on all my cameras. Thanks again for all the great videos!
The shallow depth of field stuff is so apparent when you look at high end ad campaigns, billboards, magazines etc. Shallow DOF is something a lot of beginner photographers exploit so that their images immediately differ from snapshots or cheap kit lenses. At a higher level you stop down and put more effort in what's in front of the camera.
Just a quick note. I'm not a food photographer, (editorial stock, - business portrait before that), but I really enjoy your videos. And, quite a bit of what you talk about translates well into many other genres of photography.
Well said, it can be as deep as you like or as shallow. A professional photographer thinks about the color of light, the time of day you're trying to emulate among dozens of other factors.
Good tips. Another one. If you want to be perfectly perpendicular to a surface use a mirror. I always have on hand because i use them a lot for lighting. Fix the mirror onnthe surface and make sure the center of yout lens reproduces exactly on the center of your image. Your camera will be precisely perpendicular to the mirror.
This is so helpful! Thank you for being clear in what your tips are and what you're trying to explain. As a beginner, I don't always understand the basics and being a food blogger, I have to take photos, so this is so extremely helpful. Thanks again!
That was great, Scott! So much of this comes to us eventually as we mature as photographers, but that process is often long and rocky. Having these great tips along the way really helps. Plus beginners often either obsess about everything (thus overthink every step) or are unaware of what's important (thus getting results they're unhappy with). That said, taking "pretty" shots are what often draws us into photography and gets us excited about it - I think it's important to not kill that enthusiasm. But once we acknowledge that yeah, we can snap a pretty image, we should really work on understanding and honing our "purpose & intent" skills. Thanks for these videos!
Thanks for making another great video, Scott! I couldn't agree more! Love that you mentioned how important is to work on the intentional level - be it the direction of the light or the importance of the intent behind taking a pretty picture! Awesome!
Thank you. The main point of taking a photo with intent is really coming through. If possible kindly do a video showing how to take a normal shot and then how to adjust it to show the intent (taking it to the next level with mood etc.)
I agree. I find myself stopping down to f5.6 to f8 a lot because most of the food was not sharp enough. I also use a dof calculator to help me figure out the usable dof of a shot so I can pre-plan it.
Hi Scott, I hope you won’t be offended if I mention something that surprised me in this video. You say that “it is rare nowadays that I’ll go down to f/2.8 or below” when what you mean is that you rarely go up to f/2.8 or above. The reason I pick up on it is that this misunderstanding is spreading like wildfire through the internet, even to some camera manufacturers’ websites. The thing is that f/2 is in not less than f/16 any more than 1/2 inch is less than 1/16 inch. Both are fractions, and something divided by 2 is more than something divided by 16. In the case of apertures, the fractions are of the focal length which is what “f” stands for, of course. Maybe the confusion arises because we’re not used to using fractions any more, or maybe people don’t realise that the oblique or the colon in f/2 or f:2 stand for division. It may just be semantics, but if it spreads confusion about an important camera control, I don't think it's unimportant.
The direction of light tip, wow. Never thought about it before and now will be something I strive to never forget. Also, that last mistake: so true. Just today I was working for a client that wanted "pretty pictures" and was so dismissive of any hints to intent in the photo. After a bit, I just gave up, I mean, how many ways are there to photograph honey in an afternoon on a low budget?
wow, this is the first time I ever heard about considering the direction of light (as in there's a difference if your light source is photo left vs right). Does the same thing apply with other styles of photography, ex. portrait?
Are there any concerns with magnets on torpedo levels? I keep a torpedo on me for the occasional bit of grip and lighting I have to set up that needs to be level, but it's got some pretty strong magnets on it. As an aside, I'm amused, along my own journey, the difference between what I concerned myself with and found desirable as a hobbiest as opposed to shooting professionally. In many ways I've naturally found myself experiencing complete reversals.
It has all kinda changed. Once upon a time, the thumb wasn't the mobile digit on your hand, it is now the most used digit on a persons hand after the advent of cell phones and playstation controllers. We used to read left to right, but far more than that, especially after mobile viewing, we read top to bottom. All chefs know we eat with our eyes first, so the pretty premium is still very much a major factor. The advancement of cell phones has been so rapid, but the one thing the cell phone camera have never done well is shallow depth and bokeh. Without fail, when shooting food (I agree F4-8) is a very common range to use, yet I will still get F1.4-2 for variety, and those images still remain highly popular. There is also the instagram effect. Flat lays have their place, but the move by restaurants to change plating to better suit flat lay is unmistakable. They know a lot of diners will be holding their phone flat above their food for an image, so they give them what they want. There is certainly is the photographer knowing what is best, but people in general don't always want what is best. The interesting part of all of this is that I am a chef, who picked up photography. I still cook, but these days I also write and shoot a segment for a southern hemisphere magazine. We all know what is best..but we all know that what people want is often different to best practice. You have to plate and shoot for the viewers end goal is..the worst thing that happen to me these days is not the plating being a bit off...the image being a bit mediocre...the worst thing is that the viewer turns the page without giving the page a second thought. I thinks the ultimate truth to commercial food work..it can tick as many "pro" boxes as possible..but if the viewer walks by and does give it a second look, its a fail. What they stop to look at is forever changing. You either are aware of trends and classic work, or your not. I have seen many front lit, bare flash images that are stunning...but I also know the viewer will flick right on by those images without pause, even though they are magnificent shots that seemingly break all the rules, yet still work...but their not what the viewer wants.
TIL, I need more lights. I live up in the arctic circle though, so triple or quadruple shipping charges to get stuff to me and it means I'm not getting any lights. Any tips for someone who can't get good lights?
Thanks. haha that might need a video in itself. I suppose it is having more to it than just being pretty. Some substance or underlying meaning. Or simply to show something in a different light than what people may expect.
A bit late here but intention and purpose is achieved with conceptualization, conceptualization is achieved by thinking outside the box, inventing, taking risks, seeking inspiration outside the comfort zone such as applying artistic concepts from other disciplines to photography (Watch Scott's video talking about books that are not photography). Intent and purpose conveys a message and elicits an emotion.
Sure, lighting from one direction or another was really useful, but shooting with intent is something I will be writing in capital letters on all of my note boards!
I’m confused about the level bit. I get the basic concept and I think it’s great, but where do I put the actual level tool and what am I doing “by eye”?
George and Christian have rephrased it better than I originally did. Thanks, guys! It’s great to see constructive comments on here. 1:57 “I will pop this on the lens hood this way and this way, if I’m shooting a flat lay” Pop it on where? Like I said, I get the concept (parallel planes and all that.) I guess I’m just not understanding how you balance a level on a lens hood. Or am I supposed to hold the level to the front of the lens? It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll figure it out. Anyway, love your videos. Great content and consistency. Cheers for responding in the comments, too. Much appreciated.
Well, that's mainly because they're talking about 2 different types of photography. Food, architecture and such types of photography are more technical where you need straight lines, straight horizons etc. Portrait photography doesn't really need you to have the camera dead flat. You can point high, low, tilted and it will give a different feeling. One is not better than the other because it is two different things. Same with a youtube.
I'm sorry. I have to agree. Who in their right mind brings a level to their shoot? Don't most camera's from the past 10 years have built in levels anyway? Also, lighting from the right produces "Halloween images"? This is some of the worst photog content I've seen, and I typically like your content.
Still Waking I take a level with me and use the studio ones in every shoot. The cameras levels are not very accurate and won’t tell you if the subject is level to the sensor, just that your sensor is level. A level camera with an unlevel table or floor doesn’t fix the issue.
