Food Photography and Craftsmanship in the Digital Age
When I learned the craft of photography is was truly a labor of love. Being a photographer required mastering certain and specific technical skills in order to even create an acceptable output. Photography was the perfect meld between art and science that offered me both right and left brain challenges. Without waxing nostalgic about the good old days of film photography, there was something to be said for learning one’s craft. There were rules to learn in order for you to achieve results. It was time-consuming and costly to take photos so there was more of an emphasis on study. I remember reading textbooks, leafing through books of famous photographers like Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Asking questions and hitting roadblocks. All of which fueled my desire to become a photographer. The harder it was the more I wanted to succeed.
Many, many poor attempts gave way to minor successes. I kept learning until I knew all the rules of photography. The rules that governed composition, lighting and exposure. The rules that would translate into amazing photographs.
Don’t get me wrong there is no pining for the Darkroom ages. The new age of digital photography and it’s instant gratification has made way for new art and artists. Its amazing the photos you can take with a phone, and having it with you whenever needed. A camera is now available all the times and we can see the results as they happen. One has to question, how relevant are professional food photographer’s in an age of Instagram I -phone world? Are the new generation of photographers better off because of technology or are they missing a valuable component of the photographic process?
If you have ever tried to string together a package design photo shoot or attempted to get still photos of beverages or a burger, you might have learned an expensive lesson. Check out our latest Videos Here Or Schedule some time to talk about your photo or video assets.