Plate to Pixel

by Helene Dujardin

  The donuts are placed off center, toward the right side of the composition.

  f/3.5, ISO 320, 100mm, Macro L

  A potential issue associated with shooting an off-center subject is focus. Your camera may hone in on a part of your dish that doesn’t necessarily represent the area you deem most interesting. Fortunately, there’s easy to fix for this:

  1) Aim your camera toward your subject and position it in the center of the viewfinder.

  2) Push the shutter button halfway down to lock in the focus.

  3) Continue to hold it down (halfway) as you move your camera back to your preferred composition.

  4) When ready, press the shutter button all the way down.

  5) You can also take the lens of your dSLR off Auto focus and use Manual, aiming it at your subject, adjusting the focus, and then moving your camera back to the frame you created.

  6) On a point-and-shoot camera that lets you choose between Manual and Auto focus, you can get the same result by taking the camera off Auto and using Manual.

  The focus in this shot of the coconut cupcakes was set on the middle, leaving the front cupcake completely off focus.

  f/3.5, ISO 640, 100mm, Macro L

  Here, the focus was set on the foreground, bringing the front cupcake in focus and blurring the middle and foreground subjects.

  f/3.5, ISO 640, 100mm, Macro L

  When shooting the two pictures above, in which the cupcakes are a bit off center, my camera wanted to focus on the cupcake toward the back of the plate instead of the front one. Technically, there’s nothing wrong with leaving the focus like that; but this was going to be my opening shot for a blog article, and I wanted all of the front cupcake to be visible—from wrapper to frosting. Therefore, I refocused my camera to achieve the second version of this shot.

  Centered

  I can imagine you now looking around for objects to shoot off center. Go for it! But keep in mind that, just like an off-center subject can bring interest to your pictures, there is value in centering subjects in some shots to emphasize their full beauty.

  An obvious reason to center a subject is to make it crystal clear to viewers what the main element of interest is. If your composition is busy with different elements (e.g., foods, props and other items) or part of a broad setting where the main subject might be lost, centering the prime subject can help direct the viewer’s eye to it. This spares you the “What am I supposed to look at here?” reaction.

  Here, the main ingredient was crab, so I placed one right in the center to emphasize it among the high volume of other elements in the frame.

  In this frame, the crabs are arranged in different areas to scatter the composition and allow focus to rest on the main crab positioned closer to center.

  f/4.5, ISO 400, 24-70mm, L

  If you are composing frames with one main plate/ dish and sides or supplemental ingredients, place the main element in the center with the sides off center to clearly point the viewer to the primary element.

  The bowl of onion soup is placed in the center of the frame to put the emphasis on the quality and look of this dish with toasty bread and cheese.

  f/3.5, ISO 800, 100mm, Macro L

  The pumpkin pie in this photograph is placed in the center of the frame to keep the eye focused here and not on the background, props, linens and other food items.

  f/3.5, ISO 500, 100mm, Macro L

  With one well-centered object, you can add impact to your photograph. Leaving small amounts of negative space on all sides/ corners of the main subject is an easy way to quickly add visual impact to a simply styled dish.

  Negative Space

  When it comes to composition, most artists refer to the main subject as the positive space and everything around it as the negative space. Visual impact will come from the positive space of an image as well as from the negative, untouched … uncrowded spaces of a frame. Remember Chapter 3, when we covered how use of light and dark areas conveys a mood or a feel to your capture? Well, think of this principle when you play with positive and negative spaces in your composition. It’s not necessary to fill every nook and cranny with props, linens or food to make a visual impact. Thoughtful placement of empty spaces can often make an even stronger and pleasing impact.

  I deliberately left the eggs. in the center of the frame, because I did not want to add many props or linens. I left some negative space around them, so the viewer’s eye would be directed to this delicate subject.

  f/3.5, ISO 320, 100mm, Macro L

  Rule of Thirds

  I’ve always found it amusing to listen to photographers talk about the Rule of Thirds. Usually, they’ll go through its principles and applications and eventually end the conversation with, “It’s a good rule to learn and forget.”

  Composing with the Rule of Thirds helps you achieve an appealing composition.

  f/4.5, ISO 200, 100mm, Macro L

  I agree. It’s important to know the Rule of Thirds—what it means and how to use it. But put it in the back of your mind. Chances are, your eyes and mind are already trained to apply the Rule of Thirds … if only by the materials you’ve seen over the years—cookbooks, portraits, ads, magazines, etc. I don’t set up all my shots according to this rule, but I can see that it’s become second nature for me to apply aspects of it in many scenarios.

  To implement the Rule of Thirds, divide your frame into three parts, both horizontally and vertically, like a tic-tac-toe board. Now, place your subject along the lines or at some point they intersect. The purpose of the Rule is to help you achieve lines and placement of objects that are naturally appealing to the human eye.

  In the picture on the left, the windows in the background help illustrate the lines that appear in your mind when you mentally divide your frame horizontally and vertically. I placed a plate of cherries in the center of the bottom tier of the frame. To add movement and interest both in shapes and heights, I added a bottle along one of the vertical lines on the right and shorter glass along the opposite vertical line. In addition, I placed a clear glass behind the cherries at a different distance than the other glass, and this added another height level in the final composition.

  I agree that the resulting effects of the Rule of Thirds are pleasing to the eye, but I don’t usually feel like standing over a frame, trying to apply perfectly straight lines. That’s why being too strict about applying it is not very practical in most situations. Plus, it can take you away from having fun as you compose and shoot. Focusing on applying this Rule can prevent you from seeing other interesting angles. This is why most photographers will tell you to learn it and then tuck it away in the back of your head. Retain spontaneity while using its composing qualities.

  In the picture of cherries falling from a basket, I deliberately placed the basket on the upper right tier of the picture and let some cherries move through the frame randomly, not checking to see where they dropped vertically and horizontally. This allowed the image to appear natural—not contrived to meet requirements of the Rule of Thirds.

  One major benefit of this Rule is that it encourages the viewer’s eye to move naturally from one item to the next, depending on the placement, heights and distance of each item from each other. It helps you compose a shot that seems natural. And it’s especially helpful if your subject is monotonous in color or texture.

  Cherries falling from a basket produced an unintentional Rule of Thirds composition.

  f/3.5, ISO 200-100mm, Macro L

  The Rule of Thirds facilitates emphasis on an idea or look as well as on an actual dish, and this is really useful for shots that contain fully set tables or lots of plated items. Arrange a multitude of items along those six lines, place clusters of items where the lines intersect, set plates near the lines. Just remember to retain the patterns of lines and distances when showing a whole table setting. Of course, you can follow the vertical and horizontal lines of the Rule of Thirds on a small scale, too, with just one or two items.

  In the picture o
n the left—for which I did not think deeply of the Rule of Thirds—the tart hits most of the major cross points of thirds in the frame. Initially, the eye lands on the bottom left third of the frame. The eyes move then to the middle tier of the frame and fall on the second tart. Finally, a viewer’s focus lands on the top left corner to the last piece of tart. The flow is dynamic. But since the colors and tones are pretty neutral, this shot would have been bland if the main subjects had been placed in a line instead of according to the Rule of Thirds.

  A whole table setting is created with a loose application of the Rule of Thirds. Food props are placed in a pleasing manner.

  f/3.5, ISO 250, 100mm, Macro

  One of my favorite things about the Rule of Thirds is that it serves as a safety net for challenging situations. It can save a shot when you’re limited by time or space or even lighting … by allowing you to be efficient while remaining creative.

  So during shoots when you’re on vacation or on location at a client’s request, where the lighting is different from the conditions of your home base and you’re working with someone’s else tables, counters, linens and props, etc.—or when you have a very small window of opportunity to get a good shot—applying the Rule of Thirds can guarantee you’ll get a few good shots before you break some rules of composition and re-arrange things as you like.

  With shooting the picture of pancakes, I was working for a new client at the art director’s house. I had been told that most of the props and linens had already been selected by the art team and that the recipe developer would have the dishes cooked and ready for me. I literally had no idea what I would find.

  Using different props and having no control over the preparation of the food were not the main issues. That was different and fun. But I got a bit worried by the weather, which was veering toward rain and threatened the good natural light I needed to stream through the window in order to comply with the art director’s instructions. I had to be quick and efficient.

  These pancakes and props are positioned along the vertical lines of the Rule of Thirds.

  f-3.2 - ISO 1000, 50mm

  Yet I didn’t want to rush through setting my exposure properly, styling the food appropriately and composing the frame well. Rushing is the best way to forget something important. Knowing that using the Rule of Thirds would produce a good shot gave me some peace of mind, so I could focus on the other things I had to do.

  When setting up a shot, always ask yourself if your composition ideas add or take away from the story you want to tell in your image. As the word implies, guidelines are intended to give you a sense of direction and a safety zone when you need some help. They’re guides to broaden and sharpen your composition mindset, and they should never hinder the spontaneity of your creativity. Learn the guidelines of composition, apply them deliberately a few times, and then loosen up and avoid being too strict about them. The most important thing for you to do is enjoy the process of taking pictures. Curves and diagonals are just as good to work with as cross sections and verticals.

  Focus

  When it comes to visuals, nothing is more frustrating to an audience than a jumbled image with no primary focal point or center of interest. So, before you start composing, determine which element(s) will be your dominant point. You can have more than one center of interest, but the scene needs to help a viewer understand your message and not make his eyes wander aimlessly. Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t mumble them.

  The focus in this shot was placed on the top of the rhubarb to showcase its texture.

  f/3.5, ISO 125, 100mm, Macro L

  Sometimes the item to be photographed is that center of interest. For example, a serving of pie might be the focal point or center of interest for a food blogger who wants to tell the story of a grandmother’s recipe. On the other hand, if you’re talking about the quality of the crust and topping of the pie, you might focus instead on those parts of the pie.

  In the picture of the little rhubarb tart on the left, all the focus is on the top of the tart, which has a really good golden brown color, great shape and a nice crispy look to it. I kept the background and props minimal with woods and whites, so the eye would not veer away from the tart for too long. Textures and backgrounds can help your viewer find the main attraction of a picture quickly.

  f/3.5, ISO 400, 100mm, Macro L

  Setting the donut (in the image on the right) against a rustic off-white surface made the melting chocolate jump out more than if it had been resting on a dark background. The simplicity of the composition—the minimal props and center placement of the donut—also helps direct the viewer’s eye to the melting chocolate.

  Set brightly colored items against dark backgrounds to instantly define their shape and texture. In the image below and on the left, the camera angle and the dark background direct the viewer’s eyes to the kumquats in the little saucer.

  In pictures with lots of elements, attract your viewers’ eyes to your primary subject by using a narrow focal point. This leaves the rest of the image open to exploration.

  There are times when it’s difficult to pick one center of interest or focal point. One such occasion is when you’re trying to describe an entire scene with just one shot, as in the dessert tables pictured below and on the next page. In busy settings like this, select a focus point toward the middle, so it includes more than one specific item.

  f/3.5, ISO 320, 24-70mm

  f/3.5, ISO 320, 100mm, Macro L

  Depth of Field

  Depth of Field refers to the amount of space in a scene that retains acceptable focus. I use the term acceptable here, because what constitutes an “appropriate” or a “good” depth of field is very subjective. The right level of depth of field varies depending on a photographer’s individual style and the desired effect for a particular image.

  A photograph with a shallow depth of field shows elements in the foreground in focus while the background is blurred. This is a good effect to make a subject in the foreground pop. A deep depth of field is clear throughout. This effect allows viewers to clearly see the full environment of your scene.

  An image’s depth of field (DOF) depends of three factors:

  • Aperture

  • Lens focal length

  • Distance between camera and subject

  f/3.5, ISO 100, 100mm, Macro L

  Basically, the smaller the aperture is (high f/stop), the deeper the depth of field in your image will be. Likewise, the larger the aperture is (small f/stop), the shallower your depth of field will become. Note that these statements assume that the distance from subject to camera stays the same.

  Short focal length produces a deep DOF. And as distance from camera to subject grows, so does the depth of focus in your image. An example of a short focal lens is a 50mm, which requires you to be physically close to your subject for a close up. A long focal length will let you get a close-up shot even when you’re far away from your subject.

  One very common misconception regarding DOF is that only a shallow depth of field will enable you to create a strong visual impact. While it’s true that keeping your f/stop number in the lower ranges and blurring elements in the background create a “wow” effect that also helps your viewer pinpoint the center of interest of a picture, a deep DOF can be just as beautiful and powerful if you make good composition choices.

  And be careful not to equate DOF only with the f/stop number you pick. A very small f/stop will indeed create a shallow DOF, but it can also hurt your effect by narrowing the focus point too much. You may get a photo that sharply focuses on a crumb on top of your grating, for example. You can achieve beautiful DOF with high f/stops if you use the right distance ratio with your subject. Don’t shy away from moving around, if you can, to achieve the effect you want.

  These persimmons were shot with a shallow depth of field.

  f/2.8, ISO 500, 50mm

  I used a shallow DOF here to keep the focus on the persimmon going from whole to cut. Th
e rest of the persimmons in the background are very out of focus, but I needed the color pop they provide for balance.

  The image just to the right has a very shallow DOF, which keeps the focus on the chocolate piece. It’s chocolate. It makes people want more. It’s also an American icon, highly recognizable by its shape and wrapper, so I really didn’t need to add more. But I wanted to keep a piece in the background, very out of focus, to make the viewer feel hungry and more interested.

  But there are times when a medium DOF is preferable. This effect keeps the emphasis on the dish as a whole instead of presenting only one element. It also maintains a sense of balance, which is pleasing to the eye. Since we don’t usually see things in the real world with a very narrow or a very deep DOF, a scene with medium focus can seem more natural.

  Here, the squashes in the back of the pan are neither completely out of focus nor completely in focus. This keeps things balanced and inviting. There is no reason to pick one extreme over the other, which is why I went with a medium DOF.

  A shallow depth of field emphasizes this chocolate kiss.

  f/3.5, ISO 400, 100mm

  This image of stuffed squash shows a medium depth of field.

  f/3.5, ISO 250, 100mm, Macro L