Research-Photographing food

Types of Images Shown in a Food magazine

When I looked at physical magazines I broke the two types of phots showcased within the food into two categories which were, the dish and the setting

Within in this spread of Bon Appetit, it shows the contrast of both a dish shot and a setting shot.

Dish-  the subject is the food and is in a close up where it takes up the entire shot, I think this is a good shot to appeal for the senses and showcase the food in a desiring atmosphere but the excess of it in a magazine is repetitive and boring.

Dish part 2- Another shot where food is the major subject, is a mid shot where the food is plated and presented on a table. But the props on the table and color scheme to the shot as a whole is made to build a cohesive feeling.

Within this example there is two plates of food put on a table with chairs ate the end, these props are building a story through visual aspects and the story's main subject is food.

Setting- Circling back towards to the example shown in the Bon Appetit magazine, the image on the right hand side shows a man working within a meat style butchery or restaurant. Photographing the environment where the average reader will obtain different and diverse foods help builds an atmosphere of said foods. I think this is a creative take when it comes to incorporating pictures within a magazine.

I don't believe that the method of using one type of image is the best method to use throughout the whole entire magazine because of the pattern can get repetitive and boring towards audiences 

How to photograph

Things to consider while photographing food is timeliness, quality, type of shot, props

Timeliness it an important aspect to consider while photographing food because the particles emitted by a dish of drastic temperatures can have an negative effect on photograph,

Example: steam from a hot dish can add steam towards the camera lens and fog it up

Quality of any camera shot is integral, I must consider if the the stability of the camera to make sure nothing is blurry of shaky for the shot to be as clear as possible.

The type of shots I went over were very vague, with dish and setting. But the technical choices of these shots would be labeled close up, mid shot, and establishing shot.

When doing a mid shot of photographing the dish on the table then its a photographers obligation to selectively choose themed props that cohesively work with the subject if they want a good photograph.

Bad versus Good examples

As I read food magazines I realized some of the photographs better than others

  

As I read a issue of the food magazine "Taste of Home" all the pictures followed the same format of a mid shot with flat lighting, making all the photos repetitive and boring to look at. These images themselves aren't creative and it is not the approach I want to take during production of my brief.

These were examples taken from multiple food magazine issues were the creative direction in each image tells a story by using the elements of photography creatively, this would be the type of mentality I would want to have when producing my brief.

links: https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/photography/discover/food-photography.html

Research- Photography, What makes it good?

 Photography within food magazines is crucial for the entire text to work in a cohesive manner because the photography is what captivates the readers attention as well as provides a visual support to textual elements.

Elements that make a good photo

The actual factors in creating a good image are composition, lighting, and clear subject.

SUBJECT- The focus point of the image everything surrounding is manipulated for the viewers attention of be drawn to it.

In this image for example, the focus is not the blurred out plate but rather the high definition strawberries that have a glowing light on part of them.

COMPOSITION-The arrangement of visual elements within a frame to create a compelling image for the viewer's eye.

The beginning of a well balanced composition is the decision of the types of shot a photographer will use.

Different types of shots

Extreme wide shot- taken from a far away distance from the subject, showing where it takes place and is used for location establishment. The distance can also allow for the subject to evoke a sense of loneliness or isolation

Wide shot- similar to the extreme shot but closer, has the similarity of prioritizing location, the subject is now clearly visible, can bring a better understanding to the message the photographer is trying to bring.

Medium long shot- shows usually human subjects from the knee up to show more details regarding the character rather than the location.

Medium close up shot- shows subject from shoulders up and has the attention focused on the subject while still maintaining the visibility of the surrounding area

Close-up- Shot close to subject to see the details in a more nearer aspect, often used in food magazines, it's purpose is emphasizing the subject entirely by itself.

Extreme close up- fills the entire frame of with the subject and shows as much detail as possible to create a tension between the subject and the viewer by showcasing a intimate experience that the viewer feel as if they are using other senses rather just sight when viewing said shot

Over the shoulder  frames the subject to be peeking into what the subject interacts with, used to build typical interactions filled with dialogue but also can be used to show any activity with the subject

-The sizing of and placement of the subject is integral for the over composition of the image

-With brief research about the shots and their uses I wanted to put it into practice on my own

-I attempted to do a close up of me opening up a cookie box.

-The purpose of the close up is me mimicking other variations of food magazines photos I've seen throughout my research journey

-The reasoning why food is usually shot up close is to make it appealing to the viewers and make the food and content of the magazine appealing and comforting

-I wanted a clear incorporation of my hand to show a story within my image even if it as simple as opening a box of cookies

-I then attempted a mid aerial shot of the box of cookies with some on a plate and even one bitten.

-These details are made to tell a story within the image and the aerial shot almost behaves as a POV shot with a more artistic twist

-I then used a combination of close up and focus in foreground and background to express the messaging of the shot

-by placing the stack of cookies in the foreground makes it noticeable to the audience but the focus is crisp and clear on the logo and brand of the cookie

LIGHTING-controls the light source of the shot and different types and coloring of lighting can evoke various types of emotions within the viewer therefore, controlling the mood of the overall shot

Lighting can be broken up into two groups: Natural and Artificial

Artificial lighting can often be created and manipulated to fit specific situations the photographer desires 

Natural lighting in order to be executed effectively their must be an understanding in regards to the angle of the sun but is dictated and restricted by the natural placement of the sun

Front lighting- When the light source is directly in front of your subject, used for portraits used for luminating the subject in the front, can be bland

Backlighting- light source placed behind the subject between the light and the camera, therefore ensuing a back lit effect. allows for the silhouette of the long shadows to be experimented with

Soft light- When the light is diffused or bouncing off the direct life, (use a curtain or diffusion panel) the effect it gives is that it gives less intense shadows and has a lower contrast between darks and lights in photos, this can achieve a gentle appearance within the image.

Hard light- Direct opposite of diffused light, it is when the light source is directly place on your subject and it results in high contrast, bright whites, and has a bold dark shadow. This is used to accentuate the textures and details in the subject (I personally this type of lighting would work best with photographing food)

Rim light- form of back lighting, the angle of light comes from behind or above the goal is to create a glowing highlight around subject, and to have a visual distinction from the subject to the background 

Loop lighting- used for portraits and refers to a loop of shadow from the nose on the cheek

Broad Lighting- type of side lighting where the subject is closest to the camera is lit and the side farther away is in a shadow, its used on human subjects to broaden their facial features

Short Lighting- opposite of broad, face closet to the camera is in the shadow and farthest is in the light creating a fuller face shape

Butterfly Lighting- It's a type a shadow that is created on the subject, to place light above and in front of the subject, used in glamour shots to highlight specific facial features

Split Lighting- Hits subject at a 90 degree angle, creating the split, and used to provide drama to the image

High-key lighting- Reduces the lighting ratio in the photo with less contrast of darker tones and brighter areas, used for products in commercials

Lowkey Lighting- where the shadows is dramatizes, creates a dramatic and serious effect

Color temperatures

Warm lighting- warm color temps that have tones that range from yellow to orange, used to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels

Cool lighting- more blue light and have brighter cool tones to the eye to enhance white and light colored surfaces to make things appear modern

Links used: https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/photography/lighting-in-photography

https://www.adobe.com/in/creativecloud/video/discover/low-key-vs-high-key-lighting.html#:~:text=High%2Dkey%20lighting%20reduces%20the,of%20the%20scene%20in%20shadow.

Research- Page Layouts

 Layouts- are important because at the end of the day, magazines are visual therefore the layout controls how pictures and information is displayed and good layout will engage the reader while expressing the crucial points of the test.

-The composition of the page is made up of 3 factors, the main image, textual elements, and the headline 

-The headline of the layout is probably the most important aspect of the page because it's what draws the readers attention.

-The headlights should be the most prominent element within the page 

-Recommended placement for the headline would be within the left side of the page because that's where our eyes are naturally drawn towards to begin reading.

Different types of Layouts

When I was looking at physical magazines I noticed various types of layouts

-One of them was how the entire page was an image of the environment of the food with the Headline being on the left with the textual information then the focus meal was on the right

-I've grown fond of this type of layout because I believe it builds an immersive and intriguing experience for the viewer as well as making it aesthetically pleasing

-I also noticed how most page layouts have separate sections for textual information and the main image for it.

-This makes the components of the page easier to organize for both the editor and the reader.

-Although I think it's kind of of a easy way to design things I understand the strengths of this type of layout.

-Conventional: Headline is place in the left hand of the spread, image is placed on the right hand, textual information surrounds it

-Classical: Title is place in the middle and at the top of page, Image is in the center between two columns of texts.

-Modern: Holds more emphasis on typography and images displayed with less text featured.

-Aggressive: Complex and chaotic elements displayed for it to catch an eye to audiences and keep them engaged usually featuring controversial headlines

-Juvenile:  Made for younger audiences to read, more pictures and larger headlines to keep attention of a child

What Layouts suit my magazine?

-for my feature article I want to combine layouts because the length of it could make audiences bored or disengaged.

-To prevent that, switching up the layouts would be the best used method because each page is changing the way how the reader is consuming the content

-my favorite type of layout is the use of a picture as the entire spread, I feel this works best for my magazine because it allows the readers to become immersed with the dish

-I also want to use the conventional layout because I believe in the format of it to be successful, when I was reading the magazines I would catch myself going to the top left corner to begin my reading and every time there was not an opportunity to do so, it felt unnatural.

-My goals for the layout design would be for it be aesthetically pleasing, engaging, and effective

Links:

https://jayce-o.blogspot.com/2014/01/8-common-layouts-in-magazine-design.html

Research- Target audience

 

Target audience is a particular group which a media text is aimed at. 

 

-It's composed of various demographics across age, gender, career, and education. 

-Target audience can be broken down into two different types, broad or specific.

-The broad category has an advantage of appealing to a wide audience but due to the general information there can be a lack of substance with low amounts of creativity.

Is It Better to Have A Specific Audience or Broad Audience?

 

When looking at different examples of target audiences, it made me wonder, when creating a media test would it better to appeal to a larger general audience or a specific niche. 

 

Generally, the more people that companies appeal to, the more general design and information are exhibited. 

 

I noticed that companies that produce products for a specific group of people have more creativity exhibited that appeal to those niches. 

After realizing this I wanted to incorporate a more specific group of people within my target audience to make the information and design elements have a clearer goal of appealing to that group. 

 

FOOD MAGAZINE TARGET AUDIENCE

When looking at food magazines the typical demographic ranges to food lovers, culinary students, and chefs and due to cultural expectations of women cooking, in search of improvements of cooking or new recipes, the main consumer tends to be woman. 

 

Magazines don't typically use certain design elements or conventions to market towards women, the reasoning behind these sales is a consequence of the societal expectation of women cooking for the home.

MY AUDIENCE

To define my audience I wanted to appeal to a group of people the conventions of my magazine would lean towards and who would be interested in the contents of my featured articles.

A broad description my target audience would be those who are appreciative of all aspects of food, how its prepared, how its originated, and how it effects the world around us.

-For more specifics regarding age I want the target to lean more towards teenagers to early adults who have an interest within food. 

-Because I myself are apart of that age demographic and I believe the style of writing I exhibit for my feature article would resonate those of those ages.

-I particularly want to target high-school and college age students who are looking to relax and open their mind to what my magazine has to offer.

-I don't want to appeal to certain gender because I believe that the concept of food unifies all groups of people so to have specifics that lean towards factors such as race or gender seems counterintuitive. 

How Would I Appeal to my Audience?

-While I was researching I noticed that it was much easier to access the digital version of magazines rather than physical copies.

-Therefore to appeal to the younger audience of young adults I'd focus on advertising towards the digital versions of my magazines

-Advertising wise there would be a focus on digital marketing through various social media accounts (Instagram and TikTok) where content would be made based on the content of the magazine.

-This is because the percentage of people who use social media typically tend to be the market of Gen z that I plan on targeting.

-Simultaneously, having physical copies placed in grocery stores that sell ingredients, ingredients for recipes featured to make consumers intrigued to make the meals because they are in a place where they have access to the ingredients

-Physical magazines would also be donated to libraries for students to refer towards, this was how I was able to access the physical copies of magazines

Links https://influencing.com/au/story/food-magazine-readership-shows-gender-divide 

https://partnercentric.com/blog/social-media-use-trends-by-generation/