Research into the intricacies of food photography and relevant techniques is important and should be understood by design practitioners who are considering pursuing a career in the food photography industry. With the explosion of social media sharing over the past decade, it's easy to misunderstand the amount of skill and thought required for professional imaging involved in any industry. This essay will examine the effects of technical devices and the ability of the common consumer, compared to the ability of a trained professional food photographer, the reality of a perceived ability of a professional working in the food photography industry, and a comment on the benefits of understanding. business factors involved in food photography, referring to the good, bad and ugly aspects of food design and photography. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “The [professional] production and publication of a photograph requires a great deal of manipulation. One type of manipulation involves enhancing the film itself, to correct scratches or other defects in the film. At National Geographic, for example, photographs are commonly altered to compensate for such problems. “Even though society has moved beyond the era of film photography, this notion of photo manipulation would also play an important role in food photography, either through the physical manipulation of the product or during the post-processing stage. As of April 2017, 215.8 million photos had been posted online, including the popular hashtag: #food. In our current technological age where the average consumer has access to a smartphone with a built-in camera, they are constantly bombarded by a constant stream of media, more specifically visual media, by which the public is persuaded to make decisions regarding everyday situations. A major area in which the visual appearance of a product is extremely important is food photography. With food photography historically being an integral part of restaurant and food chain marketing strategies, businesses and brands have become acclimated and are willing to pay large sums of money to try to capture the activity of their target market. This notion of paying for visual branding has become somewhat blurred by social media platforms like Instagram, as some businesses begin to rely on their customer base for word of mouth marketing, through the sharing of visual media involving their products. This is both positive and negative and is highly dependent on the photographic ability of the consumer, as well as their personal opinion of the product they have been provided. Essentially, this follows the general trend in media consumption, in that the consumer is likely to share their thoughts and opinions about a product with those around them, but now easily has the option to also share a visual reference of their experience . As this can create a positive or negative impact on the business, many choose to go into professional food photography to promote their products, as it can create a more controlled and elevated market environment in which the business can promote its products with meaning. safety and a level of presumed satisfaction. Humans are motivated by how they perceive the world around them. This is true when it comes to deciding what to eat. There is a major differencebetween professional food photography and amateur/consumer food photography. This is demonstrated when a set of skills and techniques are used to represent a meal and is evident when comparing the work of a professional to that of a consumer. The basic essential techniques of food styling include composition, lighting, angle, and an informed use of color and tone theory. By using these elements in the “correct” way, one is able to produce a traditional image promoting a product in an attractive manner. To compose a dish appetizingly, a photographer must consider the subtleties of the composition; rule of thirds, number of elements photographed, guidelines and negative space. “When it comes to food styling and food photography, odd numbers often create a better composition. "The negative space surrounding a product and the way it is depicted can have a huge impact on the desired effect and feel of the product. The mood evoked by the image often relies on the material used as a backdrop, for example fabric and wood will evoke a warm and inviting emotion in the consumer, compared to a marble or metal backdrop, which would produce a colder and less inviting feeling in the consumer space. to portray desired emotions in the consumer Lighting and angles are also intrinsic elements when creating stylized food images Generally speaking, the two accepted angles used in food photography are a 90 degree down angle and. a 45 degree angle These two angles can be used effectively to display the distinct elements of a dish and, when combined with light (natural, backlit or single-directional lighting installations), they can be used to create. a sense of history and drama in an image. Backlighting is a popular choice because "it's good to highlight and highlight the food." When one understands these elements, one is able to create a product that has a higher perceived value than that of the unrefined consumer. During a study by the British Journal of Nutrition, it was found that perceptions of meal portion size and nutrient content were significantly skewed. Subjects were asked to indicate on a visual analog scale the portion size consumed in relation to the eight photographs. The nutritional content of meals was estimated from food composition tables. There was wide variation in the estimation of portion sizes from the photographs. "It has been speculated that these misrepresentations are due to visual differences in the photographs; some are black and white, while others show different angles. This demonstration of the effectiveness of angle shows how photography can be used in a potentially positive (or negative) way to display a product and its content Ironically, using the techniques mentioned above can lead to a negative outcome, with the consumer of these professionally marketed products experiencing a feeling of disenfranchisement. disappointment and lack of satisfaction in the meal he receives This expectation versus reality is extremely evident when eating at a fast food restaurant, such as McDonald's. the company uses the commercial editing studio "Watt International" to market its products. This company uses a large amount of divisive tricks to create the.perfect burger, like layering the burger so that every ingredient is visible and strategically applying sauces in an appetizing way. This style of marketing, while using real ingredients, creates an attractive product that can be used to attract hungry customers, but could be considered dishonest or misleading about the actual product. Other companies may choose to replace their ingredients with more malleable and durable products, such as replacing motor oil with golden syrup, due to the more reliable nature of motor oils. This is a blatant demonstration of the ugly side of food design, as it highlights the "dishonest" side of photo manipulation for monetary gain and creates a barrier between the customer and the consumer. To combat this lack of realism in the food industry, companies like Newcastle-based food discovery app Crave are pursuing their goal of presenting a realistic and unbiased experience of the foods they display in its application. During the professional food photo shoot that the author of this essay participated in alongside a Crave employee, approximately 12 dishes were presented to the lead photographer to photograph, who was able to showcase his expertise and knowledge of the use of natural light and angles, as well as the composition, balance and weighting of an image, to create appetizing yet realistic images. He was able to demonstrate the fundamental principles that Crave stands for, presenting the food as it was served, with minimal flair and adjustment. “Crave eliminates the preconceptions diners have about restaurants and cafes and provides a level playing field; beautiful photos of dishes ready to be discovered by hungry customers. "This realistic approach is subjectively better, because it allows the potential consumer to make decisions based on an unbiased presentation. This idea that food should be advertised as it is presented has recently become more prevalent, in reason for the boom in social media sharing This is because companies want their products to be shared in a way that projects the product as realistically as possible, in order to protect their company's image and. Interestingly, a study published by Sage Journals concluded that "participants who engaged in ritualized behavior, compared to those who did not, rated the chocolate as tastier, more valuable and behaviorally worth savoring.” This suggests a correlation between the visual presentation of food and how the consumer perceives it. With the idea of ​​ritual sharing of food photos and its effects on the consumer experience, it would make sense for companies to claim this potential pseudo-marketing opportunity, creating products that are appetizing, visually appealing and consistent with professional advertising. the product, which leads to wanting to photograph the product, which in turn leads the consumer to engage and create a more enjoyable overall experience. “Rituals improve the pleasure of consuming because of the greater involvement in the experience they provoke. "Interestingly, the same study showed that those who engaged in ritualistic behaviors around food were more willing to pay higher sums for the products they were subjected to. When focusing on the photographer as business, clients may misjudge the photographer and thus devalue the work produced, whatever it may be..