Almost half way through the project 52 and this post is all about food and fine dining. I recently did some food photography for the Lady Helen Restaurant at Mount Juliet Country Estate. Often photography is a challenge because the subject may be not that aesthetically pleasing and you are trying to do your best with what’s put in front of you – in this case I had very little work to do as the presentation of the food was visually stunning. The main thing I had to worry about was lighting, how to avoid harsh shadows, which wouldn’t do much for the amazing dishes, and also sharpness & angle of shot. The result is shown below, creating shapes and using the sauce drops as a leading lines effect. 
The Setup : How to Take food photography
Or at least… How I took my food photography! The basic setup was using the Tamron 10-24mm lens with a Canon 450D and a 430 Speedlite. Using a tripod is mandatory in a case like this and I used a cable release with the mirror lockup turned off (just to ensure there was no induced camera shake). Using the cable release also allows you to see where the light is bouncing off so that the angle of the flash can be adjusted accordingly. I also had a 16″ silver, white, black and gold reflector available but I’m not sure if the final shot used these … I know I experimented a bit during the shoot which lasted about 10-15 minutes per dish, but that all part of the fun. One final point which I need not mention if you are serious about your photography, but shooting in RAW mode is a must for a job like this. It gives you so much more flexibility and allows for a finer quality result. Ditch JPG mode on your camera if at all possible.
How to Eat the dish above
Easy… dine in the Lady Helen Restaurant in Mount Juliet! With the excellent Thursday tasting menu ; there, you can take your own mental photos of a dining experience you will not forget in a hurry.