Does ChatGPT know photography?

Before AI takes over the world. Let's see if ChatGPT can take over this blog. I will be making a few posts generated by ChatGPT. Comment below to let me know what you think.

 

 

How to take good food pictures

Taking good food pictures can be a fun and creative way to showcase your cooking and share your food experiences with others. Here are some tips to help you take better food photos:

1. Lighting: Good lighting is crucial for taking great food photos. Natural light is usually the best, so try to take your photos near a window or outside on a bright day. If you don't have access to natural light, you can use artificial lights, such as studio lights or a lamp.

2. Composition: Pay attention to the composition of your photo. Try to create a balanced and visually appealing image by arranging the food in an interesting way. Consider the background and the colors of the elements in your photo to make sure they complement the food.

3. Angle: Experiment with different angles to find the one that works best for the dish you are photographing. For example, you might take a photo from above for a dish with a lot of toppings or from the side for a dish with layers.

4. Props: Consider adding props, such as plates, utensils, and napkins, to add visual interest and context to your photos. Make sure the props complement the food and don't detract from it.

5. Edit: Use editing software, such as Lightroom or Photoshop, to enhance the colors, brightness, and contrast of your photos. However, be careful not to over-edit your photos, as this can result in an unnatural and unappetizing look.

By following these tips, you can take better food pictures and share your culinary creations with the world.

Can you show me some example?

I'm sorry, but I am a text-based AI language model and do not have the capability to display images. However, you can easily find many examples of good food photography by searching online, on social media platforms like Instagram, or by looking at the work of professional food photographers. By examining these photos, you can get a better idea of the techniques and elements that contribute to making a good food photo, such as lighting, composition, angle, and use of props.

What to search?

If you're looking for examples of good food photography, you can search for terms like "food photography examples," "best food photography," "food photography inspiration," or "professional food photography." You can also search for specific types of food, such as "best dessert photography" or "best sushi photography."

You can find examples of food photography on various platforms, such as Instagram, Pinterest, or photography websites. You can also look at the work of professional food photographers and see how they use lighting, composition, angles, and other techniques to create appetizing and visually appealing photos.

By searching and examining a variety of food photography, you can gain inspiration and learn new techniques to help you take better food photos.

Who are the top food photographers?

There are many talented food photographers in the world, and it can be difficult to identify the absolute "top" photographers. However, here are a few names that are often mentioned in discussions of the best food photographers:

1. Dan Barber
2. Andrew Scrivani
3. Marcus Nilsson
4. Peden + Munk
5. Todd Porter and Diane Cu
6. Gentl and Hyers
7. Christina Tosi
8. Con Poulos
9. David Loftus
10. Helen Cheifetz

These photographers have established themselves as some of the best in the field, with a unique style and a talent for capturing the beauty and deliciousness of food. By examining their work, you can get a better idea of the techniques and elements that contribute to making great food photography. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other talented food photographers out there who are also worth exploring.

How to be a food photographer?

Becoming a food photographer requires a combination of technical skills, creativity, and passion for food and photography. Here are some steps you can follow to become a food photographer:

1. Develop your photography skills: Start by practicing your photography skills and learning about the basics of composition, lighting, and editing. Consider taking photography courses or workshops to improve your skills.

2. Build your portfolio: As you build your skills, start creating a portfolio of your food photography. Your portfolio is a key tool for showcasing your work and attracting clients, so be sure to select your best work and present it in a professional manner.

3. Study food photography: Study the work of other food photographers and learn about the techniques they use to create appetizing and visually appealing food photos. Consider reading books and articles about food photography, and experiment with different techniques to find your own style.

4. Network: Network with other food photographers, food industry professionals, and potential clients. Attend food photography events and workshops, and join photography groups to meet and connect with others in the field.

5. Start working: Once you have developed your skills and built a portfolio, start seeking out opportunities to work as a food photographer. You may start by working for food bloggers, restaurants, or food magazines, or by offering your services as a freelance photographer.

By following these steps and continuing to practice and develop your skills, you can become a successful food photographer. Keep in mind that success as a food photographer often takes time and patience, so be sure to stay focused and dedicated to your goal.

 

 

Pretty amazing. I will ask him/her/it more next time.

 

How to prepare for your DoorDash photo shoot

 

I have been shooting for DoorDash for over 2 years. If you want photos taken for your food for free, you can get more info here. I know other delivery apps also provide similar free service. Just check with them. Here are some tips that can make your session go smoothly.

1. Give yourself a week or two to plan the session. Don't go into the session without doing some planning. Here are the things that you need to plan out:
   • What dishes do you want to shoot? Usually people take pictures of the food that will show up on the first page. Write the list down and give a copy to the photographer because we need the names when we submit the photos.
     
   • Do you have all the materials ready to prepare those dishes?
   • Are your staff ready to make those dishes quickly? A session with DoorDash is between 1.5 - 2 hours and they want to get pictures for 10-15 dishes. So your staff need to know how prepare those dishes quickly.
   • Do you have the space available for the photo shoot? Some photographer brings their lighting equipment, so you will need to give them space to set it up. I prefer to shoot with natural light, so a table next to a big window will be good.
   • What time and what day is the shoot? Don't do it on a busy day or during your service hours. My shoots are usually between 10-12 or 2-4 on a weekday, like Monday or Tuesday. And make sure your staff know about the shoot.
     
2. Try to schedule all the delivery apps to shoot around the same time. This way, you only need to prepare the dishes once. Save your food cost. As long as you have enough space, we don't mind shooting next to other photographers.
   
3. Confirm the session with the photographer. When we call/text you, please respond. If you don't want the shoot, just cancel it. If you ghost us, you are just wasting our time. We work as individual freelancer, our time is important to us.
4. If you want some extra pictures taken for your social media, just ask. Not sure about other photographers but when I am asked, I would do it (as long as we have time in your session).
5. Invite your friends and have a party. Usually the restaurant would give me some food after the shoot. Since I can only take a few dishes, there are still many dishes left. You can invite your friends to eat them. They probably won't mind the food is little cold because they are your friends and the food is free.
6. Finally, if for any reason that you don't want to shoot, please cancel the session and call/text the photographer. It really pisses me off when I show up at the restaurant  and is told they cannot shoot.  Even the session is free, someone is paying for it. My time is as valuable as yours.

 

 

So you want to have pictures taken for your food

The restaurant business is tough even during the normal time. I think it is ten times tougher during the pandemic. I have never run a restaurant before but I have been taking pictures for many restaurants and I have talked to many owners. I understand the challenges they are facing and I feel their pain.

 

So before you spend hundreds of dollars to take pictures of your food, you need to ask yourself this question: what are the pictures for?

If you just want to have some pictures for the delivering apps,  you can get a free photo session from those companies. I have shot for DoorDash and UberEats and they both provide a free photo session to the restaurants that join their platform. DoorDash will give a 2 hours free session to have pictures taken for 15-20 dishes. UberEats will do 7 dishes. I think all the other apps also provide this free service, so contact the vendor support of the platform and schedule one. In future post, I will discuss how you can use this free service efficiently.

Another reason people want to have a photo shoot is to have pictures for their own ordering site and/or for their printed menu. Before hiring a photographer, here are something to think about:

• How many items on your menu? If you have more than 20 items, it can get pretty expensive to have pictures taken for all the items.
• How often will you change the items on your menu? Are you going to have a daily special? Weekly special? Or monthly special? Are you planning to hire a photographer to the new item(s)? That can get expensive too.

If you are not going to print the pictures in large format, you should think about shooting the photos yourself. You can even shoot them with your phone. As long as you have good lighting, your photos should be good enough for your website. If you have a staff that is interested in photography, let him/her to shoot them for you. People take picture of their food all the times these days and some of those photos are as good as the pro's. You can save a lot of money by DIY. If you need help on how to get started, you can check out my post here. I am also available to coach you. Just contact me.

People also want photos for their social media. This one you should definitely think about DIY, or ask a staff to do it. But if you have already hired a photographer, you can ask him/her to take some extra shots for the social media. I usually do it without charging extra. You can check out some example here.

So there you have it. Before you spend any of your hard earned dollars, think about what you can do in house. Contact me if you have any questions. I am available for free consultation. Just give me some free food in exchange.

My on location set up for food photography

During the past 2 years, I have taken photos for over hundred restaurants. A majority of these shoots were for DoorDash. A typical DoorDash session is between 1.5 to 2 hours and we need to shoot between 10 to 20 dishes. Because of the limited time, I usually shoot with natural light and minimum styling. With most of the restaurants having outdoor dining now, this is not too difficult to setup a place to shoot.

 

And I have various table top patterns as background to make the photos more interesting. You can get them here and here. They are pretty cheap and they make a big difference.

I have also shot on a bench near a window.

 

Or even a table next to a food truck.

 

 

and if none of the above options is available, I would use my shooting tent setup.

the shooting tent is very portable and produces very good light for the shoot. It is pretty cheap too and you can get one here.

And if the customers prefer to shoot in a more control environment and if they are willing to pay for it. I can setup a studio with studio lighting in their kitchen. Here is the setup I had when shooting for the 49ers at the Levi Stadium kitchen.

In the next post, I will discuss how you can budget and plan your shoot. Stay tune.

DoorDash Photo Shoots

 

 

If you use the DoorDash app, you probably have seen my pictures there. I was causally doing some photo shoots for DoorDash in 2019, just for fun. But during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, this is my excuse to get out of the house. I visited many restaurants that I would not usually visit. I have also tried many types of food that I have never tried before. It is such a fun experience for me during this crazy time.

 

 

 

I have also witnessed how innovative the restaurant owners are to stay afloat.  In the future posts, I will share some of the ideas that work for them. Check back soon. 

If you haven't tried DoorDash yet, you can sign up here and get $30 off. You can also see some of my works here.

Our New Specialized Websites

We are pleased to announce our two new specialized websites. These will be used these websites to target to specific customers. Our main website www.yuestudio.com is still available but will be used mostly for delivering customer proofs. Here are the new websites:
http://food.yuestudio.com









http://wedding.yuestudio.com

Battle of Egg Tarts

Usually I only talk about photography in this blog but this time I am going to do a little food review. The best thing about taking food photos is I get to eat the food afterward, spso I might as well do a little review.

In San Francisco, there is a bakery called Golden Gate Bakery and its eggs tart are very famous. I think everyone lives in the Bay Area would know about them. There is always a long line outside the shop and it can take half hour or longer before you can buy your egg tarts. Beside a month long vacation during the summer, the shop also closes for vacation many times during the year. So is their egg tarts really worth the trouble? Read on.







I got an egg tart from Golden Gate and another one from a near by bakery called AA Bakery and did a little taste test. Here is a picture of them side by side, can you tell the different?















Here is a picture of them after a few bites :-)















Which one is which and which one tastes better?

The one on the right is from Golden Gate and the one on left is from AA. The egg body of the one from Golden Gate is softer. The AA one is firmer. As you can see from the first picture, there are winkles on the egg body of the tart on the right because of its softness. The egg is also sweeter.

As for the outer shell, the Golden Gate egg tart is flakier while the AA one is more dense. The "mouth-feel" is better with the Golden Gate egg tart.

When the egg tarts were fresh out of the oven, the Golden Gate egg tart was better. I could definitely taste the different. However, we usually don't eat the egg tarts right after we buy them, so I also did an overnight test. I let the egg tarts stay in room temperature for over 12 hours and tasted them again the next day.

After sitting overnight, the outer shell of the Golden Gate egg tart was not as flaky as before. The outer shell of AA egg tart was still about the same. Maybe it's because it's more dense. The egg body of the Golden Gate egg tart was still very soft and smooth but it tasted too sweet after sitting overnight. The one from AA tasted about the same as before.

In summary, the Golden Gate egg tarts taste better when they're fresh out of the oven. The egg is sweeter and softer and the shell is flakier. However, they are $0.30 more expensive and you may need to wait in line for 30 minutes to get them. The AA egg tarts are not bad at all. They are cheaper and usually you can get them within 5 minutes of waiting. Also they still taste good after awhile.

My recommendation is if you walk by Golden Gate Bakery and if you see a short line, you should definitely get some egg tarts and you should eat them right away. If you don't have time to wait and if you are planning to eat the egg tarts right away, you can save yourself some time and money by going to the AA Bakery.

My Latest Food Photos

I have been "playing" with my food. Here are some of the images. By the way, these images are available as stock photos.