The power of a good food photography macro shot
Portfolio update - shot by London food photographer Samantha Couzens
Coming in hot with another portfolio update, this time showcasing some really eye-catching macro shots that I captured as part of a wider doughnut series.
Okay, let’s create some beautiful macro shots…
Macro images were a really key part of this shoot, as I wanted to demonstrate the beautiful texture of both the chocolate and maple ganache in a way that stops the viewer in their tracks. It’s a powerful way to tell a story and communicate the use of hero ingredients, in this case: icing!
In general, macro images are a brilliant way to highlight texture in food. Playing with light and shadow is the best way to do this, ensuring you’ve got specular highlights hitting in all the right places and darker areas that draw your eye to key details in the styling.
Maple vanilla icing
I started with the maple vanilla icing. Initially, I tried to capture this on its own, but I didn’t feel the indulgence of it was being effectively communicated, and I was struggling to capture the tiny vanilla flecks in the way I’d imagined. So I decided to add an extra layer with the maple syrup, which really took the image to the next level! I love the way it pooled in the ribbons of icing and how the light danced over the syrup to create some beautiful specular highlights.
Definitely a more mouth-watering shot!
Chocolate icing
A similar thing happened with the chocolate icing. While I did actually love the way the shiny chocolate ganache looked, I felt like it was a shot I’d seen before and I wanted to create something different. I’d noticed how much I loved the matte look of the cocoa powder when I was sieving it into the mixing bowl throughout the recipe process, so I thought I’d capture an option with the ganache fully covered in a dusting of cocoa powder. As with the maple vanilla icing, I actually prefer the second shot. There’s just something about the depth of texture and shadows that really catches my eye.
As you can see from the breakdown of this shoot, a lot of the final images come from trial and error and often end up looking very different to the shots I have in mind when I start. Being open to a change in creative direction on the shoot is really important, as there’s nothing better to inspire you than the food itself.
Scroll down to see the final images.
Looking for a food photographer to bring your vision to life?
Hit the button below to book a call with me and we can get started!
