Teri Virbickis, a stock photographer with over 110,000 of her own images online for sale, will teach what it takes to successfully sell your images to stock agencies!

Food Photography is very similar to photographing people in a sense that each person has their best side. Considering the variety of food out there, diverse cooking and presentation styles, the final results are endless. This array of unique subjects creates an opportunity for infinite camera angle choices.

Good food photography induces a physical response. A really great food photo makes you hungry, makes you salivate, and makes you want some for yourself. Good food images don’t just happen by putting food on a table and snapping a picture. There are many things to consider.

We will spend some time in a classroom style setting going over the information below and learning some basic of shooting food. After a short break, we will divide into small groups and take what we learned and put it into practice. Setting up various food and lighting scenarios and taking pictures:

NOTE: TERI WILL SUPPLY THE FOOD TO SHOOT – We will be shooting some Valentine’s Day related, either cookies or cupcakes, depends on what’s available. She will also bring along a few other props to use from her prop collection.

Teri will also supply surfaces to shoot on, and white foam core pieces to strategically reflect light into shadows.

What you need to bring to this workshop:

· Your camera and a lens – a macro lens or a mid-range zoom lens

· Tripod

· Remote trigger (if you have one)

· Diffuser

· A prop setup – Consisting of 3 items (please choose 3 different items, don’t bring 3 forks! Bring 3 items that will work in a food setup scenario), and these items can be a plate, napkins, a glass, a cup, silverware, straws, cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, additional ingredients (e.g., sugar, flour etc.), Valentine’s related items related items would also be helpful. 

In this workshop you will learn:

· 11 Great Angles for Food Photography – Learn and experiment with angles to shoot food at to produce a pleasing and engaging image.

· Pick Physically Attractive “Stars” of Your Images– Sure, beauty comes from the inside, but until someone invents taste-o-vision, visual appearance will remain a critical part of food photography. And that means choosing fruit without bruises, lettuce without brown edges and meat that isn’t overcooked.

· Don’t Be Afraid to Enhance Your Assets – Food photography isn’t about dieting and small portions, it’s about generous, even lavish quantities, and creating an idea of abundance. Adding water drops and steam can help the “drool factor” of your images.

· Consider the Use of Multiples – Repetition of simple elements helps create the idea of abundance. One cookie on its own looks a little mean, a whole pile of cookies is much more enticing.

· Think About Your Garnish – Garnishes are the lacy lingerie of the food world. They may not be the main event but they add a little color and a hint of what’s to come. Consider a herb that is in the dish, a little chili, or even just a sprinkling of black pepper to make an everyday meal seem more alluring.

· Use Flattering Lighting – Poor lighting makes food look unappealing, especially the use of direct flash. But you don’t need fancy camera equipment, daylight is perfect for food photography. Don’t be shy to take the action outside.

· Focus on the Main Event – Good food Photography tends to favor a shallow depth of field, really focusing on the action in the foreground. Keep the background uncluttered, again, so that the focus is brought onto the food.

· Your Supporting Cast – The color of your plates, the type of surface you photograph on, glasses, napkins and other items you add to your setup, help invoke a mood or a feeling about your food. Learning how to add supporting items, without adding too much clutter, can make for a “hero” or “zero” shot.

· Find the “Money” Shot – Try both portrait and landscape mode when shooting. It can create a different feel to the finished photo. Also trying different angles and DOF, can create quite the difference in impact of your image.

What NOT to bring to this workshop:

· PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FLASH AT HOME! We will not be using flashes, this workshop is all based around natural available light!!!!

· You DO NOT need your computer, please leave that at home as well!