Food photographer, Rachel Jane was shooting another project and had a tonne of strawberries left over. And usually, when she have leftovers, she likes to shoot something for herself. This particular day the light had a very particularly wintery feel to it. Let's see what she came up with!
Strawberries are so often associated with summer, but here in Australia we have the ability to harvest all year round, so strawberries are still readily available.
-Rachel Jane
I wanted to capture the strawberries in a winter light, the colour of the background was to mimic the winters sky that day, just like then the sun disappears and the deep strawberry colours and shadows remind us that cloudy skies can be just as beautiful as blue bird skies. Have a blog for yourself and no one else. A blog for everyone is a blog for no one. There is so much content out there, that making authentic content that speaks to who you are as an artist will allow your work to stand out from the rest. Maybe not everyone will love it, but there will be a community out there that does. If you inspire them and provide some insight for a couple of people that has a positive effect on their lives - that is truly priceless.
-Rachel Jane
Food Photography Tips from Rachel:
- In terms of how to compose my shots, I will usually go into a shoot with a concept or direction in mind. If I want it to look bright and airy, or moody with shadows. I will get a feel for what props will make the direction I am going. I tend to go with a ‘less is more’ attitude and don’t tend to use too many props, but it is good to have a selection on hand in case something doesn’t seem to be working.
- I tend to scour Pinterest for inspiration before a shoot, to get ideas on angles and composition.
- I don’t tend to sketch things on paper, but I will have an image in my mind of what I am trying to create. Funny thing is, it rarely ends up looking like what I planned. The direction will be the same, but the exact composition and styling won’t always. I think going into it with an idea is important, but if you are too fixated and not flexible, you can end up not exploring and that is when I find the magic happens.
- My advice would be to soak up as much daily inspiration as you can through all the social channels out there, then find something you like the direction of and head that way. Keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to explore. You might end up with nothing, but you just might end up this something you didn’t realize you were capable of.
I shoot with a D600 Nikon, and would have used a 50mm lens and 105mm macro Nikkor lens. I usually tether to my laptop through Lightroom and always have a reflector set up to bounce around some light.
-Rachel Jane
About Rachel Jane
Rachel Jane is a self taught food photographer and stylist based in Melbourne, Australia. As the creator of her beloved blog, Two Loves Studio, she shares her evolving journey into the world of food photography.Rachel is passionate about shooting food portraiture that highlights the simplicity and beauty of real food. Her styling focuses on the shapes and textures of the recipes components, which allows us to connect with dish and evokes our love affair with food. See more of her works on Behance or her Blog.