PHOTOS: Today's client photoshoot, Japanese restaurant: SUSHI, anyone?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Photoshoot Caveats (please read)

1). Client was supposed to be there, didn't show, didn't tell employees I was coming. They were cooperative, but not as cooperative as they would have been if that first part had happened as it was supposed to happen.

2). Resaurant has overhead adjustable track lighting, but no ladder, and I almost broke my neck while a waitress held a table steady as I climbed it, only to find that touching the light was light grabbing the head of a freshly lit match.

3). Chef needs to think more in terms of "photo shoot"...a couple of shots have stray sauce, seeds, etc.

4). Glare on plates and table not a good thing (see #2 above), and I have already told the owner all of this stuff, so these problems should not occur in the next two shoots (I will be doing a total of 3).

5). I'm still working on the "best angle for rolls"...I decided after the first couple of shots that overhead wasn't cutting it, and that eye level was best, but I also did a little bot of everything to get the owner's feedback before the next shoot, because it's got to look right to her..."customer is always right" (even though I provide helpful feedback when they are open to it).

That said...enjoy. I told her I post client photoshoots on DU and that you guys are great about giving me feedback and she said "WOW! That's fantastic!"

:-)

[crispini]

1. Oh, yum, sushi.

I do agree with you about eye level for rolls -- it's so nice to see all the little layers that make up a roll -- but I'd get a neutral background if you can.

Now I'm hungry, haha.

[whistler162]

2. Well if you knew Sushi like I knew Sushi oh oh oh what a dish

there is none so happy with their share of saki.

[trof]

15. groan

OK, that was good.
:-)

[surrealAmerican]

3. The forth shot is lovely, and ...

... I agree with crispini about the low angle for the rolls. With a simple background they'll show the sushi to its best advantage.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Ah, yes, those are unfortunate. Given the circumstances, you did an admirable job!

Chef really likes his sauce, too, doesn't he? Wow.

[caitxrawks]

5. oh my sweet baby jesus.

Excuse me for a second while I pick my jaw off the floor and try to stop salivating. Those look so delicious, aughhhhhhh...

[blueamy66]

6. I sooooo need sushi now!

Ugh!

[MilesColtrane]

7. Looks like the more light you can get on things, the better result.

For some reason the darker shots make the food look "cold". (yeah, I know we're talking about sushi here)

That last shot is a winner.

Maybe you could use photoshop to increase the exposure and saturate the dark ones a little more?

Otherwise, kick ass.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. "Plan B" may be a "between lunch and dinner" photo shoot...when they're closed.

Ideally, I should have been at the front of the restaurant, where additional natural light comes through the windows. Instead, I was all the way at the back so that I wouldn't be in the way of customers, and about ten minutes after I started taking photos, they seated a party of 6 women directly behind me. The waitress kept going back and forth to serve them and thankfully she cut a small path around me and my tripod, but I held onto it for dear life anyway.

Like the other shoots I've done, this was a "guerilla shoot" too, but there is more of an opportunity to go back and treat this like a serious project rather than a hit-and-run. This owner...to her credit...wants the site to look great, and is willing to do whatever she has to do to reach that end.

Today was more of a "process of elimination" trial run to see what would work and what wouldn't. I'm going back in one week for the second shoot and will post the results here.

:toast:

[MilesColtrane]

12. Look out for those known unknowns and those unknown unknowns.

[dysfunctional press]

8. i'm more of a sashimi person...

but some of those rolls DO look tasty.

[blueamy66]

19. the first shot looks like sashimi

give me salmon sashimi with a bit of lemon and ginger anytime!

[tigereye]

9. wow- they look great- I'm so hungry for sushi now!

thanks. What a cool job!

[Auggie]

11. Did you use a reflector/fill card?

These are great considering the number you had to do and the situation in which you did them. But some look like they could have benefitted from a little front fill.

I've been directing food photography for 30 years. I hope you don't mind the opinion.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

13. That's going to be the next step...

...and I do appreciate all of the comments here, so thank you. I know I need to get both, a reflector and a fill card. Then I need to convince my clients to set up a reasonable area for me to stage the shots, other than sandwiched in between customers.

:toast:

[Auggie]

14. I use a piece of scrap foam core -- works great for a lot of shots

Thank goodness for Photoshop also -- with layers and a little masking we can create our own fill.

You're clients are lucky to have you.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

16. Thanks again...

...I let my clients know I can improve a shot (if they like the basic photo), but to be honest with you, I present first-shoot flawed pics like this to bargain for a more supportive environment on the second shoot. If they thought everything could be fixed in Photoshop, they wouldn't have the incentive to create a better environment for the shoots.

My dad was a photographer...old school, before digital cameras, hell...before "digital," period. As a kid...I'm talking 8, 10 years old...I'd be with him in the darkroom. The old days of the three trays, tongs, clothespins, safelites...

Before Photoshop, my mom and dad would take someone's cracked, faded wedding (or other) photo. My dad would take a photo of the photo, and make an 8x10 enlargement. My mom had an arsenal of chemicals which, when applied with a Q-Tip, would take out every imperfection. She then had photo oils that she would use to create jaw-dropping "color" photos.

Problem was, they never charged enough. They made just enough to cover supplies, which means no profit, which means the photography side business went bye-bye. But that didn't matter. By then, the bug had bitten me. When I got my hands on my first copy of Photoshop, I was like a crack addict on Crack Mountain. When I coupled that with a digital camera (I have an Olympus, same as my traditional SLR), I was in Heaven.

The more I do it, the better I want to become. So far, 2010 is a much more profitable year than 2009, which means I will hopefully have money to invest back into my business. I've seen other "DIY" solutions for fills & reflectors (hadn;t thought about foam core, thanks for that), so this follow-up shoot might be the ideal opportunity to give them a test drive.

:toast:

[nolabear]

17. Oh dear god I'm STARVING. Your work here is done

if your work included making me drool on my keyboard and demand sushi for dinner!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

18. I would be willing to BET...

...that if, one of these days, DU decided to have a Silicon Valley "Meet Up," I could convince one of my clients to offer a group discount on lunch or dinner.

Currently I have two Italian restaurants (plus a third pizza / sandwiches / salad strip-mall restaurant), this Japanese restaurant, and the "breakfast & lunch" comfort food, diner-style place I posted photos of around Christmas time.

:toast:

[BrklynLiberal]

20. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[petronius]

21. God damn, that makes me hungry! #1 and #4 in particular get me salivating

I'm actually not a fan of the eye-level shots - #6-8 in particular look 'wilty' to me. #12 is OK, but those low angles seem to exaggerate the size of the food and make it look architectural, or even like something that might attack me...

#10 perhaps needs to be cropped differently, there's too much space at the bottom, IMO.

Now excuse me while I go forage in the kitchen...

[AwakeAtLast]

22. Those are great pics!

I would order any of those, so you obviously did your job well.

Hmmmm...now I'm hungry for Sushi, but Central Indiana isn't exactly a place to find it. x(

[AsahinaKimi]

23. Ima sushi ga irimasu!

sushi ga tabetai desu!!
bangohan tabemasen. dakara onaka ga suite imasu!

I so want some sushi right now.. :P~~~(drools)

[SeattleGirl]

24. I don't like sushi, but damn, those pics are great!

I wish I DID like it; it's such beautiful looking food.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

25. The client responded via email after reviewing:

WOWOWOWOWOWOWWOWOW!!!!

What a great start. my only comment is that we need to turn the end piece of each roll around in order to show what's inside. and we'll have to take pics of hot food too... I'm ready whenever you are for the next shoot. However, perhaps you can stop by one day before to talk about lighting and whether or not I should buy some fabric or something to help filter the light glare.... Thank you, I'm reallly really happy!

Good stuff. Good client. Life is good.

:toast: