Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
While photographing ice cream might seem simple at first thought, the reality is a little
different. A food with many color variations that can make mixing and matching and good
light and depth capturing tricky for the photographer, it also has the challenging habit of melting
if you're not fast enough! Method 1
Preparation Be prepared properly in advance..
Ice cream won't wait for you and melts fast, making it hard to photograph.. To avoid losing
those precious moments when the ice cream still looks fantastic, it is important to
prepare all of your equipment and props in advance for still food photography.
Have all of your camera equipment in place, including tripod (if using), special lenses,
filters, etc. A tripod can be an excellent piece of equipment for indoor ice cream photography;
you can set the camera in place at the angle that pleases the eye best, relying on props
(such as yogurt containers, etc.) to serve as mock ice cream until you've adjusted the
camera to the exact settings desired. Once done, grab your ice cream, remove the props
and arrange the ice cream in the predetermined positions, and shoot away for the next few
minutes. Check that the lighting is just as you want
it (see below for tips). For ice cream that will be sitting in a bowl
or other prop, place the prop into the freezer for at least 20 minutes prior to taking the
shot. That way, you will have a very cold prop for the ice cream to sit on, providing
you with extra time to make adjustments before the ice cream melts. This is especially important
for warm locations or if you're taking the ice cream outside in the sun.
For photography on the go, simply have your camera ready for those candid moments of people
with their ice creams. Try to choose the cooler weather days, or
cooler times of day, for photographing ice cream..
Early morning and the evenings are suitable times, out of the sun's glare. For indoor
photography, choose cool, air-conditioned rooms. Naturally, the fact that you might
want different, brighter light on your ice cream subject will impact your decision on
the time of day to shoot. Work on the appropriate setting..
Are you setting up the photo of a specific ice cream after making or purchasing it, or
are you simply hoping to come across ice creams being held by people outdoors as you walk
about? Obviously, if you're setting up the ice cream shoot from scratch, there is a bit
more effort involved.
Do you want the ice cream in a bowl, in a cone, on a plate? Perhaps its original packaging
is interesting enough to use as well. Do you want someone holding the ice cream,
a pet licking it, or some other action shot? Will you need to set the shots up, or are
you looking for candid shots on a beach, at a park, or at a special event?
Do you want the ice cream to be the main feature or to form part of a set-up with other food?
If so, the other food will need to be prepared and arranged in place before adding the ice
cream at the last moment (see arranging props above).
Do you want to photograph the ice cream in a kitchen, a dining room, or perhaps al fresco
in your garden? Each option has its own challenges of light, background, temperature, and accessibility
that need to be worked out in advance. If photographing people with their ice cream,
consider whether you want to take photographs of children (always delightful but can be
hard work to have them stand still) or adults, individuals or groups, and so on. Is the situation
appropriate to take photos on the fly or will you need to ask for permission?
At a bare minimum, it is polite to ask "Do you mind if I take a photo of you/your kids
eating that ice cream?" If the potential subjects ask why, you can explain in greater detail.
Choose the ice cream.. If you're setting up the shoot, what kind
of ice cream are you photographing?
Is the ice cream scooped, sandwiched, curled, whipped, soft serve, or coated?
Is it a sorbet, an ice lolly, a popsicle, a cone, or a sundae?
Is it coated in exciting and tasty sprinkles, chocolate, or other ice cream toppers?
Find a suitable background.. The background may be determined by the reason
for the photo shoot. If you're being paid to do a food shoot, you might be obliged to
use their choice of dinnerware and such, but if you have a choice, there are some backgrounds
that look great with ice cream. Here are some ideas:
A wood texture background will evoke home and comfort.
White background. White is a good stand-by background for many food types, as it doesn't
crowd out the food and it provides plenty of background light to set off the food.
A garden with green colors, or flowers as the backdrop.
A dark background can set off the ice cream subject perfectly, especially when you see
nothing but the ice cream. Method 2
Techniques Consider which lighting will best enhance
the ice cream subject.. Food photographers often prefer a single light
source - it's cooler and quick to work with.
Aim for natural light wherever possible. If you can position the ice cream near a large
window with a white gauze curtain or thin white sheet across it, this will create suitable,
adequate indoor natural lighting. Dappled light (sun filtering through trees) can be
an effective look but you will need to work quickly as the sun will move, as well as melt
the ice cream.
Avoid using a flash unless you are really sure about what you're doing. A flash will
often be too harsh for the delicacy of ice cream and can cast unflattering shadows. Try
off-camera flash with a diffuser or reflector, balancing flash with ambient light (preferably
sunlight to avoid color balance problems), or multiple flashes.
Avoid having too little light (or too little exposure). Underexposed ice cream will appear
insipid, failing to capture the delicious subtleties of the ice cream flavors.
Set the white balance setting on your camera, particularly if not using natural light. The
ice cream can take on yellow or blue hues otherwise. Automatic white balance rarely
gets things quite right. Consider using a reflector to bounce back
light and increase the brilliance of the ice cream. Plain mirrors or white card can also
do the trick. Practice the positioning until you get a sense for good placement (perhaps
try with a prop to give yourself time!). Reflectors, white card, or mirrors can be held in place
with clamps and supported against any item that is solid and able to be covered by a
background cloth. Aim to capture the ice cream's texture..
Look to see how the light and shade fall across the ice cream to find the best angle for bringing
out its texture and color to the best advantage. You might need to shift the positioning of
the ice cream, or more likely, the position in which you are standing.
Take care with colors.. Getting the color right matters with ice cream,
to accurately portray the wide array of ice cream colors from the brightest to the most
subtle, each color conveying the flavor and taste of the ice cream to the viewer. Some
of the things to think about with color include:
If you are photographing a trio of ice cream flavors, be sure to select colors that match
well. Scale them according to their contrast. Be careful that no color will simply fade
into the background or be overwhelming against the other colors.
Use asymmetry. Angle the photo so that the darkest color resides in the most illuminated
area, and the brightest color resides in the least illuminated area.
Check that accompanying props or food are neither stealing the limelight from the ice
cream nor creating an overall dullness. For example, accompanying fruit, plates, packaging,
and backdrops should be a good contrasting or compatible color.
A cheat that you can consider is recoloring or touching up the ice cream post photography.
Use a good digital photo program for coloring in the ice cream shades differently until
you're satisfied with the end result. This is a trick often used with plain vanilla,
to provide a more exciting array of colors! Use macro if focusing principally on the ice
cream as the subject.. Macro is ideal for food shots because it captures
the appealing nature of the food by zooming right into the detail. If your ice cream has
a lot of special features, such as chocolate chips, sprinkles, or glistening crystals,
using macro will ensure that these details are brought out clearly.
Note that the current fashion in food photography (2010) is to use minimum focus; namely, to
only have part of the food appearing sharp, and then the rest blurs off gently. To achieve
this, use a wide aperture or long lens (with an extension tube if needed). As with all
styles, this camera angle style for food may well come and go.
Take your picture.. Take a lot of pictures of the ice cream within
the few minutes you have. Try it from various angles and heights to be sure of getting the
best angle in the limited time that you have. Remember too, that if you can't beat the melt,
make the most of it.. There is always room for the ice cream disaster
shot! Method 3
On cheating with ice cream photography Try these "recipes" to see what works best.
Solid shortening, corn syrup and powdered sugar. Mix together to form a very stiff frosting
and scoop into cones or scoop shapes.
Mashed potatoes, lard, Karo syrup and food coloring made into a mixture. Adjust for creaminess.
Sprinkle with fruit pieces, chocolate chips, and food coloring to make the "flavors".
Use paper towels torn into blob shapes to help gooey syrups stick to the top of your
fake ice creams. Be sure to dispose of these creations in the
proper manner after finishing.. They're hardly tasty and definitely not for
consumption! Thank you for watching!