Task 1a - research Food Photogrpahers

Research on Historic and contemporary Artists

1.       Francesco Tonelli

Francesco Tonelli is a well-known food Photographer, born in the Ma-

rche region of Italy he was raised in Milan, a former professional chef and teacher. Tonelli worked in restaurants across Europe and also served as a professor of culinary arts at the culinary institute of America before he decided to carve out a career within the photography industry. He now captures images within a wide range of genres including; Fine dining, Asian food, Drinks and many more. He has also written many Cookbooks including; I love NY, Eleven Madison Park and The Tucci Cookbook, Furthermore Francesco Tonelli has worked in and Photographed within many restaurants including; Jojo, Nomad and The inn at Pound ridge. Tonelli also captures food packaging and promotions this allows his viewers to see the full face of the food industry.

2.       Gareth Morgans

     Gareth Morgans is an experienced Freelance food photographer who has worked in the industry for over a decade. He works from his studio at London Bridge which is a well-known area for amazing restaurants, markets and bars. He was employed by Morrisons when they decided to refresh their existing brands and magazines e.g. take a look at one of his magazine covers. 

He has captured the shot at a low angle this makes it easier for the viewer to see everything within the frame it also allows me to see the detail on the steak; the colour, texture and size. Furthermore Morgans has also used harmonizing colours to add a relaxing and tranquil effect. The rhubarb contains a vibrant red colour which catches the viewers’ attention.

If you take a look at his work he explored many genres including: deserts, meat and fish, fruit, veg and salads. He has also created magazine covers and posters for supermarket retailers.  

Talbot was born in Melbury, Dorset, he was educated at Cambridge University in 1817 he was an inventor, member of parliament and photographer; he made major contributions to photography at a time when it was not well-known. Talbot invented the calotype process and his work during the 1840s on photo mechanical reproduction led to the creation of photo glyphic engraving process.  Some of his food photography is very simple and basic you can understand why because during the 19 century food was not linked to culture there were no upmarket restaurants or exotic cuisines such as Asian, Middle Eastern and South American within Europe. Furthermore colour film did not exist during his era so many of his images have a high contrast but very little compositional techniques.

1.       Irving Penn

 Irving Penn was born in June 16 1917 - 2009, Plain Field New Jersey, is an American photographer known for specializing in fashion, portrait and still life photography. Penn’s career includes work at vogue magazine, and independent advertising for Issey miyake, and Clinique. He attended the Philadelphia museum school of industrial art from 1934 to 1938 where he studied drawing, painting and industrial arts under Alexey Brodovitch. During his still life shoots he mostly shot images of food and everyday house hold items such as; stationary, cigarettes and cutlery. Penn uses many compositional techniques and styles to create his still life shots one of the main aspects of his image is contrast he uses it heavily to attract people to his image. Furthermore he captures raw foods to emphasize his subjects within a natural state.     

Studio
Images by Francesco Tonelli 

This photograph caught my attention because Francesco Tonelli has shot a half-eaten chocolate cake it urges and makes you feel hungry it makes you want to eat that cake you can image yourself enjoying the taste of it. He has used many compositional techniques, the upper and lower areas contain depth of field this adds more importance on the cake, the contrast is strong between the dark brown and light coloured plate this makes the image attention grabbing, the curvaceous shape of the plate contains a smooth texture and flowing circle effect this adds a calming vibe. Furthermore the colour throughout is earthy and the wooden table adds a naturalistic feel.

This image caught my attention because of the blue and pink colours of the prawns, these specific colours reflect the sea when you see this image it makes you think of the sea, Francesco has shot the image with somebody holding it towards the camera this technique invites the viewer to try the dish again it urges you to eat that specific dish, a strong depth of field is used around the prawns this directs the viewer to the focal point. Moreover leading lines can be seen on the square shaped plate the angles then guide the viewer to each corner.

this image inspired me through its use of leading line I think Tonelli has used this technique to create a pattern within this desert it also guides you through the image but the depth of field is too strong it takes over majority of this image, I am forced to focus my thoughts towards the small details on the fork, the texture and consistency looks gooey and sticky, the colours have a warm and comforting vibe it reflects summer. Additionally the angular shape of the plate guides you around the whole desert.


Natural light

Images by Gareth Morgans 

I enjoy viewing this image because it reflects a positive and loving scene between a family or friends, the facial expressions on the subject suggest she is enjoying her pizza this also persuades the viewer to try the same kind of food. The high angle shot allows me to see the detail within all the dishes placed on the table, harmonizing colour tones between the red clothing and pizza add a warm and soft touch. Furthermore the subject’s chequered clothing adds a pattern effect which makes the image look more detailed. 



Night time Photography
This image caught my attention because of the background Gareth Morgans has used it reflects a Christmassy and winter theme which is very inviting, warm and peaceful.  The contrast within the red and white desert is extremely eye catching and beautiful the swirls also create a patterns effect compared to the contrast between the chocolate and brown pastry which has a strong contrast but not too overwhelming. Depth of field adds a distorted effect on the lighting this creates circular patterns. Moreover the overall aesthetic feel points towards a seasonal theme. 

This image is very subtle I think the colours go well together it is soft and harmonizing, the cherries and maroon area of the ice cream create a harmonizing effect. The background contain light colours compared to the contents of the plate this adds dramatic contrast, depth of field is used to blue any unnecessary areas that may distract the viewer from the focal point. 

This is a food magazine cover created by Gareth Morgans it caught my attention because of the bright red background he has used this specially to create an eye catching effect. The food is placed on a white plate this adds a strong contrast which again adds to the eye catching effect.  The main heading is in large font this will make it easy for people with weak eye sight to read. He has also used different font styles on some of the text he may have wanted to separate it from other texts or to add stress the importance of it. 

This is a very interesting and unique image, shot in the 1840s during that time food photography was very basic and not well known compared to the 21^st century were we have fine dining, fast food and deserts. Shooting In black and white has its advantages of them is the contrast between the fruit and background which is strong and striking, he has shot exotic fruits such as pineapple’s which must have been a rarity at the time. The image has a simple aesthetic theme which is not awesome but it is interesting because photography was rare during the 19^th century. Furthermore the table top contains square patterns which add leading lines.


Studio Photography

Images by Irving Penn

This photograph caught my attention because of the fast shutter speed Irving Penn has used to capture the melting ice cream, the contrast between the strawberry and chocolate is strong this adds a remarkable colour tone. The metallic spiral which is holding the cone creates flowing line this guides the viewer up towards the ice cream, the vibrant colour tones are brightened by the dark brown chocolate. Moreover the cone contains square patterns this adds detail to the image it makes the image more interesting.

This image is very unique because the vegetables are frozen into rectangular shapes this makes the viewer ponder on why he chose to do freeze the vegetables? Because he wanted to capture peculiar patterns and shapes? The reflective surface and lighting suggest that it was shot within studio conditions, the vibrant colour tones are emphasised by the white background which contrast eh red and dark green colours. Furthermore the frozen vegetables are packed tightly together this has created circular and elongated shapes which make this image detailed and enjoyable. 

This final image made me feel relaxed and calm because it contains a mixture of earthy and vibrant colour that go well together, look at the contrast between the light and dark colour cabbage this is a perfect example of the different variations in nature. The colours within the frame especially the red and yellow liquid are emphasises and brightened by the marble background. The colour of the spoon harmonises with the background to create balanced and calm image. Additionally the background contains a smooth soft texture.