When it comes to taking memorable photographs of food and drink our main objective is for them to look enticing. However, it is equally important that we take the time to find out from each of our clients how they intend on using the final images. This is why we set up our sister company, Thyme Photo (thymephoto.co.uk) who are experts in commercial photography for the food and drinks industry. By working side by side with a dedicated photography company, we can really make sure both the design and photos are tailored to suit the company’s individual requirements. Here are some of the things we take into consideration when snapping photographs for commercial use.
Allow enough room for text
Creating a successful design, whether it’s for a brochure or an advertising poster, requires both the pictures and text to work in harmony. By this, we mean, they allow each other space and room to breathe. If you require a lot of text in the design, then you wouldn’t want your image to be too busy, as the words could easily become lost and illegible. We always think about placement of text and leave space accordingly for this. For example if we were shooting an image that we knew was specifically going to be for a front cover, we would leave space at the top for cover lines and down the sides for any additional text or graphics.
Having plain backgrounds like simple colours, wood or slate, gives us a lot more freedom as we are able to easily extend and edit them in post-production. We also ensure any area that we know text is going to be placed on is either light or dark in colour and not a mixture of both, making it easier for the text to stand out.
Cropping
If you were designing a menu where you needed a close-up of an image then of course we can take this for you, but it is also important that we give you an option where we’ve zoomed out enough to capture the whole product. This means that if you want to use the image later on in a different way, you won’t be restrained by the way it has been cropped. This is perfectly illustrated in the pictures of the burger below, one has a tight crop, whilst the other features the whole product.
Images going over the fold
When designing a brochure or book, bear in mind that anything placed in the area between the two pages, otherwise known as the gutter, may get lost in the binding of the book. The amount that is lost can vary depending on page count, paper thickness, and other factors during the printing process such as trimming, and binding of the book. It’s therefore wise to make sure that no important information is placed in this area. We also split the image and move it by a couple of mm either side to account for this.
By taking all these things into consideration, we can ensure that the image not only looks fantastic but it is also fit for purpose. We are fortunate to be in the position where both our companies can learn from each other and collaborate to guarantee a smooth and happy process throughout.