We all started somewhere, most of us in our own or our friend’s kitchen. I was always excited about upcoming parties, as I knew I would have opportunity to take a few shots. I was photographing everything and everyone. This was not enough and not the quality I wanted. I started to cook a specially for photoshoot. I worked on food styling and my props collection started to grow rapidly. But not all of us feel confident in the kitchen and the peanut batter toast cannot be photograph over and over again. What to do then?

Simple! Visit your local restaurant, bar, pub, any place which serves food. Order coffee and cupcake, sandwich, anything you fancy at this moment and start take photos. I love food, not only to photograph but also to eat. I love to explore, to find new flavours, new ideas, new looks. An Instagram is a perfect tool to find the place which will be different than any other. This way I found the Longa, Turkish Café , classic food with modern twist.

When I saw photos on their Instagram page, I knew I had to book the table. I am not big breakfast person, but on the day of my visit I could not wait to eat. The Café is run by two amazing and young girls, Gizem and Simge.

We did not have a much time to talk, this place is extremely busy, but I found out that they are baking all the bread which they serve and sell in. I must tell you it is incredible.

The whole team will do everything possible to make your stay nice and enjoyable. And the food …

First, the food, when delivered to your table, looks amazing! You can see that everything is fresh and prepared a specially for you.

Second, the food is a dream to photograph, so many different colours and textures, everything is presented on different type of plates and bowls. You can take shots of one section or of the whole set up.

Do not make my mistake and visit place like this one alone, as the other person could not be so patience with you taking photos as you wish. I was always hearing “Can we eat yet?”, “Did you finished yet?”, “This is going to be cold in time you are going to be done!”. Make this experience your own, it is worth it.

From a place like this you can easily come out with ten or more shoots for your portfolio. Try to choose nice and sunny day for your visit, as you cannot set up additional lighting. Do not choose a table directly by the window as the light can be too harsh. 50mm lens is perfect for this type of expedition. When post processing the photos, try to avoid filters, natural looking food catch the eye. If you would like to take a photo of the place, it is always recommended to ask the person in charge for permission. When you explain them why you want to do that, most of the time they will let you.

I highly recommend the Longa Café and for sure will be back to try something new one day in the future.

Let me know about your experience in places around you. Was it easy to take a photos? I am looking forward to hear from you!

I am not sure if you remember, but some time ago, I posted on my Facebook page that I have won a Professional Line Photo Book worth of £100 from Saal Digital UK . I made a decision that this would be my Food Portfolio album.

I had so much fun to choose which photos should be included inside, how should they be placed, how I wanted the cover to look like, what shape of the book I would prefer. It was not always easy to decide. The Saal’s website has got so many options, I was changing my mind many times.

It took me few days to complete the task. Not because I had a problem to navigate the program. This part was very easy. The system is user friendly and even you are not techy person you will be able to complete your album without any problems. I simply wanted this album to represent my work the best it could.

Finally I have decided to produce a Portrait Style 22 x 30 Photo Book Professional Line, matte photo paper, leather black cover and 60 pages.

I was not sure what to expect, I knew I did not risk anything. In the worst scenario I would have a photo album which would have no use as the quality would not let me to show it to anyone. Soon after I placed my order the book arrived. Straight away I touched it I knew I won’t be disappointed. The quality is amazing, overall look is very professional and my photos looks alive!

I can highly recommend the company. Top service from every side, starting from customer service. I have been informed about every step and contact the representatives have been very responsive and helpful.

Bravo Saal Digital UK, I am definitely going to order another album with you!

I am very busy lately with my food photography. It is amazing to see how much people understand about benefits of useing good quality images on websites and social media, the trend changed during the last year. Many realised that those type of photos have got bigger potential for being liked, commented or even shared, but most definitely they are growing the business. I am against using any type of filters when shooting food or products. Let’s show your audience exactly what they are going to buy. This of course does not mean those photos should be boring. Most definitely far from that.

I have bought three flavoured Coca-Cola some time ago and today decided to have a little bit fun with them. I asked my youngest boy for assistance. I had this great idea in my head for him to be a model in this photoshoot, however this was not his day. He could not focus, stay still even for a moment and he was laughing all the time. I tried to think fast how to change my vision but still have fun during the whole process. I decided to bring the scenery up to life.

Tymon worked amazing as an assistant, he still was giggling and made funny faces which helped us to enjoy the task even more. I used only one lamp during this shooting. It was situated on my left side and brightened up all set from the top. As you can see, the shadows are stronger than usually in my work, I did not bounce the light from any reflector. I quite like the darker mood of this scenery. Purring drink was ok, but nothing new, we have done this before and everyone were doing this many times as well. We decided to play with bubbles and we both loved it.

I was very happy with the outcome, but still was missing something more real and alive. It took me a little bit time to came up with idea to involve our little pet rat into the scenery. The only problem was Cookie was never trained to perform tricks, therefore we had to sit patiently and wait for the best moments. For sure she did not disappointed.

Practice, try something new. Your ideas are not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but they are going to be your ideas which can evolve to something bigger in the future. Simply enjoy the process.

I met Hayley during one of my daily walks by canal. She was taking care of Puff and we started to talk.

After few days I ended up taking photos of this amazing pair.

I never shoot horses this way before but I use to ride and knew somehow what’s they like. I took my youngest boy with me and we filled his bag pack with apples, this was a very good shot.

I think we still would be OK without them as the connection between girl and her horse was so real, strong and unbreakable they just acted natural all the time.

I am not an expert with animal photography but this is what I learned during my last photoshoot:

1. If possible, spend some time with the animal to know it better before you start to take the photos. Simply take your time with them.

2. Let them get use to to the noise of your camera. My Nikon D750 is not the most quiet one on the market. I had to take few dummy shots to check how Puff will react to it. He was careful on the beginning but did not bother later during the session.

3. Employ a faster shutter speed. Animals constantly moving and you need to take few quick shots to be able to catch the right moment. The faster the shutter speed the less likely you are to blur the movement.

4. Choose time of the day when theight is not to harsh. When you shoot during very bright time the shodows are going to be too dark. ‘Golden hour’ work as a diffuser and better angle light on your animal subject.

5. If you can include the owner into the photo it is always much easier job as their know they pets. When Puff started to be unpatience Hayley started to rub gis belly to calm him down.

6. Enjoy the moment. None of the photos you take are going to be the same. You can be very surprise with the outcome of the session. I definitely cannot wait for next time when I am going to catch this pair when jumping.

If you liked the story and would like to see the follow up, simply subscribe and you are going to be notify about the next article.

On 19^th of January it has been my 16th anniversary of arriving to UK!!! It felt like yesterday, I stepped out from the bus in the Newport, South Wales bus station. During those years I met many people, worked in many places and I never regret my decision to stay here.

On day of my anniversary I decided I should make myself a present and I placed an order with Club Backdrops. The same day I started to follow them on Instagram. During that afternoon, I found they were in the process of moving to a larger studio and they have decided to close from next Monday the 22nd. I was so excited I managed to place my order right in time I commented on their post and not long after they replied to my comment:

I am not easily pleased, but I received package next morning. Everything well packed and without no issue. I was so surprised to find out, I received two additional backdrops and short but nice note inside 😊

I was thinking what first photo should I take and which backdrop to use. I decided to compare the same setting on two different backdrops. Please let me know which one you rather.

I am not obligated to recommend Club Backdrops in any way, but I received from them such an outstanding customer service would be rude not to mention this to you all.

I had such an amazing day with lots of positive experiences! It is very important to share a such a good vibe!!!

I recently became an ambassador of a Huel brand. I was their customer for some time now. I love their product and their culture and came to the conclusion why not to join them. Huel products are vegan, lactose-free, GMO-free, meal replacements and they are approved by Registered Nutritionists. If you ever would like to try the, please find £10 discount code here.

Why am I talking about them? Before the Pancake Day Huel’s marketing team posted a pancake receipt on a social medias. As I am huge food person, it came to me it would be a great idea to make them and perform a photo shooting at the same time.

I failed so badly, I could not make one proper pancake, it was a disaster. I had all the set up for my photo shooting all ready and waiting I had to come with another idea.

I modified the receipt a little and baked the cake!!! This whole journey prompted me to include Huel product into the photo.

To incorporate your favourite brands into our photography is an idea to call their attention. If this trick does not work, you are not losing anything, your portfolio grows, and you become better and better with every click. The company receiving extra attention. We all know how important recommendations and positive reviews are, by posting your work they will receive both.

This time I went one step ahead. I used another favourite product of mine in the same photo session. Sweet Freedom I am talking about. I am enjoying products form both of those companies on daily basis, it was natural for me to make small collaboration to show you how compatible they are with each other.

Most brands understand that great product photography is essential. According to Justuno (2019), 93% of consumers consider visual content to be the key factor in a purchasing decision. Every business has got their own style how to present their image to the public. Mine style would not always match theirs, but it could happen than after they see the completed work, they could re-think the whole brand feeling idea.

It is always worth to try!!!

There are moments when the scenery is so perfect it is enough to hold the camera and take a shoot. Unfortunately, most of the time we need to add a little bit more magic to be able to create a photo that will make others hungry.

Let me present you steps I follow when organising food photoshoots:

1. Find the best spot for your shooting. Remember, somewhere close to natural light will be the best. Natural light will give you softer, more natural highlights and shadows.

By using artificial light, you can make beautiful food photography possible at any time of day and in any conditions. It is consistent, predictable, and always there for you even if it is dark outside.

2. Think about background and a base. If you are lucky, your walls can work perfectly as a background and your kitchen top or table as a base. My house is during refurbishment and I must improvise at this moment with backdrops I bought, or which were made at home. A plain coloured or blurred background will draw your eye to the food.

3. Props. Every additional item of the photo is important. Every spoon, napkin, flower, everything is playing special role. Make sure you have the photo in your head long before you take it. Draw a sketch, this could be something to help you organise yourself. There are moments that, the props you had in mind from the beginning will not work as you were thinking. It is good to have alternative. Have to different cups, or one cup and one bowl, there are many possibilities.

4. Watch for the glare of lights on the subjects you are going to photograph. Just by tweaking a little the source of light, you can make a such a difference to your photo.

5. Choose prop colours that complement the food. Examples of complementary colour combinations: red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple, yellow-green and red-purple, red-orange and blue-green. Put things close to each other and try to see if they are working together or clash. By choosing props, colours, type of food, light, you are creating atmosphere. Your photos can be playful, romantic, fresh, moody, worm, cold and so many more.

6. Texture is taking your photo to the next level. Try to include three different texture in your scene. Cutlery, herbs, napkins, there are endless possibilities. Sometimes placing some of the ingredients which are included in your dish would be enough. Step back and take a look if everything is how you imagined. Take a look at your set up from few different angles.

7. Camera and lens. Make sure battery is charged, lens is clean. Check your settings, ISO, F stop, white balance. Your food composition may be perfect, but your camera settings can ruin everything. Take a shot.

PRACTICE!!! Every set up is going to be better and you will feel more natural. Take time, do not rush, even the Rome was not built in one night.

What to do when all movies and series on Netflix have been watched, sometimes even twice? We cannot go out, except for food shopping and exercising, No one can visit us. This is a good time to find yourself a new hobby. Reading books can be a good idea, but they would keep you on sofa or in be even more. What about cooking? Why not? Everyone likes to eat. But even you are not big fun of preparing your own meal, you can try to practice food photography and trust me you do no not need much to start. There is lots of groups on Facebook and Instagram which always sharing a few tips about how to photograph your meal better.

The good project to start.

I am always photographing what I can eat after photo shooting. I am against food waste, sometimes even I know I would not enjoy what is on my plate, then probably one of my boys would. If you are home alone, you can always pass the plate to your neighbour, just remember about social distancing.

To start, keep it simple. Anything you use in the kitchen can be photographed e.g., eggs, bread, apple, banana, tomatoes, flour, garlic. List is endless.

Food nicely accompaniment with a drink, cup of coffee or tea is always a great idea. Adding milk, sugar or honey to the scene will upscale the challenge. You can practice how to work with a shutter speed button when purring them into your drink or simply keep them on the table as addition to the scene.

The main idea is to START. Put banana on yellow paper and practice. Look at your “model” from different angle. Take as many photos as you wish. You can be incredibly surprised with results.

Light

If you are not a photographer, you will not have an artificial light at home, and this is perfectly fine. Natural light works the best. If you are a photographer, you can try both lights and you can even join them both. I am big fun of natural light but sometimes I must use additional light to present the product the way I want. At this moment I am using the cheapest lights I could find on Amazon, but my dream is to buy one day a Rotolight NEO 2. Make sure the house lights are turned off. When you are practicing your photography with both lightings make sure they both coming from the same direction. The best idea is to place your food side to the window or keep the window on the back. By doing this your food will keep natural texture and the light will also present shadows which can create a natural contrast and depth and will add drama and emotions. 

Camera

Whatever camera you are familiar with will work perfectly. My best friend name is Nikon D750 with 50 0r 85 mm lenses, but his cousin Nikon D3300 doing great photos as well. Do not worry if the only camera you have got is your phone one, you can play with settings on the PRO mode as well.

Let me know how is going? If you have questions, I would be more than happy to help.

Next time I will show you how to build the scenery, from empty kitchen space to exciting looking cup of smoothie.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Time is passing by, but many things are staying the same. I had a nice conversation few days back with my friend about quality of photos food places are posting on social medias. He made a comment that it was not important what quality were the photos, important was that the places were doing something to maintain their visibility online.

Do you agree?

Statista.com informs, that social networking sites were estimated to have 3.6 billion users and this figure is growing. This connects to grow of the mobile devices usage and changes are happening to our lifestyle. The site also states, that on average, internet users were spending 144 minutes per day on social media and messaging apps.

The records show, that Facebook was the first social network with 1 billion monthly active user mark and was ranked the most popular social network worldwide. The next social media which includes photo and video sharing is Instagram. This numbers prompts brands and marketing companies all over the world to use screen space to promote products and services via social media.

31.1% of a global Instagram audience is in age group between 25 and 34 years. People are using the platform mostly to get to see what they friends and family members were up to.

According to the statistics, the average expenditure per person per week on food and drink not cooked at home in UK in 2018/19 was £14.48.

The hashtag #food has got 424 million posts on Instagram in the moment I started this article.

Six out of Top Nine 2020 on my Business Instagram are related to food. We are breathing air, but to exist, to be healthy we need food and drinks.

And this is a great news for all the places which are serving food and drinks, but you need to adjust accordingly to the needs.

With such a big audience and concurrency on the market, you must concentrate on making the best first impression. Photos can sell your product in the first second the customer will look at it, but it can also make them quickly swap to the next one.

You can tell a great story just by posting one photo. Make sure the photo reflects what your place (coffee, bar, restaurant) represents, build the story behind your brand, appeal to the emotions of the people you want to be your customers. Make them feel like home.

Build the trust. By posting stock photos, you are not going to be interesting, show your real face. Make sure that, when people would enter your place and purchase the food or drink, they would feel like photos they saw came to life and everything is so perfect. Moments like this build bonds between you, your product and customers. They will be assured you deliver what you promise. The trust and lasting impression are going to grow from this moment.

Invest in your future, in future of your restaurant. Great photos are must. Choose the best dishes from your menu and present the best you can. Remember about composition. Correct angle, right plate, sides. Make sure you focus customer eye on what you want to draw attention to. The good lighting will definitely help to make everyone mouths water. Please, do not use filters. Show the real beauty of your art. Cheese sandwich can be a Quinn if is presented right.

You do not need to be a professional to take a right photo, you also do not have to invest in professional camera, simply focus on above tips. However, professional photographers not only will bring your ideas to life, but they will also make other suggestions and do the whole hard work for you.

What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from you.

Pregnancy is such a special and exciting time of our life. Every couple are dealing with it on their own way.

This time is a full of joy and long wait for our life to be changed forever.

I am receiving several questions about Maternity Photos, let me answer some of them over here.

1. What week should I do maternity photos?

Maternity portrait sessions are usually done between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, because the belly has got nice and round shape, but I believe it is great idea to start them on the very beginning. You will than capture the progress of the belly grow, can you imagine showing this to your daughter or son when they will be older? Great 18th Birthday present.

2. How should I dress for a maternity photo shoot?

My answer is always “Comfortable”. It is great to bring at least two outfits to the session. One could be a dress and second, something more casual.

Maxi Dresses are extremely popular now. Floor length maxi dress is very flattering on pregnant mom, but wearing a tight, fitted dress will show mum’s all beautiful curves which is stunning.

Sometimes instead of dress moms wear dad’s shirts or t-shirts. I love this idea, it is showing connection between two parents. Try it.

As we mentioned dad, remember not to match dad’s outfit too much, contrast is more than needed. Try to google complementary colours and see which are working together well. Take dad and your cloths out and lay them next to each other, see what composition you like the most. I would recommend sending the photos with your choices to your photographer, to ask for second opinion.

3. Are maternity photo shoots worth it?

By having a maternity photos taken you will be able to give your child part of they life journey, which they would never could see by themselves. They will also be able to experience how excited you have been to meet them to the world. Pregnancy is also part of your life which not last forever and those pictures will allow you to look back on for many years.

I believe that maternity photo session should be on every mom-to-be list, if you agree with me please get in touch: https://mks-photography-studio.com/contact/