For my last ten minute business presentation, I decided not to stand at the front of the room and simply talk about photography. I demonstrated it.
I photographed a portrait live, showing how a carefully placed light could take an ordinary picture and turn it into a professional business portrait. This Thursday morning, I am doing something different. I will be putting a cake on the table and demonstrating how I photograph food.
The aim is to build the image in front of the audience. I will show them what the cake looks like before I introduce my lighting, how the direction of that light reveals its shape and texture, and how a few considered changes can completely alter the finished photograph.
There will be no hiding behind a polished final image or a lengthy slideshow. Everyone in the room will be able to see the process as it happens.
Why photograph a cake live?
Food photography can look deceptively simple. Put an attractive cake on a table, point a good camera at it and surely the job is done.
It is not.
A beautifully made cake can still look flat, dull or unappetising if the light is wrong. The angle of the light affects the texture of the sponge, the sheen of the chocolate and the shape of every decoration. The position of the camera changes which details command attention. Even the choice of background can make the difference between a quick record shot and an image that makes somebody want to reach for a fork.
The chocolate cake pictured here is a good example of the style I enjoy creating. The light catches the surface and chocolate shards while the shadows add depth and atmosphere. It is not about making the food look false. It is about drawing attention to the details that make it worth eating.
Could a local cake maker help?
I am now looking for a local cake maker who would like to collaborate with me on Thursday morning near Chester.
I need one striking cake that will look good on the demonstration table. It does not have to be enormous or overly elaborate, but texture, layers or interesting decoration would give me plenty to work with under the lights.
In return, I will credit the cake maker and their business during my presentation to a room full of local businesspeople. I will also provide the finished photographs for them to use afterwards.
If you are a cake maker who would like to be involved, or you know someone whose work deserves to be photographed, please get in touch or send them this post.
If the worst comes to the worst, I will buy a mountain of fairy cakes, pile them onto an old vintage cake stand and make them look magnificent. That could be a useful demonstration in itself, but I would love to use the opportunity to showcase the work of a talented local cake maker.
Ray
