Introducing Foodie- a delicious Lightroom Preset for Food Photography
Hola!
I crafted a Lightroom preset specifically for my recent natural light shoot for The Pasta People. The visual style of the images they wanted to go with their brand was modern but earthy and laid-back, "like in Jamie Oliver's cookbooks". More or less a modern filmic look.
Sitting down to edit the images I decided that I needed faded highlights and blacks, as well as crushed details in the shadows (creating 'blockier' shadows, if that makes sense); some selective desaturation of greens and acqua tones, a shift from true red tones to tangerine to give tomatoes and chillies a bit of pop; increased in luminosity in reds orange and yellow tones to create clean looking highlights. And I called it 'Foodie' !
I tried these edits on some other images and realised that they worked quite well for night time restaurant lit images too- but with reduced contrast and a toned down version of the preset I used for the Pasta People shoot. So as per usual, I've created the preset 'Foodie' in a regular version, a PLUS version (more dramatic), and a MINUS version (more subtle for images that are already high contrast, and night time artificially lit images).
Downloadable at my Etsy store!
Food photography: Pasta People Canberra Shoot
It was my absolute pleasure to do a photoshoot for Pasta People, who are expanding the online presence and ecommerce for their pasta store (currently at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra). Very soon now their popular flavoured dried pasta and preservative free vacuum sealed sauces will be available to be purchased online. Hurrah! Gluten intolerant pasta lovers should be pretty excited about their gluten free pasta offerings too.
It was a really fun shoot, with Lily and I working on the food styling; her husband working as the lighting assistant (reflector holder); Phil working as errand boy; and food photography by me. Eating the cooked dishes at the end was a team effort.
Amisfield Winery and Bistro: Queenstown NZ
On our last day in Queenstown we managed to get a table at Amisfield Winery Bistro for their famous Trust The Chef menu. This is 4 courses using dishes selected by the chef based on fresh produce available on the day, with matched wines. I managed to get photos of 3 of the courses and the amuse bouche but got distracted by my hungry belly and forgot to photograph the cured salmon course. We left very very full and a little drunk. Good times!
Rain, fog, and waterfalls in Milford Sounds New Zealand
We spent 4 days in New Zealand last week- I don't normally go on such short overseas trips, but there was a 24hr Jetstar sale and we got flights from Sydney to Queenstown for $130 each way!
Milford Sounds has been on the travel bucket list for awhile, and it was absolutely SPECTACULAR. They say it's one of the wettest part of the world, which gives rise to lush rainforests, beautiful moss covered birch trees, and hundreds of waterfalls running off the sheer cliff faces after rain.
It was particularly wet on the 2 days that we were there, which made for dramatic waterfalls but also made it very difficult to take photos because the wild winds and sideways rain splattered my lens as soon as I got outside to take photos, even under cover. Lesson learnt- bring lens hood next trip!!
Hypebeast HB1 inspired Lightroom Preset- Savage 1
VSCO x HYPEBEAST Preset collection (HB1 and HB2) was created by the fashion and lifestyle collective HYPEBEAST. The collection has a very street style, editorial vibe- the HB1 in particular. I love the clean highlights and the gritty bluish toned heavy fade in the shadows. Perfect for street photography, fashion blogging, urban landscapes, and editorial style portraiture.
In my HB1 presets, I am emulating the tone curves and colour shifts that gives HYPEBEAST HB1 it's look. I'll break it down as we move down the post.
Elly + Poppy // Gooromon Park Canberra
I had the pleasure of photographing Elly at Gooroomon Park Horse Riding School in Wallaroo a couple of weekends back. With a background of horse riding and a degree in animal behaviour, you could say that she was a certified horse whisperer!
Makeup by Michelle Bui, floral crown by Lady Larissa floral designer.
notes: shot with Canon 6D, Canon 85mm 1.8, Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art lens, Tamron 24-70 mm 2.8 ; processed with my VSCO Cam M5 -inspired Lightroom Preset.
Engagement Portraits: Katrin + Nicholas
I had the pleasure of photographing this awesome couple on the weekend. Getting people to relax in front of the camera can sometimes be the most challenging part of taking portraits, but there were no problems getting some natural smiles from these two- Nicholas had Katrin in stitches for most of the shoot!
Such a fun couple, I am imagining a future filled with lots of happiness and Homer Simpson jokes.
Bay of Fires mini-moon
The day after our wedding in Hobart, we drove up the east coast of Tasmania to the Bay of Fires lined with those famous red granite rocks. It felt like a dream.
We spent 2 nights in a beach shack in a secluded area near Binalong Bay, 20mins from the nearest town and 20mins from any phone reception. The shack overlooked the ocean and there was a window in the ceiling directly above the bed which revealed the multitude of the brightest stars you'll ever see.
Couples Portraits: Sinead & Stuart // National Gallery of Australia
I had an awesome time shooting this stunning couple at the National Gallery of Australia and Sculpture Gardens last weekend. Sinead and Stu are so sweet together.
New Preset! Modern/Mellow for Lightroom, analysis and walk-through
Hey guys, I made a new preset!
I wanted to create a faded analogue look with a modern feel that is flattering on skin tones. I've been playing with these edits for a variety of images and found that they work well for editorial portraits, still life, landscapes and architectural shots. It gives moody landscapes added drama and mystery.
(downloadable from my Etsy Store)
F2 (BLOOM 1) preset: How To Achieve in Lightroom
Desaturated and understated, the F Series: Mellow / Fade presets yield elegant results. An all-purpose pack with analogue film qualities, F1, F2, and F3 excel at beautiful skin tones and quiet everyday moments- VSCO
F2 from the VSCOCam F series is great for moody landscapes, edgy street photography, flat lays and any image with pink/magenta in it (awesome for floral still life photos). I find that it does not work so well with very high dynamic range images, particularly backlit portraits- but there are going to be exceptions. It has an edgy look with faded shadows, overall desaturation, vibrant magenta tones.
Street Etiquette SE3 / Street style- how to emulate in Lightroom
"Embodying the look and feel of Street Etiquette's work and inspiration, this pack accentuates dark and gritty tones, as well as deep and bold colors that are fitting for an array of occasions."
Street etiquette x VSCO pack consists of 3 presets. SE1 and SE2 have more dramatic colour shifts, faded shadows, and have a strong 'instant film' look.
SE3 is the the preset that I use most often- it is a high contrast dynamic look with deep blacks, slight desaturation, and clean highlights which looks great with both darker scenes and bright high key images. I think it works well for fashion, street photography, and lifestyle images.
Bunbury, Western Australia: Photo Diary
I spent a week in Bunbury, a major town 2hrs south of Perth in Western Australia. I had intended to use my solitary week going for runs, working on my Masters coursework, and exploring the region with my camera, but my laziness won over my good intentions in the end. I left it to the last sunset and the last morning to explore the beach that was within stumbling distance from my serviced apartment. I'm not sure what the name of the beach is, but it's on the North side of Koombana Drive.
Above images processed with my VSCO Cam M5 inspired preset.