Jun/Jul 2012 Contest Discussion

[T Paul]

Add your comments, questions or general discussion about the contest entries here. This is also a great place to share your techniques or ask others about theirs.

Most members are eager to hear comments/suggestions about their entries, so please take the time to help each other out.

[Veralisa]

I'm curious...was there a size, besides 800px by 650px, given? I'm referring to under 100 or 200kb? Anybody?
Thanks,
V.

[Nasturtium]

Veronica,

I think it goes by your membership so patrons can upload the larger kb file...

It's fun to see how people are handling the plate...do you crop it out entirely - make it whole?...I think the way it is in the starter image needs some work and it's fun to see how other's solve that problem.

I wonder if we can read anything into the ones who got rid of the stray pea in the rice and the ones who didn't, lol. I really struggled with the peas (don't we all, lol) they were so dark...I would have liked to have seen some specular highlights in them to suggest they were really, really round but I'm not so sure I succeeded in that.

- Nancy

[Veralisa]

Hmmmm...I seem to recall putting up a 200kb once & was told that contests are exempt from that option...

V.

[lkroll]

I believe, regardless if you are a patron or not, you can upload a 200K or smaller image to contests. Same for the now seldom participated Challenges (which drew me in when I first joined RetouchPRO; not so much now). 100K for forums unless you are a patron as you know.

[Janet Petty]

Since I haven't entered the contest, nor am I able to do so this round, you can take or leave my comment.

Isn't the whole point of food photography to make something appealing in a manner where the viewer thinks, "Oh my, that looks so delicious, so perfect..."? To that effect, food stylists use all sorts of tricks to make food especially appealing. Everything must be superb.

If so, then why has no one to this date fixed the wrinkled peas by making them rounder and more perfect? The peas in this photo look as if they just came out of the frozen section of the supermarket, were boiled, and slapped on the plate.

Come on folks, fix the peas. Please.

Janet

[Lorraine]

Janet,

After I submitted my entry I read the comments about the peas. My first reaction was that they looked like I had cooked them

Lorraine

[Janet Petty]

Originally Posted by Lorraine

Janet,

After I submitted my entry I read the comments about the peas. My first reaction was that they looked like I had cooked them

Lorraine

Agreed. That is exactly what the photo looks like.

The whole object of product photography is to make the ordinary look extraordinary.

I'm not putting anyone down by making my comments. In fact, I couldn't do as good as most of the entries. I do have friends in advertising. These are comments that have been made by them, including comments about how making the food look so appetizing also makes it inedible.

Janet

[lilsip]

Yep, I will be changing those peas and uploading a new photo later on. I got so caught up looking at details I didn't even think about whether the food looked appealing as a whole.

[T Paul]

Originally Posted by Veralisa

I'm curious...was there a size, besides 800px by 650px, given? I'm referring to under 100 or 200kb? Anybody?
Thanks,
V.

Just meet the contest rules...and since they say nothing about kb that option is up to you and your upload privileges.

[dkcoats]

This photo is why god made food stylists.

[fenix]

yea, i bleeping can´t understand where they find all the disasters for the contests. This is yet another photo that never even have the potential to become anything. Better photos and more creative contests please!

[ajfudge]

Hi. I'm kind of lost. How do I vote? The contest entries thread only says to vote for 5 entries in order but it did not say where.
This is my first post, so I apologize as I am still getting my way around the site.


UPDATE:
I would like to retract my question. I just read that there is a certain period for voting on a different thread. Silly of me not to realize that sooner. Have a good day.

[T Paul]

We are always looking for ideas and photos for contests. If you have a photo that you think would make a great contest photo, post it in the Contest Images Thread and I'll contact you for the larger photo and details. Note all photos must have the photographer's and model's permission to use.

For more information please read the following thread CONTEST IMAGES

[T Paul]

Congratulations on tackling digital food photography!

Sometimes it's the little things that can make a dramatic impact on an image such as in Lorraine's image when she changed the background to a solid color. It really made the plate of food stand out. Of course the nice plump and wrinkle-free peas made an impact too.

And the winner is...

Lorraine!!

Top 5:
Lorraine - 35
skipatk - 19
CathyH - 16
renata - 15
Marc - 13