Smoothie bowls are simple and stunning. I’m obsessed with photographing frosted fruit. The gems of berries have an irresistible icy casing that makes them glow. The vibrant blues and deep purples in this bowl are so inviting, like a sparkling pool with rubber floats bobbing up and down.
In food photography, the quote “a picture speaks one thousand words” has never been more true. One glance at a photo of food and the viewer either gets a craving or wants to vomit. We can all hope for the former. While beautiful ingredients and a flattering angle are both very important, editing the photo plays a HUGE role in its appeal factor.
Take a look at the comparison above. The unedited version looks okay, but the subject does not shine nor stand out. In the edited version, the blueberries glisten in all their frosted glory. The background is darker, shedding more light on the star of the show. These simple changes made this smoothie bowl go from drab to fab.
Adobe Lightroom is a great editing program that many photographers use. There are many different plans that start at $10/month. This allows you to get the updates as new features are added. I have the latest version that was around $100 for a one time fee. I will not get the updates each month, but it was a sensible purchase for me at the time.
If you are looking for a great free program, I also use PhotoScape X. It is so easy to use and a great starting point for budding photographers. If you love PhotoScape X, you can upgrade to Pro for $40.00.
For the photograph below, I started with brightening the subject and darkening the background. I increased the vibrancy, saturation and contrast on the smoothie and blueberries, for a color pop. With a few touches, this smoothie now looks as good as it tastes.
ingredients
- 3 oz. plain Greek yogurt
- handful frozen blueberries
- half frozen banana
- 1/4 c. unsweetened coconut milk
- honey, a squirt
- frozen berries, garnish
directions
Blend everything together until smooth in a blender or bullet. Top with frozen berries (any variety). Pour into a bowl and eat with a spoon.
a common connoisseur 