When less is more: a demo with chocolates | Los Angeles Food Photographer

I think we all have the occasional bad habit of trying to over-stage our shots. Whether it be wedding details shots or commercial product shots, we seem to think that adding more props to the image will help support the main subject; However, I think the zen approach is the way to go most of the time. I know white backgrounds and bases are a total snooze fest {yawnnnn}, but look at the difference in these two shots below. One was was clearly over-staged while the other used the minimalist approach.

Good…

 

Bad…

 

See the HUGE difference? Not only did I remove the background and table cloth, but I also took the tissues and box out of the bottom packaging. Then I laid down the top cover so it wasn’t a substantial part of the shot. Removing all of those components allow for the chocolates to speak for themselves.

So if you ever find yourself struggling to stage a shot, and you can’t seem to get it quite right, just remove everything completely. The struggle you’re having might be a sure sign that you’re over-staging to begin with.

Happy snapping!