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Times 2005 Food Calendar
As an example of really dreadful food photography take a
look at the Times Magazine 2005 Calendar featuring recipes
by Gordon Ramsey.
12 Months 12 Recipes.
Accompanied by-
12 of the worst food photographs I have ever seen. At least
they are all consistent, they are all dreadful.
Photography is by Georgia Glynn Smith.
Home Economist: Helen Tillott.
Food Styling: Mark Sargeant.
Portraits By John Carey. (These shots are reasonable)
The photography is unbelievably bad (except for the portraits
as noted above. )
The Photographer Georgia Glynn Smith it seems is simply unaware
of how to produce in the particular circumstances appertaining
to food photography an acceptably sharp and properly composed
photograph. She it seems focuses on a plane parallel to her
film plane, possibly using medium format equipment and tries
to produce an acceptably sharp result by relying on depth of
field , which of course is virtually impossible. She should
be using a camera with the facility of the movements of a normal
Large Format camera and applying the Scheimpflug principle
relative to focussing, then an acceptable result might have
been produced.
Take a close look at the June photograph (I hesitate to use
the word photograph) the point of focus seems to be on a piece
of fish near the top of the shot. At least I assume it’s
a piece of fish, you have to check the recipe to be sure of
identifying the ingredients, the photography is so bad. The
depth of field seems to extend for all of half an inch, really
have you ever seen such a splodged up mess of a photograph.
And note the credits, a food stylist was present during this
shoot! Can you believe it. The styling appears to be of tacking
a scoop of mashed up food and dropping it on the plate then
photographing it in such a way that one can not really be sure
as to what it is .
This is an insult to Gordon Ramsey who is one of the great
chefs of today.
But if you think this is bad, then look at the July photograph
, this is unbelievable..
A plum coloured splodge of some gooey looking piece of cake
or something you cannot discern, completely out of focus as
is everything else in the photograph. With apparently a spoonful
of cream on top (again you gather this from the recipe) because
otherwise you would not really know what it was because it
disappears completely into the background the whole lot sliding
off to the left with a part of it cropped off on the left side
for no apparent reason.
You really would think this was fired off at the beginning
or the end of the film when the camera was being loaded, incompetence
beyond belief.
An acquaintance , interested in both cooking and photography
suggested that perhaps Georgia Glynn Smith did the cooking
and Gordon Ramsay took the Photographs
Which I thought was quite funny until you consider what is
here involved.
But seriously this is not funny it is an insult to the profession.
You have a publisher of repute who publishes such rubbish.
A photographer of some supposed reputation, take a look at
her web site www.glynnsmith.co.uk. An
appearance of reasonable competence, mediocre in style and
creativity but apparent competence. But who is so ignorant
of any visual awareness of what a good photograph actually
looks like that she allows such atrocious work to be published.
A food stylist and a home economist who allow themselves to
be associated with such abysmal work and presumably in the
background there might have been either an Art Director or
a Picture Editor or both who let such utter rubbish sail past
their eyes.
It shows of course a complete lack of awareness of standards
of competence on just about everybody’s part.
And if you feel that perhaps one is perhaps being a little
too aggressive in one’s condemnation. That this could
have been one of those instances when an error of judgement
slipped through so to speak, a one off incident.
Then take a look at the times Magazine of 12/02/05.(Food Gordon
Ramsay. Page 76.)
Same Publisher
Same Home Economist.
Same Food Stylist
Different photographer (Is this significant)
But never the less the same dreadful incompetent
food photography
Magazines
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American Vogue. September Edition
September (04) edition of American Vogue. Cover by Testino,
Fashion feature by Testino, some of the best fashion photography
you will see today. Generally I have little time for Testino,
his celebrity Portraits particularly those taken some time
ago of Diana Princess of Wales which were so lauded by people
completely ignorant of what a portrait of anyone should be
like were complete rubbish but his fashion stuff here is Superb.
J.S. Rating 8.5 out of 10.
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125
A magazine unlike any other magazine you have seen,
Pictures. Basically its pictures, what
else!
Some words, but few relative to the Pics, and good, the words,
no pretentious nonsense. Words that compliment the pictures.
Production and printing superb.
It’s Avant-garde, Now!
Subscribe Now.
Check the web site, very basic but ok. www.125magazine.com
J.S. Rating 8 out of 10
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Eight
Started off as a cult magazine, cosy or radical whichever
way you looked at it. Now successful and gone commercial, advertising,
sponsorship, blah, blah, blah. Also changing its nature somewhat.
Ran articles in three issues ranting and raving about art photographers
attempting to horn in on Phojournalism which they (that is
Eight Magazine) saw as their domain. (On Photojournalism) Then
provided an issue full of art photography, which you could
not describe as being anything else but art photography, followed
by the current issue, which really is into Art Photography.
They possibly realize that their attempt to direct photojournalism
into their narrowly defined and restricted channel was not
being very well received. Also I feel that they are compromising
their style for the sake of Sponsorship and Advertising i.e.
Money. Which is OK. except that they were preaching a different
Gospel a few months ago and berating those they now copy. So
take every thing they say with a pinch of salt.
Nevertheless a very good magazine from the point of view of
keeping up with Visual Literacy. A very high standard of photojournalistic
photography coupled with, dare I say it, some very good art
photography, accompanied by text, which is often, unfortunately
complete pretentious nonsense.
Nevertheless, Subscribe.
Web Site OK but rather uninspiring. A little too prejudiced
to one style. www.foto8.com
J.S. rating 6.5 out of 10
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Portfolio
A very nice magazine, beautifully produced, full of very fine
(but very modern) Photography.
This magazine really does show the top modern Art Photography
of this country (Britain)
The text accompanying the photographs, which tends to take
the form of an appraisal rather than a critique is totally
over the top, sometimes complete nonsense dressed up as profound
observations on the why’s and wherefores of the photography,
it does give an insight as to the scene though. Check
the people who write and you begin to discern the “structure” of
the world of Art Photography and Art Photography criticism.
The criticism and comments contained within the reviews of
exhibitions etc are also a little over the top but generally
probably some of the best in the business. One has to accept
that the language of criticism of Art Photography or Contemporary
Photography is of a style and genre and language all of its
own and you have to view it in this context
The Photography is generally superb.
A very, very good photographic magazine.
Subscribe: A Must.
J.S. Rating 8.5 out of 10
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Pictured
A great magazine, unique in conception. unfortunately now
no longer in publication, finance problems apparently. Ran
from April 2003 to Nov 2003.
A young, modern production team, typically arrogant, far too
much so.
A great shame.
It has a “Holding” page on the web implying that
it might still return. It would indeed be wonderful if they
could.
One should try to obtain back copies, they are worth collecting.
J.S. Rating 9 out of 10
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American Vogue
30 years ago in the early and mid seventies, Photography in
London was a different scene, it was innovative, it was creatively
flourishing, it was Vibrant, and it was simply but dazzlingly
Professional. American Vogue in particular pictured this World.
In those days the majority of aspiring young professional
photographers keeping up with the scene eagerly checked each
new issue of American Vogue to see the work of the leaders
in Fashion Photography of that time, now of course the cognoscente
think they know it all, so why view work in a magazine such
as this? Read what I have to say else where on this site under
J.S.Scene and essential Magazines, then,
Go out there and Buy American Vogue, Subscribe, Look
at some of the best Fashion and Advertising photography around,
in fact some of the best in the world.
One of the best photographic, non-photographic magazines
there is, if you see what I mean.
J.S.Rating 9 out of 10
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Hong Kong Tatler
A superb production. One of the Great Magazines of the world.
This is an exotic magazine, full of Advertisements for exotic
Fashion, Cars, and Watches etc. … Consequently full
of superb advertising photography some of the best in the world.
The Magazine content is primarily the social scene in Hong
Kong, probably the most sophisticated in the world. San Francisco,
New York, Washington, London, Monaco, do not hold a candle
to Hong Kong.
Again to be part of the J.S.Scene, truly part of the Global
photographic scene you need to have an understanding of the
Hong Kong social scene as you do of the social scene in cities
such as London, Paris, Vienna, Venice, Shanghai, Puerto Vallarta
or
Acapulco. You then begin to understand the Global Scene that
is the J.S.Scene. Photography is so much a part of today’s
social scene around the World and so much influenced by it.
The Hong Kong Tattler is an essential part of the Cultural
content of the J.S. Scene.
Subscribe and absorb, become acquainted.
J.S. Rating 9 out of 10
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Source
Irish, Irish, Irish.
The Cultural scene of Irish Art Photography.
Top class photographically, Avantgarde in Style.
Not frivolous but serious, principled, concerned, genuine,
with a touch of practicality throughout but also coupled with
a touch of the Fairies, the Goblins, The fantastical, both
happy and sad.
Best summed up as Fantastical Practicality.
Subscribe.
Web Site: A particularly Good and interesting web site, full
of interest, very well designed with an extremely good Links
page. One of the best. www.source.ie
J.S. Rating 8.5 out of 10
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B. J.
Students Mag, simple as that.
Photographically generally Mediocre. The fault largely with
the picture Editing. Not the photographic work.
Photographic News and gossip, probably the best.
Technical Articles and Reviews. 30 years ago Superb, now written
with an overriding style of arrogance, prejudiced rather than
objective.
Not a patch on what it use to be like but reasonable.
Subscribe, mainly to keep up with the news and gossip.
J.S. Rating 6 out of 10
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