THE SETUP
1 CHOOSE A BASE AND BACKGROUND This first decision can be a little tricky, as you need to choose something that mirrors the atmosphere you want to create in the image. Marble would be ideal for something luxurious, whereas weathered wood might work well for a rustic approach. Here we chose black marble with gold veining, a real showstopper from our local stonemason!
2 SELECT ANY PROPS Keep it simple. You don’t want to use too many props in an image like this because it is all about the chocolates. Since chocolates are small in size you want to choose props that won’t be too imposing within the frame; you want the chocolates to be the hero. Think about complementary props and check your colours work together!
3 PREPARATION BEFORE THE SHOOT Ample preparation is key in a shoot like this. You need to make sure you have everything you need before you start, as this will really slow you down otherwise. Make sure you have spares for any chocolates (or other food) you plan to use – it’s likely you’ll want a few attempts at the composition and styling. Fingerprints are an issue as the chocolate melts, so having spares means you can swap them in.
4 COMPOSITION Take your time on this step, as you want to make sure you get it right. Choose the camera angle carefully, keeping in mind that you want the chocolates to be the main attraction. The positioning of the chocolates can be difficult, so try moving one piece at a time and taking a shot in between to critique the adjustment.
5 SET UP THE LIGHTING Place your lights and make a test shot. You can change the power as you wish and keep moving them until they are in the right positions. The power settings and positioning will make all the difference here. You’re looking for a main light source, fill that complements that light, a rim light and then something in the background. Don’t be afraid to add a final light in later to pick out a detail if the shot needs it.
6 ADD THE FINISHING TOUCHES Now it’s the time to apply any final touches. Any chocolate shavings can be added now as they will lose their shape and potentially melt if you don’t work quickly. We also take multiple images with light in different areas at this stage, which we can later composite together in Photoshop – just make sure that you don’t move the camera between the shots!