ASSIGNMENT: PIZZA: WONDER FOOD OF THE GODS
THE BRIEF:
What the client wants is a shot of her pizza as a homemade favorite. They use all traditional ingredients, and they use fresh ingredients whenever possible. They add little twists to the popular pizza dish by creating new and extraordinary blends of ingredients.
Sausage, mushroom, and stuffed jalapenos for one.
Taco, tostada, and enchilada pizza.
Veggie pizza with olive oil and croutons.
Sushi pizza.
Creative stuff.
The image needs to portray a simple, homemade experience. People are optional but the pizza MUST be the focus of the image and quite clearly it is a hero shot.
No colorful napkins or red-checked cloth or any other overly cliche pizza thing. It can have an adult beverage but not a demand to include.
Pizza
Ingredients
Meal implements
An interesting POV
Clearly a hero shot
Shooting Pizza.
You must photograph it when it is quite hot. So if it is a store or pizza-purchased item, you will have to quickly and shortly reheat it till the cheese is shiny and there are bubbles in the oils and meats. This can be a tricky time thing, so make sure you use a stand-in to get it all ready before the pie goes in for last minute shot.
Also spritzer of 1/2 glycerine and 1/2 water can be used to freshen it up but very, very slightly. Olive oil and a small watercolor brush may also be used to keep meat and cheeses from looking dried out.
Try adding fresh greens just before you put the pizza back in for reheat so they maintain some crispness and freshness as well.
Pizza is such a versatile dish, and there’s always room to get creative with its presentation.
Here are 10 unorthodox pizza photo ideas that will make your readers do a double-take:
Upside Down World: Set up a scene where everything is upside down. Hang the pizza from the ceiling (with invisible wires) and place toppings falling off it as though they’re dropping to the floor. It’s all about perspective.
Pizza Pool Float: Imagine a slice of pizza as a pool float. Have a model lounging on it in a pool with actual mini pizzas floating around as pool toys. Make it a summer splash.
Pizza Mountain Range: Stack multiple pizzas at varying heights and angles to create the illusion of a mountain range. Add a little toy hiker climbing one of the peaks. Perfect for the adventurous spirit.
Galactic Pizza: Create a space scene backdrop with stars and planets, and position a pizza as if it’s a UFO hovering or as a new planet in the solar system. Maybe a toy astronaut reaching for a slice?
Historical Pizza: Convert a pizza into a sundial, using a breadstick or a pepperoni as the ‘gnomon’. Capture the image as if it’s a scene from ancient Rome.
Romantic Date Night: Dress two pepperonis or other toppings as if they’re on a romantic date. Little hats, miniature wine glasses, and perhaps seated at a tiny table with the pizza as the glowing, moonlit backdrop.
Pizza Fashion Runway: Turn your pizza into a haute couture item. Perhaps a model wearing a ‘pizza dress’ or a pizza handbag. Cheesy, but oh so stylish.
Pizza Detective Story: Create a noir scene with a pizza slice under a spotlight. Scatter some toppings around like they’re clues and maybe add a detective hat on one corner of the slice.
Pizza Seasons: Four pizzas representing each season. A winter pizza with white cheeses and cool colors, a spring pizza blossoming with veggies, a sunny summer pizza with bright ingredients, and a fall pizza with rustic toppings.
Underwater Treasure: Submerge a pizza in a fish tank with some gold coins and treasures. Have fish swimming around it, and capture it as if the pizza is a long-lost treasure from a sunken ship.
INSPIRATION FROM FORMER STUDENTS
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