Working With Editorial Text

Sometimes a shot will receive a text overlay on the photograph rather than in a separate section. This creates more of a challenge when shooting as the food has to be situated accurately before it spoils. The publishers will send over the text example which I then overlay onto the live shot in Capture One Pro software. We then have to style the food around the copy. Despite this being a bit more rigid in terms of creative freedom, I am actually really enjoying photographing food in this way. The shots below were taken for a book project and a magazine.

"LOVE" and "Defuse your food" advertising shoots

Over the last couple of years I have started shooting more advertising work. It is very different to shooting editorial where the brief is relatively open. To explain further: with editorial the exact props I use and what angle I shoot at is largely decided on the day by me with the help of the others present (a combination of stylist, home economist, art director, cookery editor etc.). With advertising the visuals, i.e. the props, layout of food and angle, are already 90% locked down and it is then my job to meet these precise expectations of the client...and ideally exceed them!

Below is the work I have done for GSK on their "LOVE" and "Defuse your food" campaigns, quite different to my usual style I think you will agree.

100 Cook Books

Client: Pulp Media
And finally, I did a project for a publisher who is producing a collection of books with one hundred specialised recipes in each, e.g. 100 asian or 100 tapas recipes. Unfortunately I did not shoot all the recipes for the books as time would not allow for it. The brief was very open so it allowed me to be a bit more creative styling wise and try a few new things. All shots were taken in my new studio in North London where I am just loving the light.

 

 

 

 

All images © Charlotte Tolhurst

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Dark and dangerous coffee treats

The last month I have been shooting nearly every day and it has allowed me to try out some new ideas. One such shoot was with the help of Kate Wesson and her gorgeous prop styling. It really helped create the painterly effect we were striving for. The shots below are from our recipe shoot for Douwe Egberts coffee. The dangerous bit was trying not to eat too much... at which I utterly failed, the coffee ice cream being my downfall as it is made with condensed milk, a real childhood favourite of mine.

Photo © Charlotte Tolhurst

Delicious sticky honey puddings and delights

The images below are a magazine commission shot using flash. It was one of those perfect shoots where the food looked great (thanks Felicity) and it was all sweet recipes. I often find sweet recipes the most enjoyable to shoot because they lend themselves so well to being pretty images. I lit them all from above and think this works particularly well for the last two shots as it helps them look deliciously sticky....which they were.

For the recipes, please click on the photos.

Photo © Charlotte Tolhurst

Photo © Charlotte Tolhurst

On Location with Marco Pierre White at Wheelers

So, this week I got 1 minute to shoot the famed Marco Pierre White, who quite frankly makes Gordon Ramsay seem like a cute wee kitten. Nuff said, here are my two favorite shots.

© Charlotte Tolhurst

© Charlotte Tolhurst