Pastries, Cakes and Desserts

This is a great image which shows food as it should be - natural looking, tempting and tasty and about to be eaten. It has been very well staged with good composition and framing, great lighting, focusing etc. Being critical, what could have improved this shot even further would be to have captured the very next step - the pour of the custard. Admittedly there is only probably one chance to get that shot, as custard cannot be unpoured!! Maybe you went for it and it didn't quite work out? My advice would be to get all the "dry" shots, then experiment with the pour shot. This is still a super capture however. Congratulations on your winning image.

These pretty cupcakes have been captured superbly, as there is great focus on the details of the creamy frosting, which makes them look very tempting and appetising, the aim of all food photography I am sure. The lighting is quite gentle and you have avoided any harsh shadows or highlights, which has importantly retained the gentleness of the image with the soft pastel colours of the cakes and paper holders. Beautiful image of some lovely looking cakes. Well done on your top ten placing.

What I really like about this shot is your decision not to try and capture the entire cake. By focusing on just a part of it, we can avoid any distraction from other objects possibly surrounding the cake, and we can still get a good sense of what this cake would look like. Indeed, by moving in a little closer, we can see more detail than would be visible in a wider shot, and these details of the toppings and the dripping glaze all provide a feast for the eye. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

This is a beautifully constructed still life composition, with the elements brought together in a harmonious and well balanced shot. The all important food looks tasty and appetising. The vase of flowers, whilst slightly incongruous with the rest of the subjects, does add some height to the image which helps the balance and the overall success of the shot. A lovely food-themed still life. Congratulations on your second place finish.

This is a simple image, but it caught my attention as soon as I saw it. As there is no camera data attached, I cannot be sure whether the image was photographed using a wide aperture giving an extremely narrow depth of field, or whether the blur has been added digitally, but whichever, it is very effective and keeps all attention on these lovely little pastries. The background has just enough focus to be recognisable, but is not too blurred as to be a distraction. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

Many images in a contest such as this will often be rated on the cake itself, rather than the quality of the photography - a poorly executed photograph of a stunning cake will often score higher than a great photo of o food which looks a little more plain and ordinary. In my judging however, I judge on the quality of the photograph, not the subject, and you have done an excellent job in your capture of these simple spit cakes. The fairly wide aperture had been able to keep sharp focus on the cakes and sugar dusting, with the background being softly out of focus, which keeps the attention on the subject. Great lighting too. Well done on your top ten placing.

Photographs of food can work very well when photographed from directly overhead, and this is a great example of that. For shots such as this, composition is vital, and usually a case of trial and error, often with a lot of slight adjusting of the placement of elements within the frame until the result is as desired. The diagonal placement of the slate works well, and the placement of the pastries on the board is spot on - not an easy thing to have achieved I imagine, but the result is very casual and natural. I may have been inclined to crop in a little tighter on the left of the shot, but that is being a little picky. A very well executed image, well done on your top ten placing.

Sometimes simple is best. I love the simplicity of this shot, a single cupcake with a few discarded topping scatters. The background/ texture works really well with the subject, as the delicately natural colours both echo each other to bring harmony. The lighting is great, and along with the sharp focus shows off the details and textures of the food, making it look a very tempting little treat. Lovely shot, well done on your third place finish.

Lemon posset is one of my favourite puds, and this one has been captured so very well it makes me dream of eating one! It can be very difficult to achieve a good set up with a subject such as this, as there needs to be very careful placement of all the elements, whilst still trying to give an impression of randomness with the scatter of the raspberries. You have done well here though, and the wooden board set on a diagonal certainly helps. The spoon in the pot is a great addition too, not only an essential requirement to eat the food, but it adds height to the composition which helps balance the shot. Lovely image - I hope you enjoyed your posset!!