# Coffee Art



## Edward (Sep 21, 2010)

Hey guys,

I've started doing up some images of coffee (sort of like the kind of stuff cafes would put on their walls). Thought you might be interested to see them


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

If you want to advertise on the forum - great - but first contact site administrator, Glenn to discuss rates.


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## Edward (Sep 21, 2010)

The Systemic Kid said:


> If you want to advertise on the forum - great - but first contact site administrator, Glenn to discuss rates.


Hi SK,

Canvassing (no pun intended) was never my intention, more looking for critical appraisal and perhaps ideas for other prop setups, image framings

Shared off my FAA because the images are protected there and won't get google indexed and subsequently ripped off.

I'll upload them to another non-purchase image sharing site and re-post.

Cheers,

Ed


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Thanks, Ed.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Here is one I am really proud of


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## Edward (Sep 21, 2010)

Here we go.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/23790433/Coffee-Art

So the idea is a "dramatic" styled series of images related to coffee. I've done three so far. The aesthetic I'm going for is the kind of thing cafes would put on their walls.

Other ideas I have so far is drip brewer with bloom and some coffee beans scattered around it on the counter

Perhaps the cliche (but awesome) shot of someone pouring milk from a pitcher into a cupful of espresso

Anyone any thoughts on some prop setups which might make good images in this sort of style?

Ed


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## Edward (Sep 21, 2010)

No one should look that sad when they're about to get drunk!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I can be serious as well


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## Edward (Sep 21, 2010)

I really like that londinium one with the beans in the cup!

Incidentally did you ever get round to trying their robusta before they discontinued it? I was always curious if Robusta could be anything but awful but never took the plunge.


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## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

Nice pics Ed. Look forward to others..............


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## goodq (Oct 10, 2011)

Edward said:


> Here we go.
> 
> https://www.behance.net/gallery/23790433/Coffee-Art
> 
> ...


Photography is a very subjective field so my opinions really don't matter in the end if you like your results. That said I thought I would give some advice on your photos.

First pic: Espresso pour from naked portafilter

-I don't think this is a good pull form a naked or its at the end of the shot when the pump was going to be turned off. When your trying to capture an image its always ideal to capture the perfect scenario, as this is a coffee forum and your intending this image to people that know about coffee I would recommend that you have a "perfect" naked extraction

-In photography I personally cringe when I see selective colouring or when someone tries to monochrome the rest of the image while keeping only part of it in colour. Just looks odd to me. Personally I would just go with dodging and burning to achieve the effect of leading the eye to where you want them to see rather than selective colouring.

Second Photo: Cup of espresso on red coaster

-As this is a photo that also implies some symmetry I would have made the coaster be pointing at the edges so each pointy corner of the coaster meeting the corner of the photo. This way the eye is just drawn to the middle of the photo meaning you would just see the cup (This is however personal preference).

-Again I would refrain from using selective colouring. If you want to get that effect then just use a white cloth under the coaster and you would get a more natural looking shot while achieving the colour contrast

-Your lens either has a weird barrel vignette or you had your finger on the bottom left corner of the shot. Either way, I would try and understand where the vignette of my lens is and avoid that focal length. So if the lens is worse at say 24mm I would use something over or under that depending on the lens. Also edge vignette can be improved by stepping down on aperture (going higher in numbers). If your trying to get a post vignette effect its better to do that in post process by using the post crop vignette tool

-Finally, the handle of the cup I would put on the side of the image rather than it pointing to the top

Third image: Portafilter and tamp ready for espresso

-Either this image is been through an HDR processor or there is some incorrect use of the dodge tool since you get this "halo" effect around the the portafilter and the tamper (more prevalent on the tamper). Either way I would move towards a natural feel more than a heavily post precessed look.

-From a composition point of view I would have put the portafilter in a way where it starts from he bottom left corner and extends to the middle of the picture hence leading the eye to the puck

-Again not a fan of the selective colouring.

Hope that is helpful, like I said, it doesn't really matter if you like your results. Photography after all is a personal thing.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Perhaps I won't admit to the selective colouring I had to do for those pictures Costa had on their walls in the late 90s with the monochrome Italian images and strategically placed coloured Costa cups then! To be fair though, I was only doing as I was told!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

If the unthinkable ever happens and I get my own shop it'll be non-coffee related stuff on the walls.


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