Travelers sailing with Disney Cruise Line often choose a lovely night of dining in Remy,  one of the line’s fine dining specialty restaurants.  Dinner at Remy is a lavish and leisurely affair that rivals some of the best restaurants on land with attention to detail that includes Frette linens, Riedel glassware, Christofle silverware and custom-designed china made exclusively for upscale venue. Recently, Disney expanded the menu at Remy, adding a unique tasting opportunity, a decadent dessert experience, a seasonal truffle menu and special caviar selections.  Promoting the new Remy menu, Disney Cruise Line released the new menu along with photos so good they are nearly-edible. First, let’s take a look at how Disney chose to present the new menu and then look at some food selfie tips that can make images captured during your travels come out just as good.

An exclusive event on the Disney Fantasy, Pompidou’s Patisseries Dessert Experience offers adult guests the chance to indulge in decadent desserts while Remy’s Executive Chef and Executive Pastry Chef provide insight into the history and artistry of crafting sweet masterpieces. Photo- Disney Cruise Line/Matt Stroshane

 

Grilled salmon with smoked salmon cream, accompanied by celery and tomatoes.
Photo- Disney Cruise Line/Matt Stroshane

Kobe beef with turnip and potato gratin, served with thyme jus.
Photo- Disney Cruise Line/Matt Stroshane

 

Special caviar selections are offered a-la-carte at Remy (Disney Fantasy/Disney Dream). Options include farm-raised varieties of Osetra and Sevruga caviars from regions in France and Russia.
Photo- Disney Cruise Line/Matt Stroshane

 

Chocolate raspberry cake, accompanied by fresh raspberries.
Photo- Disney Cruise Line/Matt Stroshane

Nicely done, right?  But there is more to this story than good food photography,  which anyone who has ever posted a photo of dinner on Instagram can tell you is not so easy.

Actually, food photography is one of the most difficult elements of a cruise vacation to present in a way that captures the essence of what the chef had in mind when creating the dish.  Still, the situation has improved dramatically in recent years.

Roll the clock back a few decades and I remember being involved in creating a TV commercial for a restaurant chain I was working for.  To make grill marks on steaks show up well on videotape we had to paint the lines on with dark black ink.  It was an elaborate setup with a half-dozen photographers, lots of lights, cameras and crossed fingers until the final result was produced.

Food Photo Tips From The Pros
Fast-forward to present times and we can do all that and more with a smartphone.  Still, there are some tips for food photography, using today’s technology, that will make a dramatic difference in what we see back home, after sailing.

Here’s what the pros have to say:

Get The Light Right
Inside, I cringe when I see others using a flash to capture an image tableside.  Brilliantly illuminating food sucks most of the life out of just about anything edible, producing more of a mug shot than an attractive image of what you experienced. “Always shoot in natural light because it’s more natural, beautiful and honest – flash is really hard to get right,” says celebrity chef Jaime Oliver in a Telegraph article, adding  “Avoid strong sunshine too though, as you get strong highlights and harsh shadows. A shady spot is normally best.”

 

Lose The Zoom, Get Close
“The second you start zooming in on your phone is the second you will start seeing graininess building up in your photos, said Ashley Rodriguez, creator of the award-winning food blog Not Without Salt in the Newark Advocate. “Most of the zooming should happen through your body placement, Rodriguez says. That means getting up close and personal with your food.”

Shoot Like You Eat
“When choosing a camera position consider starting from slightly above your plate, as if you were about to sit down and eat,” says Daniel Norton in an article for Adorama, an online camera store.  “People see food this way and combined with the depth you’ve emphasized by use of a back light, the photograph will invite the reader to join in the pictured meal.”

 

Shoot From Multiple Angles
“Some dishes look good when shot dead-on from above, but many don’t,” says Aimee Baldridge in a Toms Guide post, adding “Bring your camera phone down to table level and try different angles to see which one shows the most detailed and interesting view.”  My thought: I get one good photo for every 20 shot so I might as well try different angles and lighting.  “How can you change the light in a dining room?” you might ask.  Use a napkin, plate or another person to shield or reflect bad or good light.

 

Consider The Setting
It will take more time and a little thought but having that delicious whatever framed in the context of where you are at the time will bring back vivid memories after the fact.  “Restaurants want to impress you so food is, generally, presented and displayed well already which means you don’t have to play the role of designer,” says ephotozine in a great article titled How To Take Awesome Travel Food Photography Shots.  Still, considering the setting and including a partial view of the tabletop, waiter or what you saw while seated tells an interesting story rather than documenting your consumption.

Considering these tips can have a real impact on the photos we bring back home, and that’s important. Follow these tips and those in the video below for magical photos rivaling the great storytellers of Disney.

Learn More, Quickly:
This short video has more food photography tips we can use to capture the wonderful culinary moments we experience on cruise vacations:

Learn More, At Your Leisure
I quoted a number of sources in this article, all worthy of a full read when time permits.

• 6 tips for shooting drool-worthy food photos – Newark Advocate
• Food Photography Tips– Adorama
• Jamie Oliver’s tips on how to photograph festive food– The Telegraph
• 5 Tips For Delicious Food Photos– Toms Guide
• How To Take Awesome Travel Food Photography Shots– ephotozine