We got to Casa Gourmet early in the morning; I helped Barreto set up the lights and the mini studio before Claudia got there. Once everything was ready many desserts were brought into the room, it was impossible not to stare or be provoked by this delightful treats. Once Claudia got there we begun the photo shoot.
We begun with a Quiche, if you know how a quiche looks like it is very simple, there is not much decoration. However Claudia was very meticulous about every detail and decoration, she wanted that the Quiche looked outstanding, so we had to get the angle with no cracks or burns and we had to add some oil to give it glitter and make it more provocative. As I watched her work and listen to her thought in the first two photos I begun to know her better and better and I was able to understand what she wanted the pictures to be like. There were many small details such as burns, dirty spots in the plate or crumbs that she realized and changed so we could retake the photo. So the first thing I learned about our client was that to her small details matter, she is a perfectionist. Therefore Barreto and I had to watch out for those small details that we knew she was aware of so that we didn't have to retake the pictures many times and loose time.
Furthermore as the photo shoot went by I also realized that she really wanted her food to look provocative and inviting. Therefore we had to take the best angle of each dessert to make it look DELICIOUS and MOUTH WATERING. To do this we either added oil to make it shinier or tried different angles to take the best profile of every dish. After looking at all those pictures in the screen I couldn't resist my craving to dig in.
During today's session I learned the importance of listening and knowing your client. The better you know your client and his goals the easier and better you will met his expectations. As I understood Claudia more and more I was able to take pictures that she fell in love. Yes, 3-4 of my pictures were approved by her, my first day and already took 3 pictures for her book!