A photo can make or break the presentation of a product. As cake decorators... as artists, it is incredibly important for us to have great photos of our cakes. But, it's highly unlikely to have access for a photographer to stop by and take photos for each creation. If it's a wedding cake, you can often get a picture from the photographer at the event. However, they are there to document the day for your couple... not necessarily to take a great photo to sell your product. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing pictures of my cakes done by the "pro's."
But, only I know what angles I want, what new technique I tried or detail I want to highlight. I am by no means a great photographer... I learn by trial and error (and of course YouTube!). Here is a picture of one of my early cakes and my early photography skills:
Eeek! I cringe to look at it! The wrinkles sheet, the dramatic shadows and sun streaks (and not it a good way), the corner where the sheet didn't fit the background. This is NOT a good photo! At least it wasn't in my kitchen with dirty dishes in the background! The poor photo distracts from the really cool cake... I really liked this cake, but the photos are so bad I don't want to have them on my website or facebook page and certainly not printed for my portfolio!
A few years and a few lessons later and here is another photo I took of a cake:
This may not be the greatest photo, but this one is printed and proudly displayed in my portfolio, posted on my website and facebook... I think I even used it for some marketing materials. To me the difference is drastic and this photo can help me sell my skills and product, where the photo above looks sloppy and unprofessional!
All this to say... You don't have to be a pro photographer... but you should know how to take a "good" photo of your cake. Craftsy (which you probably already know I love) has several photography classes to help you do just that! I had no idea!! Click the banner below to see what they offer.
At the very least, I think the Shoot It: Product Photography Class would be a great investment. I certainly plan to purchase it, when wedding season finally winds down! I'll be sure to let you all know what I thought of it :)
Happy Caking :)
DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, however all opinions expressed are my own.
