“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” - Coco Chanel

Less is more, more is more? So which is it? How we style a scene says everything. After there is that old adage that says a photo is worth a 1000 words right? Overstyling a scene can be a trap for many beginners; making that strawberry sit just so or the glass be just to the left...but sometimes those images can feel tight, cloistered, buttoned up. And unless it’s done naturally, it can easily feel contrived.

Before I even think of capturing a scene, be it a recipe, a place, a tablescape…the first question I ask is what is the story here, what’s happening? Does a lively dinner party scene have to be shot all prim, neatly put together but the dinner arrives, or can the story be more communicated effectively by messing this up a bit, letting the table breathe and look like its been fully enjoyed? A nearly licked clean bowl with a few strands of linguine says almost as much, if not more, than a full steaming bowl. It’s also more unexpected and intriguing…it makes the viewer think “ooo someone clearly enjoyed this, it must have been delicious.” It adds a human component that often lacks in standard food photography. Sometimes less is more.

What human quality can you add to your scene? What can you takeaway or add that would enhance your story?

When I’m capturing a full tablescape for instance, I’ll work from the outside in. I will capture the full table shot and then slowly remove items, either physically or just from the frame. I will start to widdle it down to just a few key interesting features that enhance my story. Maybe it’s just a dirty spoon on the wine stained tablecloth with a few bread crumbs and a leftover pasta dish. By taking away and culling down what’s in your frame, it makes you really think about what’s happening here, where is this, what time of day, and what we want our audience to focus on. Sometimes the full tablescape scene does make for a better story, but it’s worth practicing removing items, letting the scene live…like it was enjoyed or someone just stepped away for a moment while they were making bread dough. Negative space can be equally interesting as the subject itself…

Notice how how the emotion changes when you play with the scene. How does it feel if you add or remove items? Does that support or detract from the feeling you’re after?

So to answer is “less is more, more is more?” It depends on what you’re trying to say! Either approach can work but don’t forget to ask yourself can you say more with less? Often we can and sometimes we get so swept up in the beauty of the scene or all the elements that we overlook the subtleties in visual communication.

Try both and see what feels right for your story.

Alanna

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