Photography

We use highly descriptive language and imagery to engage with
our senses of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. We especially
use photography to unlock the senses, by showing the freshness
of uncooked ingredients, the way a meal is structured on or in a dish,
steam rising to suggest aroma and propping to emphasise a moment of consumption and human interaction with the food.

We always zoom in on the food in the dish or on the plate. The colour and texture of the food itself, the vibrancy and excitement of the dish and the props and ingredients all add up to create that home-made feel and warmth that is so important to our imagery. Colour and the saturation of the colour should never overpower or overpromise on the food.

Overall, the food should be warm, yummy and inviting. Rising steam will help to increase the sense of just cooked, physical warmth and delicious aroma.

Our on-pack photography is natural and fresh, capturing real, but beautifully imperfect ingredients. The images should be sharp and always completely in focus.

Overhead photography should always be the first choice as our primary photography set up. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

A ¾ angle can be used in some circumstances.

For example; when we need to visualise a greater volume or abundance of food in the serving; or, when an overhead angle makes products like creamy soups or broth look flat and dull; or, the size of the pack itself is too small to make best use of an overhead angle. The main reason of choosing a ¾ angle should be a strategic decision.

How to decide?

When choosing the angle remember that a product range should consistently use only one style of angle, not mix across a range. Always consider local needs and the way the consumer in your market makes decisions on how they understand the final dish.

The two angles may help pull product pillars apart to aid range navigation.

The lighting of food shots must make them look very delicious, natural and with a home-cooked feeling. Photography should not feel staged or artificial, and it should appear to capture daylight, not the harsh artificial light of a studio.

Below is an outline of our essential requirements.

The main dish photography should always exude taste appeal, feel home-cooked, delicious and plentiful. Garnishes can be used to add that finishing touch and flair but they should be realistic – as if added at home, not be restaurant perfect.

• HOME-COOKED food that is DELICIOUS & PLENTIFUL

• Garnished add a finishing touch & flair
  

Ingredients can be a mixture of whole and chopped to create variety and provide deliciousness for a home-cooked feeling. Use whole ingredients to emphasise the freshness but be aware of the scale so that they do not add clutter or look unappetising. They should be scattered on the table surface alongside the dish – spontaneously placed but not thrown messily onto the kitchen side.

We always need to add at least one of the Future 50 food ingredients on pack as part of the cameo of fresh ingredients.

Use prop vessels that allow the food and ingredients to be the hero, add warmth and that compliment their colours. Use the colour of the dish or plate to reinforce Knorr green if needed, or to bring in an edge or rim of colour that helps to add vibrancy and make the dish look less ordinary.

It is important that the photography resonates with your market, with relevant and meaningful dishes and compositions. The final image needs to understand local nuances of tastes and styles. Using a local Unilever chef to attend the photo shoot can be an advantage.

Use serving utensils which would realistically be found in a kitchen at home and typical for your market, to create more appeal and suggest that moment of consumption.

For example, lifting a spoonful of food from the dish or coming into shot to suggest someone about to dig into the food.