TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), the world’s leading consumer multimedia software company, announces their inaugural “Foodies & Photographs,” holiday food photography competition and campaign. The campaign is composed of a contest, and the release of a collection of food photography tips and tricks from popular Instagram photographer Alexa Mehraban of @EatingNYC. Challenging photography enthusiasts to capture and perfect their most impressive food images using CyberLink’s PhotoDirector PC software or the PhotoDirector mobile app, the contest will run throughout the holiday season, from November 24, 2015 through January 4, 2016.
On Instagram the hashtag #food has more than 150 million posts followed closely by #foodporn with more than 70 million posts. “In recent years we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of food photography, and during the holiday season the sharing of food often becomes a major focus at gatherings held by friends and family,” said Dr. Jau Huang, Chairman and CEO of CyberLink. “CyberLink is pleased to provide photographers of all levels with approachable editing solutions through our software and apps, empowering them to capture and share their tasty seasonal meals.”
To enter the contest, photographers are invited to download a free trial of PhotoDirector’s desktop software, or the free PhotoDirector mobile app, capture and perfect a stunning food image, apply either the PhotoDirector 7 watermark, or a PhotoDirector mobile contest frame, and submit their entry through our contest page, our Facebook page, or on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #CyberLinkFoodies. When the contest concludes on January 4, 2016 Alexa of @EatingNYC will select the winning entries. Prizes include a Polaroid Cube, CyberLink’s Director Suite 4, and more.
How to Take the Perfect Food Photo from Alexa of @EatingNYC!
Set the scene:
Restaurants can be hectic. If it’s a trendy, new spot on a busy night, setting the scene isn’t easy! Depending on what’s happening, this may mean moving around plates, clearing unnecessary items or playing with the dishes you are shooting to make them look their best.
Lighting:
The key to a great food photo is natural lighting. Since this is rarely the case when dining out a restaurant, here are some tips to help you out:
1. "Always have a secondary source of lighting. Try using the flashlight from someone else's phone to create 'natural lighting,' and beware of shadows!"
2. If the secondary source of light feels too bright, try covering it with a napkin for a warmer hue.
Angles to consider:
If you want to stand out in a sea of food photos, try switching up your angles. Classics include:
1. Bird’s Eye View: For flat objects or overhead shots of tables
2. Up Close: For dishes with depth (i.e. a towering cheeseburger)
3. A Scenic “Food in the Air” Shot: So much fun if you’re outdoors!
Photo Editing:
Good editing tools are a must-have, and can be found in an app like PhotoDirector. A few standbys are:
1. Removal tool: If it turns out you missed a crumb on your plate when food-styling or found a small blemish you’re not totally content with, use PhotoDirector’s content aware removal tool to get rid of it.
2. Lighting: Enhance the lighting using the tone or brightness tool if the photo is dark. You can also try using the saturation help your photo stand out.
3. Structure and Sharpness: Increase structure and sharpness for a cleaner feel.
About CyberLink
CyberLink (5203.TW) is a world leader in multimedia software design. Since 1996, CyberLink has transformed how people enjoy and create media on PCs, mobile devices and in the Cloud. The company’s award-winning products are sold to all major PC manufacturers as well as millions of customers worldwide. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, CyberLink also runs regional operations through offices in the US, Japan, Europe and Asia-Pacific territories. Further information about CyberLink can be found at cyberlink.com.
