Taking photographs at busy food events is quite a challenge: not only do you want to show how mouthwateringly delicious the food actually was and how lovely the people were who took part, ideally you also want to capture the spirit of the gathering. It is a very difficult job but someone who gets it right every single time is Claire Gunn, the talent behind many of our gorgeous event photographs who has a gift for capturing the heart and soul of each occasion.
What are the challenges of event photography?
If you miss something it’s gone – you can’t pause and replay a moment the way you can during a controlled location shoot. You have to remain alert, watch everything and try to anticipate things too. So you view most of the event through the one open eye that is peering through your lens, bent over in a stalking position ready to pounce at any second!
Sarah Graham cooking demonstration at Silwood
Lighting is another challenge! Low lights at night for dinnertime ambience are great – except when you are trying to photograph a beautiful plate of food. I solve this by commandeering all the available candles and putting them right next to the dish to light it up. Recently I’ve been using solar jars, too.
And then there’s the issue of space. You have no control whatsoever – you just have to arrive and capture everything as it is no matter how it’s arranged. Sometimes this means there is only one angle to shoot the main event from; or the location may be small or dark; or there is something in the way of your shot (like the audience!). In this case you need to come up with another plan. This forces you to be more creative: like standing outside the event space and shooting through the window, or standing behind the chef or musicians. Sometimes you just have to throw yourself in front of the audience for five-second bursts, shoot like a ninja, and then get out of the way! Think weddings and cooking demonstrations – as much as I wish the audience wasn’t in the way, so too do the guests wish I would get out the way – so you have to make that time count to get the killer shots you need with as little intrusion as possible.
Franck Dangereux cooking demonstration at The Foodbarn
What are the rewards?
Events are full of challenges – and if you are being challenged then you are learning. Who doesn’t like learning new things? By having to shoot most of the time in challenging conditions I have been able to upgrade my skills and experience level rapidly, and I am extremely grateful for this. Plus I have interacted with a staggering number of people through photographing events and I have learnt a LOT about the nature of people, which keeps helping me in my work and life.
Capturing the spirit or essence of a gathering is about so much more than a collection of happy snaps of the people who attended. How do you do it? What is the key?
Photography by its nature allows the viewer of the image to see directly into the photographer’s personal and unique way of looking at life – I am just photographing my personal experience. I find life intensely fascinating and enjoy experiencing it like a magpie – looking for the pretty, shiny stuff. What attracts me at events are people’s personal moments when they are deep in a private experience or enjoying a conversation, not aware they are being photographed so they are being their authentic selves. I also like capturing the areas and viewpoints that the audience doesn’t get to see – like the kitchen and behind the scenes.
Do you see yourself as a photographer or a visual artist?
As a visual artist I use photography as one of my mediums. I do digital enhancement/correction/alteration post-processing on all of my images – some take one minute to process and some are composites of many images that take more than 30 hours to complete. These images are not really classified as purist photography and the resulting image is then digital art. My website www.clairegunn.co.za is more focused on my visual art, while www.clairegunn.com showcases more of my photography.
Bertus Basson event at Overture
What role do food and cooking play in your own life?
I have been a chef for 14 years, specialising in Pastry. I’ve worked with amazing chefs who taught me a lot about food and life. Four years ago I decided I wanted to become a food and travel photographer and blogger, so I began to teach myself photography while doing part-time private cheffing. I wasn’t very good in the beginning so I had to work really hard and practise a lot to get to the point at which I could do photography full-time. This took a year; by then I was doing weddings and portraiture and art, so I got a little sidetracked from food photography. In September last year I started my food blog and have been photographing restaurants, food, food events, hotels and travel. As much as possible I choose to photograph food that is artful, mindful, ethically farmed, sourced or sustainable. I’m currently focused on finding small farmers and producers of natural and organic foods to photograph and tell their story through my blog.
What is your own favourite Le Creuset item?
My beautiful Amethyst casserole.
And your favourite Le Creuset colour?
Amethyst – it’s a dessert colour, like brambleberry pie or lavender cream puff.
What is your favourite winter pudding of all time?
Homemade Christmas pudding with freshly churned vanilla-bean double-cream ice cream and toffee sauce. The end.
What five words best describe you?
Happy. Curious. Grateful. Constantly amused.
To view our full range of products, visit our online shop at www.lecreuset.co.za or pop into your nearest Le Creuset Boutique store.
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