Food photography inspired by artist - Nigel Humphries

I am always looking for new and interesting ways to improve and practise food photography and this week I have been doing just that with my A level Art coursework.

I have been inspired by the artist Nigel Humphries, his style is a combination of many influences, particularly the techniques of the old masters and their introduction of the earliest still life images around.  I suppose his style would therefore be considered quite traditional but with a quirky element, yet remaining true to the classic still life genre.

Nigel Humphries



The simple arrangement of sweets brings a smile to my face as it transports me back to reminiscent times of visiting the sweet shop as a kid.

I believe the photos are like a historic reference too, food packaging is constantly evolving and as new products enter the market, sadly the old disappears. There's also an element of irony and satire within these pictures. There used to be a real focus on ingredients, fresh apples for example, which the great master Cezanne was arguably most profound for, but now the focus is all about the branding and packaging. The sweets depicting a symbol of consumer society today.