What is an accident ... No, on the condimentary!
Mustard and chips: a classic combination for a classic crime. That’s the concept behind my latest product photography project, a series of three images that show the dark side of condiments. As a food photographer and a Manchester product photographer, I love to experiment with different ideas and styles, and this one was particularly fun and challenging.
I have had this idea floating around in my noggin for a while, ever since I was a boy playing with chips in my dinner. They make an excellent army if you poke them into mash, you know. I was wondering, who would die harder without the other, the chips or the sauce? Who needs who the most in this twisted relationship?
I had a terrible caption for this image in my head: ‘French’s caught Yella handed’. But I hadn’t really got a full image to go with it, that’s not normally how it goes for me as a food photographer. I usually have a clear vision of what I want to create before I start shooting. So I started looking for inspiration online, when I stumbled upon some murder film shots. It hit me like a ton of bricks: ‘chip-noir’.
A dinner table murder mystery, a who done it with chips and sauce. Was it Helmans with the knife in the kitchen? Or Mr. Heinz at the dinner table, slipped did he…except french fries don’t bleed red! I decided to use a neo-noir style to add some drama and mystery to the scene, but I also kept it vibrant and colorful to match the product’s personality. As a Manchester product photographer, I wanted to capture the essence of the city’s culture and humor in these images.
This image is part of a series of three, each one depicting a different crime scene involving chips and sauce. To catch the rest of them and see more of my work as a food photographer and a Manchester product photographer, be sure to check out my website below. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed shooting them. Let me know what you think and if you’re interested in collaborating with me on your next project. 😊
Blank Canvas Ink is the photo and motion studio by visual-artist Richard Goodw-Wilcox based out of Manchester.