Differences of Cast Shadows on Food Image Perception

Sakay R. Oscar E.; Soh, Masuko; Toshimasa, Yamanaka

Light in photography is considered by most practitioners as one of the most important
visual element since through it the human is able to recognize shapes, texture, color depth and even create diverse moods in the images. In food photography, light settings also imply the creation of several forms of shadows which become a secondary visual
element. Thus, the effects of different types of shadows on food photos can generate
different perceptions of the food creating either a positive or negative impression on
human behavior.

This paper aims to explore the usage of cast shadow on food photography in order to open a new discussion in this topic. The main approach was to create and survey food images with several cast shadow composition; evaluate them and determine if the difference of cast shadows has an impact on how food images are perceived.

As a result, the experiment showed that different cast shadows affect not only the mood in which food is perceived but also the taste of the food. These findings can be useful to
explain how cast shadows are also a key visual element in the decision making process
or human behavior when choosing what to eat from a group of food images.

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