Pasta Brief Review & New Brief Launch
Join Karl, Tim, and Emma as they take a look at our latest Pasta Brief images, see who's top of the leaderboard and announce the next Working to a Brief challenge! Will we want to never eat pasta again or will we be running from the studio to buy some spaghetti?
The Brief
For our final brief of the year. We're keeping it simple... but quite difficult.
You are required to photograph a mens leather shoe.
Some key requirements to this image are highlighted below:
- A formal male leather shoe (any colour, any finish).
- A single shoe floating (no grounding shadow).
- The shoe can be at any angle that the photographer feels depicts the correct emotion.
- A background that compliments the shoe.
- Exquisite lighting that helps embody the mood key words.
- 3D CGI accepted (model files required)
- Post production will be required to remove the shoe support rods etc.
- Post production will be required to execute good burn & dodge and colour techniques to enhance the sense of luxury.
- One image of one shoe only, no combination or montages
- RAW files for folder 1 finalists will be required
Brief Mood Key Words:
- Luxury
- Style
- Provenance
- Elegance
- Gentleman
- Quality
- Formal
- Desirable
The ultimate objective is to create desire. The viewer must feel that they want to own that shoe. The image should portray the brief mood key words above.
The photographer. has the freedom to execute the photograph as they please but within the guidelines above.
The final images will be judged on how they fulfill the emotions listed above and maintain the parameters of the above requirements.
This image is only for example purposes and does not dictate the exact requirements of the brief although it does match the brief requirements. Your shoe does not need to be at the same angle, the same shoe or have the same lighting as this image - it is up to the photographer to deliver an image based on the criteria above.
Submit Your Image
The deadline for entry is 1st November 2025. Karl and the team will review all submissions in a follow-up LIVE workshop.
To view the entry form login or non-members sign-up here to join Visual Education.
Please note all images will remain copyright to the original photographer, but Visual Education reserves the right to publish them within its website and on social media.
© Visual Education. All rights reserved. No content on this page may be used or shared by third parties.
Comments
The pro’s that submit already know that their image is very good. It is those that are aspiring to achieve – (like yours truly) that level need the feed back more than just, here is a name and next.
As an educator at the college level, I see this too often as it easier to give accolades to to excellent students, in some ways, in many ways it validates what you do as an educator. Unfortunately, others become frustrated with their work.
Your comment would not dissuade me from continuing, but there may be others that your lack of comments could leave an lasting impact on their photographic psyche.
p.s my background was a Moose and if you were familiar with Canadian culture you would have seen how it tied in to the image and product.
Hi, thanks for the feedback. In 2026 we’re launching a new ‘project series’ for our members (we haven’t got a name for it yet) It will be a different approach to the more pro end ‘photography briefs’ basically what will be happening is we will be guiding our members through a particular class/project in advance and giving you tips and techniques to apply so you know how to approach the project and then there will be a video class to follow. Then we will be assessing the students work in a less rigid ‘brief’ process with more flexibility for the students and their results. We’ve recognised that our current briefs may be to complex for new students so hopefully this will fill that gap. The current briefs will still remain but the new ‘project series’ will also earn points towards our annual grand prize.
Hi Karl, regarding the requirement of ‘one image of one shoe only, no combination or montages’ – does this mean composites are not allowed? Specifically, if we need to combine multiple shots taken with different lighting setups to achieve the desired result, would that be acceptable? Thanks!
Hi, composites are totally allowed and often necessary in order to get the best lighting or sometimes to overcome the problem of not having enough lights. I prefer to get the lighting perfect for one shot but I also sometimes have to revert to composites for lighting on some subjects. In the brief here regarding the shoe it just means no shots of multiple shoes or a shoe in different positions, the shoe has to look like one shoe.
I agree with Karl’s critique on the pasta brief. Love the placement of the olives. The pasta looks appealing and so does the cheese. The light is awesome.