Advanced food photography lighting techniques

[albac0re]

Hey everyone,

*I also posted this in Lighting and Hardware due to a couple different questions in this post. Sorry for posting multiple places!*

The company I work for has been getting more and more into the professional food photography racket. Our problem is that we are having a hard time bringing our lighting skills to the next level. We are mainly video guys so, we have 'continuous light' studio lights. We've gotten some good results (All of the food shots there were shot by us - Rockfish Seafood Grill) but we are concerned that we may be doing things the hard way by using our continuous lights rather than strobes... (if anyone can confirm or deny this, it would be helpful)

We use (3) to (4) 1000w Fresnels with 2'x3' softboxes... one on each side of the camera, one as a hairlight, and one for background lighting. Additionally, we use a 650w Fresnel as a 'top light' that is suspended directly above our food. We occasionally use bounces, but not as often as we should. Equipment: Canon 5D MKii, Canon 50mm f/1.8.

Our problem is that we feel that our lighting skills are lacking and need to be honed and become much more deliberate and precise.

Our goal is to get our lighting skills up to the calibur of food images found here:
Chili's Restaurant Menu
Texas Land & Cattle Steak House
Applebee's
Bennigan's

Thanks in advance!

TL;DR - What are some tips to bring our food photography from this - Rockfish Seafood Grill - to something like this - Applebee's - ?
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[gsgary]

A food photographer i helped out once used bare lights through opal perspex sheeting seem to work great

 

[bratkinson]

In looking at a number of the menu shots from your post, what I notice most is the near complete lack of shadows. It looks like the food is lit from both sides as well as the top. The front lighting appears to be more 'fill' lighting, in my opinion. I also noticed the very shallow depth of field. Thus, the entre is highlighted while the sides & garnish are identifiable, but secondary in the picture, as they should be.

Using video-style continuous lighting that you have would be a problem, in my mind. I'd be concerned with the 'freshness factor' rapidly declining due to the higher temperatures generated by continuous lights. I'm guessing all the pictures are taken within 10-15 minutes of the foods' preparation. Obviously, it's necessary to be at the kitchen to capture the food at it's peak of visual appeal.

I would also surmise that some kind of 'set' is pre-made with the lights, etc, already in semi-fixed positions and all that's missing is the plate full of food. Such a 'set' may be as simple as a 24"x24"x6" topless cardboard box with white paper sides and bottom for reflective qualities and lights on stands as appropriate. Then it's simply put in the plate of food, move in the camera on a tripod, and shoot away.