Food Shoot Lighting options

[K1surf]

Hi ..Very new here..

Mainly a product Photographer with my company now getting into the restuarnt business..

So it means I get to shoot food now..I use 2 straight Bowen flash heads..but it does not work for intimate cookbook quality food photos..

I am wondering what light setups I should be thinking about...

Lens choice......

lighting techniques...

advice!!!...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

HELP?

 

[gsgary]

You need very very soft lighting for food, i helped a photographer who shot food and he spent hours just setting his lighting for one shot

 

[Village Idiot]

What Bowens units are you using? What modifiers do you have? I'd pretty sure with the right modifiers, you can do it. A lot of food photography I've seen is backlit with a big light source with reflectors in the front to light the front part of the food.

 

[Don Kondra]

Try starting with a light high at 11 O'Clock, another low at 3 O'Clock and a reflector at 5 O'Clock.

I prefer softboxes on both lights but for sure on the back light.

Adjust as necessary

I also prefer more DOF than most...f8-f11.

Cheers, Don

 

[CCericola]

Kelby Training has a very informative course on food photography.

 

[analog.universe]

I am very new to food photography as well, and have found that soft light is key for sure.

I've gotten some pretty good initial results with 2 shoot through umbrellas: one fairly close to the subject, above and behind, and another a little further away and nearly level at about 3 or 4 o'clock. With this setup I definately was craving the front reflector that others have mentioned though, will try that next time.

And I totally agree with the depth of field comment above. At the distances involved, even f10 has a good amount of bokeh. I didn't really like any of the shots I took at less than 7.1.


Sortof related.. don't wanna hijack this topic or anything... but what are the advantages of using softboxes over shoot-throughs?

 

[K1surf]

Thanks for the tips..

Still trying...I like the Kelby site..might give that a try...

still looking for tips!!

Thanks again Folks

 

[gsgary]

I was just reading my new mag today and saw this wrightfood food photography manual | By matthew wright | Category: Fine Art Photography | Blurb he's an English photographer living in Seattle
$10 from every sale is going to relief efforts in Japan then to a children's hospital
He also has a blog http://mattikaarts.com/blog/

 

[gsgary]

If you go to his blog PDF is only $20 with $14 going to Japan