How to Soften My Light for Food PHotography?

[jbench]

Hi Everyone. I have a job next week for some 80 shots of food. Client wants an even bright white background so I'm using umbrellas (softboxes didn't spread out the light enough). The lighting from the umbrellas is too harsh for the client. I was thinking maybe using a photoflex litedisc in front of each umbrella to soften it. What do you think? Will the diffusion disc keep the light from spreading for even background coverage? Will it soften the light enough?

The umbrellas have silver reflectors on the inside so I'm wondering if just getting new umbrellas with white on the inside would be soft enough.... or just keep what I have and put the litedisc in front of each what do you think?

I need something transportable - its on location.

thanks -

 

[Derrel]

Sounds like you have bitten off wayyyyyy more than you can chew. Umbrellas for food??? Hoh,boy...how about making a large diffusion panel fitted with a white fabric, and using it as a bank light?

Using a litedisc in front of each umbrella sounds very odd. You are asking some very basic questions about how light behaves when modified. I'm not sure anybody here can bring you up to speed in less than 10,000 words.

However, here's my BASIC idea for a beginner: use MORE light on the background, to make it white, and LESS light on the food, to make it appear nice and saturated, and well-exposed, while the background gets MORE Light, and thus turns a nice, crisp white. If your background is actually white seamless paper, it will not that "that much more" light to make it pure white.

Second: use a LARGE, broad light source, like a 4x 6 foot panel made of PVC pipe and covered with a tightly-stretched diffusion material. Rig up two light stands, one for each end of the diffusion frame, and get it elevated, and then ANGLE it in from one side, to light the food.TO allow the panel to be angled, you need some type of "pivot point", and some type of locking mechanism. I would suggest a trip to a Mega-Mondo-Gynormous HomeLowesEagle hardware and building supply store in your vicinity, for advice and hardware.

With a really BIG light source like this, it is best to have two lights. Anyway, with this big, broad light, the shadows will be soft, and the highlights will be big on the glassware and silverware and plates. An 80-shot food shoot ought to have about 10 people working on it, over five to seven days...but, I suspect this is gonna be just you and one or two helpers, so, you are gonna' need to "light the table" in a fairly broad, simple manner, ie, with a 4x6 foot panel, and then bring the dishes in and shoot,shoot,shoot. With 80 dishes, there will not be time for much finesse, unless you have 30 days to shoot it. So...you're gonna have to go for the lowest common denominator: white backdrop, simple lighting, assembly line shooting. Best of luck to you!

 

[jbench]

Hi and thank you for your reply. I'm not really a beginner. I've been a pro for 25 years or so. Although, admittedly, not much food. The problem with lighting the background separately is that the white plate of food will be sitting on the white background. I will be shooting on location in a not very big room so I can't rig up a big panel of light, bounce foam board, etc. The soft boxes just didn't spread the light out evenly enough.

So, do you understand how the light would be modified if I put diffusion in front of an umbrella? It might just be a good idea. What do you think?

 

[analog.universe]

I have a budget setup that I've put together for shooting food, and most of the time I use shoot through umbrellas. If you're really going for soft, you can put them just barely out of the frame < 1ft from the plate. Most of the time I back mine up because I want a little shadow definition, but getting them close gives very even and soft light. When you use reflective umbrellas the apparent size of the light source will be smaller because they will always be a fair distance from the subject.

As far as even white background, I shoot on a white tablecloth sometimes and still get some falloff toward the back of the frame... an option is to sit the tablecloth, plate, etc on a plexiglass platform and light from below, then you're sure to be able to blow the background.

 

[Derrel]

There's more than one way to light a tabletop setup to get a white backdrop. Do you have a shooting table that can be fitted with a plexiglas top?

Can you light from above and behind, and then reflect light back ONTO the food? Do you have any neutral density film so that you can lay down one or two layers across a softbox, and then allow the angled, top of the box to be brighter, and to blow out the white paper?

I really do not understand what you mean, "softboxes do not spread the light out evenly enough". HUH??? What kind and size of boxes do you have available? And why are they not sufficient? Using umbrellas to light a table top food set to me seems, well, I'll just say, "odd". It seems like you eityer do not have any diffusion panels, or have no experience in how to use them to light small products or food. If you have room for umbrellas, you have room for diffusion panels. I have never, EVER, seen an umbrella that outputs as even a light as a good softbox (not some Chinese cheapie). I don't think I can help much more with this question, so I am going to bow out.

 

[jbench]

analog.universe thank you for your reply. I'm going back and forth now between buying shoot through umbrellas and putting diffusion in front of the reflective umbrellas. I just heard back from a photog on another forum who said he had done just that. Poked a hole in the center of the diffusion disc, slid it onto the umbrella, up against it, and it produced really soft light. I'm just concerned it may keep the light from spreading out along the background. Client is adamant that I have white background. And it is on location so trying to set up the under the table lighting is too involved...... hmmm, decisions, decisions

 

[jbench]

There's more than one way to light a tabletop setup to get a white backdrop. Do you have a shooting table that can be fitted with a plexiglas top?

Can you light from above and behind, and then reflect light back ONTO the food? Do you have any neutral density film so that you can lay down one or two layers across a softbox, and then allow the angled, top of the box to be brighter, and to blow out the white paper?

I really do not understand what you mean, "softboxes do not spread the light out evenly enough". HUH??? What kind and size of boxes do you have available? And why are they not sufficient? Using umbrellas to light a table top food set to me seems, well, I'll just say, "odd". It seems like you eityer do not have any diffusion panels, or have no experience in how to use them to light small products or food. If you have room for umbrellas, you have room for diffusion panels. I have never, EVER, seen an umbrella that outputs as even a light as a good softbox (not some Chinese cheapie). I don't think I can help much more with this question, so I am going to bow out.

Your negative energy is such a joy - its a shame your leaving. And there are lots of photogs who use umbrellas to light food and yes, the softbox I have doesn't spread the light as I'd like.

 

[Kerbouchard]

If I were you, I would do the shoot completely differently. I would, like Derrel suggested, shoot the food on a plexiglass, or glass, table. You can buy a sheet of glass at home depot for less than $15 bucks. Then I would position a light source under the table to give me my white background. I would balance that to give me a pure white background with no reflections. Then, I would add the plate of food, and balance my umbrellas or softboxes or whatever to properly expose the subject.

This type of photography is not that difficult and with a subject that doesn't move and multiple subjects that are going to be shot in the exact same circumstances, it should be a piece of cake. Heck, it can be done with two speedlights with no flash modifiers. One speedlight under the subject exposing the background, and one speedlight with bounce flash exposing the subject with soft, directional light.

Trying to achive a white background by lighting the background and subject from above while still properly exposing your subject and not producing shadows is a recipie for disaster.

Do yourself a favor, light the background and the subject separately...in this case, that means lighting the background from below.

Edited to add: If you are going to be taking on these kinds of shoots, a copy of Light, Science and Magic would probably be worth it's weight in gold.

 

[joealcantar]

Don't reinvent the wheel believe these are available: SL6000 Photek Softliter 60" Diffused Umbrella I have used one since they came out and like it, it may do the job for you.
-
Shoot well, Joe
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Here is a good read: Food Photography - lessons in food photography technique - How to photograph food

 

[jbench]

If I were you, I would do the shoot completely differently. I would, like Derrel suggested, shoot the food on a plexiglass, or glass, table. You can buy a sheet of glass at home depot for less than $15 bucks. Then I would position a light source under the table to give me my white background. I would balance that to give me a pure white background with no reflections. Then, I would add the plate of food, and balance my umbrellas or softboxes or whatever to properly expose the subject.

This type of photography is not that difficult and with a subject that doesn't move and multiple subjects that are going to be shot in the exact same circumstances, it should be a piece of cake. Heck, it can be done with two speedlights with no flash modifiers. One speedlight under the subject exposing the background, and one speedlight with bounce flash exposing the subject with soft, directional light.

Trying to achive a white background by lighting the background and subject from above while still properly exposing your subject and not producing shadows is a recipie for disaster.

Do yourself a favor, light the background and the subject separately...in this case, that means lighting the background from below.

Edited to add: If you are going to be taking on these kinds of shoots, a copy of Light, Science and Magic would probably be worth it's weight in gold.

I am familiar with this type of lighting. I have done it in the past. It isn't something I want to take on location though. And, we are going to be doing lots of shots at different angles and my experience with the mentioned set up is that the angle is critical. However, the biggest isssue is that I'm taking the show on the road and working in a small space. thanks, though. I've heard about that book.

 

[jbench]

Don't reinvent the wheel believe these are available: SL6000 Photek Softliter 60" Diffused Umbrella I have used one since they came out and like it, it may do the job for you.
-

Now this looks interesting! I'll have to see if it works with dynalite Thanks so much!

 

[gsgary]

Don't reinvent the wheel believe these are available: SL6000 Photek Softliter 60" Diffused Umbrella I have used one since they came out and like it, it may do the job for you.
-

Now this looks interesting! I'll have to see if it works with dynalite Thanks so much!

Looks like cheap crap to me $79 , how far away can you get the background ? I would move the background as far as possible and light it separately, i would use my 1.6m softbox above with lots of bounce cards moving my light around where i want it plus 2 or 3 other lights bounced off white boards and some black card

 

[Derrel]

And there are lots of photogs who use umbrellas to light food>SNIP

Yeah...they're on Flickr with their speedlights and $13 shoot-through Chinese umbrellas. DEFINITELY buy a book to help teach you what you have not learned in 25 years as a "pro". I thought you were a beginner because you've come in here with some of the MOST-BASIC questions, indicating that you have little experience in table-top or food photography, and very little understanding of lighting technique or equipment. If you cannot figure out how to deliver a simple, clean,white background for your client,OR how to light a plate of food, most people are going to think you're a beginner based on your facile questions. My "negative energy" is reserved for people who claim to be professionals and take on jobs they are totally unqualified for, and who then come on forums asking how to light a simple set, and who then ***** about the advice given to them. Ask a beginner-level question about BASIC technique and equipment, and you'll get an answer designed for a beginner. Forgive me if I'm not impressed by people who use umbrellas to light food. Pardon me for having worked in a studio where food was shot every week.

...Snort!

Good luck on your shoot.

 

[analog.universe]

To the OP, Derrel's negative energy is not "reserved" for anyone in particular.... don't take it personally :lmao:

 

[jbench]

And there are lots of photogs who use umbrellas to light food>SNIP

Yeah...they're on Flickr with their speedlights and $13 shoot-through Chinese umbrellas. DEFINITELY buy a book to help teach you what you have not learned in 25 years as a "pro". I thought you were a beginner because you've come in here with some of the MOST-BASIC questions, indicating that you have little experience in table-top or food photography, and very little understanding of lighting technique or equipment. If you cannot figure out how to deliver a simple, clean,white background for your client,OR how to light a plate of food, most people are going to think you're a beginner based on your facile questions. My "negative energy" is reserved for people who claim to be professionals and take on jobs they are totally unqualified for, and who then come on forums asking how to light a simple set, and who then ***** about the advice given to them. Ask a beginner-level question about BASIC technique and equipment, and you'll get an answer designed for a beginner. Forgive me if I'm not impressed by people who use umbrellas to light food. Pardon me for having worked in a studio where food was shot every week.

...Snort!

Good luck on your shoot.

No matter how much better than everyone else you think you are - the biggest issue here is that you have to right to talk down to others and project your negativity in order to make yourself feel better by stomping on others. There are plenty of pros who may excel in one area of photography but have something to learn in another. I am proud of who I am as a professional and what I've accomplished through the years. I hope you become enlightened at some point in your learn and realize we are all just as good as the other and all deserve respect. Your negativity unfortunately has hijacked this post and brought it to an unproductive place.