How to Soften My Light for Food PHotography?

[jbench]

Thanks - I just feel bad for him - he would feel so much better as a human being if he would bring his attitude to a positive level. Thanks for your feed back .....

 

[jbench]

Thanks analog.universe - I just feel bad for him - he would feel so much better as a human being if he would bring his attitude to a positive level. And if affects other too. I have enough confidence in myself to realize what I've accomplished but there are others who might really get hurt - when they don't need it. Thanks for your feed back .....

 

[gsgary]

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.

He is just telling you how it is, good food photography is one of the most complicated and time consuming subjects to shoot, i was lucky to help one of the top food photographers and he spent 3 hours just setting up his lights for one shot

 

[Derrel]

I need to shoot a wedding. The client insists that the photos be GOOD. I have never shot a wedding before. What should I do? What kinds of lighting should I use? Should I bounce my flash? I've been a perfesshu-null fatagrapher for a long,long time. I've never shot this kind of thing before (a people wedding, but I did do some doggie weddings, wink wink!! and also shot a flea circus!), but I'm really positive that everybody here will love me, and help me to do the best possible job possible! My lens isn't very wide-angle. Should I buy or rent a wider-angle angle wide-angle? Let's keep the replies positive, and helpful, so that you can help me shoot this gig in say, an hour and a half, and make it really good! Thanks everybody!:blushing: No negative nancies need apply. Please tell me about the wider-angle wide angle lenses and the bouncing flashes! I want everybody to love me.

Cheek pinches to ya'll!
Signed,
Polly Anna

 

[Kerbouchard]

I need to shoot a wedding. The client insists that the photos be GOOD. I have never shot a wedding before. What should I do? What kinds of lighting should I use? Should I bounce my flash? I've been a perfesshu-null fatagrapher for a long,long time. I've never shot this kind of thing before (a people wedding, but I did do some doggie weddings, wink wink!! and also shot a flea circus!), but I'm really positive that everybody here will love me, and help me to do the best possible job possible! My lens isn't very wide-angle. Should I buy or rent a wider-angle angle wide-angle? Let's keep the replies positive, and helpful, so that you can help me shoot this gig in say, an hour and a half, and make it really good! Thanks everybody!:blushing: No negative nancies need apply. Please tell me about the wider-angle wide angle lenses and the bouncing flashes! I want everybody to love me.

Cheek pinches to ya'll!
Signed,
Polly Anna

I use the 'P' mode. It stands for Professional. Dont worry about the wide angle lenses...if necessary, you can just move back. If you find yourself moving back so far that you are in a different room, you should then move forward. That's pretty much it. Oh, yeah, almost forgot, make sure you get a pic of some of the important stuff. Bride and grooms like that kind of thing.

 

[Derrel]

I use the 'P' mode. It stands for Professional. Dont worry about the wide angle lenses...if necessary, you can just move back. If you find yourself moving back so far that you are in a different room, you should then move forward. That's pretty much it. Oh, yeah, almost forgot, make sure you get a pic of some of the important stuff. Bride and grooms like that kind of thing.

Thank you sooooooooooooo much for the advice on P mode, Kerbouchard. You are a gentleman and a scholar. May God shine on you all the days of your life! I did not know about the "P" or "Professional" mode; I've been using the "A" or "Awesome" mode my father-in-law told me about around a year ago. I had been shooting the Canon Green Box mode, but my pops-in-law (love you, Dwayne!!! Hell-O Poppy!!) told me that the "A"wesome mode would make my photos soooo much better--and he was right! Spot-on, Daddy-In-Law!!

I will jot down your advice, Kerbouchard, and tape it to the back of my camera while taking photos of the wedding! I'm still unsure about the bouncing flash thing, but am just 100 percent, sunshiney-positive that one of the many happy, cheery souls here can help me out! Oh, how I love TPF!!! And life!:thumbup::thumbup: And thanks again, Kerbouchard for your advices.

Who loves ya baby! Hint--I DO!!!
Kisses!
Polly Anna:blushing:

 

[ghache]

I use the 'P' mode. It stands for Professional. Dont worry about the wide angle lenses...if necessary, you can just move back. If you find yourself moving back so far that you are in a different room, you should then move forward. That's pretty much it. Oh, yeah, almost forgot, make sure you get a pic of some of the important stuff. Bride and grooms like that kind of thing.

Thank you sooooooooooooo much for the advice on P mode, Kerbouchard. You are a gentleman and a scholar. May God shine on you all the days of your life! I did not know about the "P" or "Professional" mode; I've been using the "A" or "Awesome" mode my father-in-law told me about around a year ago. I had been shooting the Canon Green Box mode, but my pops-in-law (love you, Dwayne!!! Hell-O Poppy!!) told me that the "A"wesome mode would make my photos soooo much better--and he was right! Spot-on, Daddy-In-Law!!

I will jot down your advice, Kerbouchard, and tape it to the back of my camera while taking photos of the wedding! I'm still unsure about the bouncing flash thing, but am just 100 percent, sunshiney-positive that one of the many happy, cheery souls here can help me out! Oh, how I love TPF!!! And life!:thumbup::thumbup: And thanks again, Kerbouchard for your advices.

Who loves ya baby! Hint--I DO!!!
Kisses!
Polly Anna:blushing:

omg.

 

[ghache]

Thanks analog.universe - I just feel bad for him - he would feel so much better as a human being if he would bring his attitude to a positive level. And if affects other too. I have enough confidence in myself to realize what I've accomplished but there are others who might really get hurt - when they don't need it. Thanks for your feed back .....

Some people have issues you know.
Have you seen derrel's blog? Looks like a ken rockwell's wanna be page but with 10 year old crap and alot of whining and bitching. At least ken have a sense of humour hahahhahah.
He's just one old mediocre photographer who doesnt get much ass. thats why he is frustrated and ***** all day long on TFP. thats sad



Here some advice.

How long untill the shoot?

Get your gear together now and try to emulate the same setup you will have during the food shoot at your client's location and experiement, get these shots into photoshop and post process them to see what type of lightning you need to get that seemless white look your client is looking for. You might not get the look you are going for right out of the box but a little post processing might be needed. I would use a softbox, i've done a couple food gig and my key light was a softbox and i used a couple relfectors. My setup was different since the shots were done in a pub restaurant with the bar and the whole restaurant in the background.

just experiment, like bouchard said, light your background and your food seperatly. getting that white background plain white shouldnt be more different than portraits, add more light to the background.

 

[Derrel]

Dear G,
I am flattered that I have you as my own personal French-Canadian internet stalker! I appreciate the "interest" you have shown in me in post after post after post here on TPF, but I need to clear up what I think is a misunderstanding you might be operating under, Gayhomme; you see, I'm not gay!!! I'm not after "ass" like you are, but the opposite. I am after what the **females of the species have** and which men do not have. You see, as a heterosexual man, I like to "tap it", with women. You are clearly just lashing out at me on TPF,repeatedly, because you're feeling low ever since your lover left you for another man, but please don't use that excuse to be a hater! :hug::


Some day, you'll find another man to replace him,G. Keep your spirits up, and keep telling yourself that he didn't leave you because of your inadequacies, or your frugal nature, or ANYTHING that "you" did wrong. He probably left because his new boyfriend is better-looking, more virile, and wealthier,and he was just simply tired of explaining the tapette thing to his parents. So, keep your eyes focused on looking for a new lover who will appreciate you for what you DO have, like your rapier wit, your old Peugeot sedan, and some nice lighting gear! Keep your ear to the ground. And, I heard about the bad experience you had in the leather bar in Toronto, but I think maybe you ought to give at least one or two of the guys there another chance to plumb your depths, and to see what a wonderful man you really are!


All the best to you!:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[ghache]

Dear G,
I am flattered that I have you as my own personal French-Candian internet stalker! I appreciate the "interest" you have shown in me in mpost after post after post here on TPF, but I need to clear up what I think is a misunderstanding you might be operating under, Gayhomme; you see, I'm not gay!!! I'm not after "ass" like you are, but the opposite. I am after what the **females of the species have** and which men do not have. You see, as a heterosexual man, I like to "tap it", with women. You are clearly just lashing out at me on TPF,repeatedly, because you're feeling low ever since your boyfriend left you for another man, but please don't use that excuse to be a hater! :hug::


Some day, you'll find another man to replace him,G. Keep your spirits up, and keep telling yourself that he didn't leave you because of your inadequacies, or your frugal nature, or ANYTHING that "you" did wrong. He probably left because his new boyfriend is better-looking, more virile, and wealthier,and he was just simply tired of explaining the tapette thing to his parents. So, keep your eyes focused on looking for a new lover who will appreciate you for what you DO have, like your rapier wit, your old Peugeot sedan, and some nice lighting gear! Keep your ear to the ground. And, I heard about the bad experience you had in the leather bar in Toronto, but I think maybe you ought to give at least one or two of the guys there another chance to plumb your depths, and to see what a wonderful man you really are!


All the best to you!:thumbup::thumbup:

HAHAHAHAHA.....

Cmon derrel, calling gay people "tapette" is not nice.

 

[Destin]

Dear G,
I am flattered that I have you as my own personal French-Canadian internet stalker! I appreciate the "interest" you have shown in me in post after post after post here on TPF, but I need to clear up what I think is a misunderstanding you might be operating under, Gayhomme; you see, I'm not gay!!! I'm not after "ass" like you are, but the opposite. I am after what the **females of the species have** and which men do not have. You see, as a heterosexual man, I like to "tap it", with women. You are clearly just lashing out at me on TPF,repeatedly, because you're feeling low ever since your lover left you for another man, but please don't use that excuse to be a hater! :hug::

Some day, you'll find another man to replace him,G. Keep your spirits up, and keep telling yourself that he didn't leave you because of your inadequacies, or your frugal nature, or ANYTHING that "you" did wrong. He probably left because his new boyfriend is better-looking, more virile, and wealthier,and he was just simply tired of explaining the tapette thing to his parents. So, keep your eyes focused on looking for a new lover who will appreciate you for what you DO have, like your rapier wit, your old Peugeot sedan, and some nice lighting gear! Keep your ear to the ground. And, I heard about the bad experience you had in the leather bar in Toronto, but I think maybe you ought to give at least one or two of the guys there another chance to plumb your depths, and to see what a wonderful man you really are!

All the best to you!:thumbup::thumbup:

HHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Darrel, I love you for that, in a totally non-homosexual way


But for real, to the OP: you keep telling us you're a pro. Would you tell us what type of photography your a pro at? Because just about the only pros who would get by without knowing how to set up simple
Lighting like this are.... Landscape shooters. Just about every other type of photography require knowing enough about lighting to be able to figure out a simple white background.

So im calling you out, what kind of photography are you a "pro" at?

Who are you shooting this food for, and how much are you getting paid?

Did you inform the client that you don't know jack squat about shooting food?

 

[gsgary]

I would say it's got to be Chinese food if it's 80 dishes

 

[ghache]

I would say it's got to be Chinese food if it's 80 dishes

its for a buffet

 

[jbench]

well, I checked back to this thread out of curiousity and it gave me a good laugh. It sure went off in a strange direction - poor Darrell......

anyway, my shoot went off great. I ended up using the large umbrellas that came with the diffusion - and some bounce boards and it worked great. Gave the client just what he needed and I'm going back for another two weeks plus.

thanks for anyone who gave me constructive criticism - which leaves out Darrell

and, Darrell, since you do not like positive, pollyanna, comments - how about this - I took a look at your gallery back when you were giving me **** - and it is far from compelling. No food shots - just average model shots. who the hell are you tring to kid anyway?

 

[KmH]

well, I checked back to this thread out of curiousity and it gave me a good laugh. It sure went off in a strange direction - poor Darrell......

anyway, my shoot went off great. I ended up using the large umbrellas that came with the diffusion - and some bounce boards and it worked great. Gave the client just what he needed and I'm going back for another two weeks plus.

thanks for anyone who gave me constructive criticism - which leaves out Darrell

and, Darrell, since you do not like positive, pollyanna, comments - how about this - I took a look at your gallery back when you were giving me **** - and it is far from compelling. No food shots - just average model shots. who the hell are you tring to kid anyway?

Wow! Looks and sounds like something an insecure high school student would write, trying to get back at someone. :lmao: