Lighting tips for shooting food straight down ?

[redbourn]

If I would ever shoot food straight down I would try a to do a setup like this Yechiel NYC Still Life Photog on Instagram: “Wrapping up the jewelry shoot for @aligrace #jewelryphotographer #stilllifephotographer”

I would also have to agree with Tirediron - about it being fine if you are doing a table scene but I am not sure it is the best set up for food.

thanks but please take a look at ...

http://www.davidloftus.com/food

Has so far sold 250 million $ of cookbooks.

Maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[redbourn]

I shot this on my phone today and will shoot it with my camera tomorrow, if there's any food left ;-)

Should I add props?

Different color napkin etc.

Thanks

Served with garlic rice.

Tasty And Tender Round Steak - Italian Style

Prep time - 10 min
Cook time - 1 hr
Total time - 1 hr 10 min

Serves 4 with a pasta or rice side dish

1lb, 450g round steak, cut diagonally into 1" slices or cubes
1 14.5 oz, 200g jar tomato or spaghetti sauce - approximately
2 cups thinly sliced or chopped celery
1 cup sliced green bell pepper or mixed colors
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup red wine
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp table salt or 2 tsp of coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil

Dredge steak in flour, salt and pepper and fry over medium high until browned on all sides - 5 minutes
Lower heat to medium, stir in onion and fry until lightly browned - 5 minutes
Stir in spaghetti sauce and wine and bring to boil.
Add celery and green pepper.
Stir reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

* I brine this for 20-30 minutes if I have time - see page xxx

 

[FotosbyMike]

David Loftus - Food

Has so far sold 250 million $ of cookbooks.

Maybe I'm missing something.

Looks like you have everything you need to make $250 million dollars...

 

[Ihatemymoney]

General advice for lighting with food:
1. The softer the better
2. The more diffused the better

So...that means reflectors and scrims are the order of the day plus maybe a soft box or two. Also, have white shirts. If you're within 3 feet of the hero item, YOU become a reflector.

As for the issue of shooting food straight down, watch reflections and hot spots (b/c of the angle you're shooting at, especially with silverware and polished finishes on glasses and plates, watch for shadows that you and your gear cast on the food, watch for reflections of you (in everything from broth to a plate).

Hi joe
I don't understand why you would want the pictures soft inless you

General advice for lighting with food:
1. The softer the better
2. The more diffused the better

So...that means reflectors and scrims are the order of the day plus maybe a soft box or two. Also, have white shirts. If you're within 3 feet of the hero item, YOU become a reflector.

As for the issue of shooting food straight down, watch reflections and hot spots (b/c of the angle you're shooting at, especially with silverware and polished finishes on glasses and plates, watch for shadows that you and your gear cast on the food, watch for reflections of you (in everything from broth to a plate).

Thanks for the great tips.

I already noticed in an earlier 45% angle shot how a shirt color can change things, but had forgotten about it.

Michael

I should get an arm for my tripod within the next couple of days which will enable me to shoot facing straight down.

I have a one light set up - a softbox and reflectors.

Any tips on the lighting would be much appreciated and also what to avoid would be very helpful.

Thanks.

Are photographing the food hot ?
The books light science and magic ( understanding light )
Speedliters hand book shows where to place your lights .
What lens are you using ?

If the food is hot I wouldn't hang my camera and lens above hot steaming food !

You can always put something under one side of the plate to make the tilt so it still looks like your are shooting straight down.

Personally I really wonder if you really need two lights ...........This is why.

Two lights leave two or more direct reflection line, whiting out parts of the food.
This all about angles of light to the subject and to the camera....
Called family of angles << ( if you are with in certain angles of the subject you get direct reflection ) < family of angles <

Its kind of like pool balls where the shooter is doing a bank shot.
Light reflects some what like a pool ball do off the rail or a bank shot.
Except light scatters like a stream of water hitting a wall.
This really is not the best illustration .............
And the study of light is a lengthy study......... this why I suggested the books .


Because you are using a soft boxes you are scattering and reflecting your light, making your light polarized..........
When Polarized light strikes all non metallic (smooth surfaces ) it becomes polarized reflection ( AKA ) glare.
Once again if you owned the book light science and magic you would fully understand exactly what I am saying.


Dinner plate sized Tufa rock and no you cant eat it.
Sorry for the blue tint.

I got the book light science and magic about a month ago. Started reading it and found it very heavy going at the beginning.

Just checked it again and see that the latter part is more about the practical side of things, so will read that part first and then go back to the theory.

Lens for food? Nikkor 35mm 1:1.8G

Thanks for the reply.

Good point about hot food. I cook for two days so I can photo it warm or cold with some oil painted onto parts of it,

You might get the book Speedliters hand book and most of the book covers where to set up your speed lights and trigger them.
Personally I really like the book.

I am hard core product photography on my own wood products ( Custom made pool cues and collector pool cues ) that have a glass like finish.


I use a Canon 5dmk II , and a Canon TS-E 17mm L with a fotodiox 145mm CPL.
I shoot tethered, and I have a linear polarized film hanging on the bottom of my Alien Bee B1600
with my 10 x 36 PCB foldable soft boxes.

Glare or reflection can be a big issue when your selling point is the wood figure or grain and natural wood colors...

Using the linear polarized film on the bottom of my soft box and the CPL it kills about 1/3 to 1/2 half of your lighting
But now I can turn up the lighting so I can really see the wood grain and color and don't have to worry about getting blinded with electromagnetic polarized reflection, ( AKA ) glare .

I don't know if this is a good idea or not,
But I want you to check this out and be a little open minded, like for a picture done just for the cover of a book or something where fine silverware is now part the topic or you are wanting ,ore of a romantic look.



I know its off subject, I still don't know if I am sold on photographing straight down with a light on each side.

 

[redbourn]

If I would ever shoot food straight down I would try a to do a setup like this Yechiel NYC Still Life Photog on Instagram: “Wrapping up the jewelry shoot for @aligrace #jewelryphotographer #stilllifephotographer”

I would also have to agree with Tirediron - about it being fine if you are doing a table scene but I am not sure it is the best set up for food.

Checked the link and he's got tracing paper on his light box too.

 

[JoeW]

Distinguish between product photography and food photography. There are plenty of exceptions of course but...

1. Soft light generally works really well with food. I didn't say dim light, just soft, filtered light.
2. DoF, especially a narrow DoF tends to work well too. Think of food photography as a portrait (except of food and not a person) so you're adding bokeh to enhance focus on the subject.
3. And actually, all of the stuff I've seen on food photography says that the most common angles for shooting food are eye level with the food, somewhere around 45 degrees, and then directly overhead. Overhead shots are particularly appropriate when you're dealing with food that is relatively flat but has texture (like cookies or some times of soup).

 

[redbourn]

Distinguish between product photography and food photography. There are plenty of exceptions of course but...

1. Soft light generally works really well with food. I didn't say dim light, just soft, filtered light.
2. DoF, especially a narrow DoF tends to work well too. Think of food photography as a portrait (except of food and not a person) so you're adding bokeh to enhance focus on the subject.
3. And actually, all of the stuff I've seen on food photography says that the most common angles for shooting food are eye level with the food, somewhere around 45 degrees, and then directly overhead. Overhead shots are particularly appropriate when you're dealing with food that is relatively flat but has texture (like cookies or some times of soup).

"
Overhead shots are particularly appropriate when you're dealing with food that is relatively flat but has texture (like cookies or some times of soup).".

Hadn't thought of that - thanks ...

 

[Streets]

Prior to shooting my food straight down, I chew it for a while.

 

[redbourn]

Prior to shooting my food straight down, I chew it for a while.

I was originally going the label the post, "My first attempt going down", but decided that it might be misinterpreted.

 

[Braineack]

your light is too small. why did you ignore my shower curtain idea?

look what happens when you use an entire ceiling as a light:


Tenderloin by The Braineack, on Flickr

 

[redbourn]

your light is too small. why did you ignore my shower curtain idea?

look what happens when you use an entire ceiling as a light:


Tenderloin by The Braineack, on Flickr

I did post about the type of shower curtain and maybe missed a response.

The shower curtains here are plastic and I haven't found a pure white one. They have patterns on them.

And I did post that I added tracing paper, which definitely helps.

I can't possibly shoot photos similar to the above because I live alone and also because my recipes are for four people.

Thanks for responding.