photos blown out using natural light in doors

It's so hard cook, be hungry, and have to shoot the photos before eating. And then having to recook and reshoot the food if the photos don't look good enough. Thank you!
That's why you should just work on your photography knowledge; to just improve that with fake food and stuff before being on the clock with a certain amount of time to get the shot.

Which fake food do you think I could have used in the photo; meat, rice and beans?

My idea was to write a kind of painting by numbers type cookbook that would help people that believe they can't cook.

Making money from the book wasn't the goal.

I was a top film sound editor for many years but it has nothing in common with being a DP

Kind of got dragged into the photography thing and would like to enjoy it.

But food photography seems so so hard. Like being thrown in at the deep end - or that's how it feels.

Michael
 
Last edited:

You don't have a light meter problem you have a lighting problem. A light meter would not fix or help this problem in any way. Variations in camera settings will not help this problem. Bottom line: you shot the plate backlit such that the primary subject is in shadow but you're trying to process the shot with the primary subject well-lit. All of the trouble you're having with this photo derives from the single root cause that the dominant light source is behind the subject.

You can have a backlight in the photo if you want, but you can't fail to light the chicken in the front. Look at the chicken on the plate and see that it's casting a shadow toward you. It's a photo of the chicken. The chicken fills the bottom half of the frame. The bottom half of the frame is in shadow.

Joe

Am very interested in your response and thanks for posting.

The chicken needs to be at the front since it's the feature.

Yep, and it needs to be lit from the front since it's the feature. And this is the root of your problem.

Joe

View attachment 126148

You don't have a light meter problem you have a lighting problem. A light meter would not fix or help this problem in any way. Variations in camera settings will not help this problem. Bottom line: you shot the plate backlit such that the primary subject is in shadow but you're trying to process the shot with the primary subject well-lit. All of the trouble you're having with this photo derives from the single root cause that the dominant light source is behind the subject.

You can have a backlight in the photo if you want, but you can't fail to light the chicken in the front. Look at the chicken on the plate and see that it's casting a shadow toward you. It's a photo of the chicken. The chicken fills the bottom half of the frame. The bottom half of the frame is in shadow.

Joe

Am very interested in your response and thanks for posting.

The chicken needs to be at the front since it's the feature.

Yep, and it needs to be lit from the front since it's the feature. And this is the root of your problem.

Joe

View attachment 126148

Briefly, how did you make such a big improvement to the photo?

I have PS and LR

I started in LR for the basic raw conversion. I then used Photoshop and I resorted to what must be described as extra-ordinary processing techniques. I used Photoshop blending modes in conjunction with luminosity masks (raw file access was necessary). These methods are appropriate for landscape and field photographers who must accept the lighting as given. And I must stress this: If I were in class and this topic came up I would get very animated. (I've been know to climb up on the desk.) I would pound my fists and yell at my students; "If I ever catch you using processing methods like this on a studio photo I will bite your head off! I will fail you faster for this sin than for using a phone camera! YOU WILL NEVER!!! use a post processing method to repair what you got wrong lighting the shot and dream of passing my class. NEVER!! As long as I breath you get the light right in the studio or I burn your _______!!"

I still get excited after 36 years.

Joe
 

You don't have a light meter problem you have a lighting problem. A light meter would not fix or help this problem in any way. Variations in camera settings will not help this problem. Bottom line: you shot the plate backlit such that the primary subject is in shadow but you're trying to process the shot with the primary subject well-lit. All of the trouble you're having with this photo derives from the single root cause that the dominant light source is behind the subject.

You can have a backlight in the photo if you want, but you can't fail to light the chicken in the front. Look at the chicken on the plate and see that it's casting a shadow toward you. It's a photo of the chicken. The chicken fills the bottom half of the frame. The bottom half of the frame is in shadow.

Joe

Am very interested in your response and thanks for posting.

The chicken needs to be at the front since it's the feature.

Yep, and it needs to be lit from the front since it's the feature. And this is the root of your problem.

Joe

View attachment 126148

You don't have a light meter problem you have a lighting problem. A light meter would not fix or help this problem in any way. Variations in camera settings will not help this problem. Bottom line: you shot the plate backlit such that the primary subject is in shadow but you're trying to process the shot with the primary subject well-lit. All of the trouble you're having with this photo derives from the single root cause that the dominant light source is behind the subject.

You can have a backlight in the photo if you want, but you can't fail to light the chicken in the front. Look at the chicken on the plate and see that it's casting a shadow toward you. It's a photo of the chicken. The chicken fills the bottom half of the frame. The bottom half of the frame is in shadow.

Joe

Am very interested in your response and thanks for posting.

The chicken needs to be at the front since it's the feature.

Yep, and it needs to be lit from the front since it's the feature. And this is the root of your problem.

Joe

View attachment 126148

Briefly, how did you make such a big improvement to the photo?

I have PS and LR

I started in LR for the basic raw conversion. I then used Photoshop and I resorted to what must be described as extra-ordinary processing techniques. I used Photoshop blending modes in conjunction with luminosity masks (raw file access was necessary). These methods are appropriate for landscape and field photographers who must accept the lighting as given. And I must stress this: If I were in class and this topic came up I would get very animated. (I've been know to climb up on the desk.) I would pound my fists and yell at my students; "If I ever catch you using processing methods like this on a studio photo I will bite your head off! I will fail you faster for this sin than for using a phone camera! YOU WILL NEVER!!! use a post processing method to repair what you got wrong lighting the shot and dream of passing my class. NEVER!! As long as I breath you get the light right in the studio or I burn your _______!!"

I still get excited after 36 years.

Joe

Thank you so so much!
 
BTW, when I use "natural" light (a bit of a misnomer because I even use reflectors to manipulate that light) I have a giant black tablecloth that I purchased specifically to bring on food photographer shoots. I hang this up over windows, etc. and I will use this to block out light source that create light or reflections that I don't want.
 
BTW, when I use "natural" light (a bit of a misnomer because I even use reflectors to manipulate that light) I have a giant black tablecloth that I purchased specifically to bring on food photographer shoots. I hang this up over windows, etc. and I will use this to block out light source that create light or reflections that I don't want.
Thanks.

The black backdrop is interesting!
 
The pictures just look to me like the needs some Curves Adjustment and maybe a little boost in clarity.
 
;-)

Does the image look blown out to you?

I have a couple of reflectors but if the image is blown out am not sure that I want to add more light.

I don't like raw celery but it has a milder taste in sauces. Good in bolognese sauce and gives a slight crunch.

Michael
I also do not like celery, but the rubber bands they come with are great for zoom creep. You can add some shadow or contrast in post-processing. That will help. If your computer handles Apps, there is a free one called "Photoshop Express" that handles highlights very well.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top