Suggestions For Product Portfolio

[subscuck]

Chefs, both Pastry and Culinary, should have a portfolio showcasing their abilities. While I have one, it's my school portfolio, so it's long on text, short on pics. I want to do a new portfolio that's pics only, basically nothing but 8x10's, with dividers for catagories, i.e., custards, tortes, bread, etc. I want to go with a minimum of props and put the focus on the food, and hopefully end up with a sleek, stream lined look.

Here's what I'm thinking; shooting on black plexi with the product sitting directly on the plexi where possible. Obviously certain things will need to be on plates or in bowls, etc. So what I'm reaching out for here, is help with lighting. My lighting knowledge is very basic, as is my equipment. I have a 580EX II, and access to a 430EX as a slave when I need it. I realize I need some more, but I'm on a very tight budget right now. So I need suggestions for a cheap but sufficient stand to get my flash off camera, any cheap third party cables, if they exist, for hooking up the speedlites, what I can make for diffusers, etc., as well as any other info that's relevant.

So, yeah, basically I'm a total noob with studio type lighting. I've been telling myself for years that it's something I really need to learn, and this is a great opportunity. This project will take months to complete, as I obviously need to make product before I can photograph it, and that has to be done around my work schedule, but I'm really looking forward to the learning aspect of it. And of course I'll post photos so I can learn what I'm doing right and where I need improvement.

 

[Village Idiot]

What is your budget?

Go on Adorama.com or bhphotovideo.com and you can find light stands for $20-$30. There's even this jewel from Amazon for $13 with a case. You'll need a way to connect the flashes to the stands. You can get umbrella adapters for $15 each.

You can get a set of radio trigger for $30, which will give you the freedom of not having to use wires. For the 580EX II, you need a 3.5 mono phone connect to PC connector. For the 430EX, you need a hot shoe with connector as it doesn't have a sync port. You can find those for cheapish at www.flashzebra.com . There's one that's a hot shoe with a 3.5 mono cable attached that will plug directly into most radio receivers.

A simple umbrella can work well. You can pick those up at $20 ea. You may only need one.

A lot of simple food photography setups that look good use one, maybe two flashes, and reflectors. You can purchase fold out reflector or you can buy white board, foam core, poster board, or other large white objects that will reflect light and act just as an actual reflector would and you can get those for cheaper. It seams a reoccuring theme in simple setups is a big soft diffused light behind the food with reflectors in front to help fill the shadows.

Here's a thread on the "Professional Looking Food Photography" group on Flickr that has photographers showing their setups and results. Spend some time in this thread and this group to get some ideas of what to do.

Group:
Flickr: Professional looking food photography

Thread:
Flickr: Discussing Show Your Setup in Professional looking food photography

Also, and idea that I picked up from a photographer I really look up to is to make a book instead of having a standard portfolio. You can make a book show casing images of yours along with anything else you want to put into it and it can look a lot cleaner than carrying around a portfolio of "loose" shots.

 

[tirediron]

Two lights should be ample. As far as stands, go out and by two of the cheapest tripods you can at what ever big box store is closest. I'm not a Canonite, so I can't give you any suggestion on connections, other than using either inexpensive radio triggers (Cactus type) or cheapy optical triggers. If you don't have any reflectors, pick up some large sheets of white coroplast or posterboard, and as far as diffusers, I have a collection of "clear" (translucent) plastic containers that I drop over my flash heads for work like this. Black construction paper and masking tape will make a great snoot... In short, a trip to Wal-mart, and $50 spent, you're in business.

 

[subscuck]

Thanks VI. I had thought about just my speedlite off camera and a reflector, but wasn't sure if it would be enough. It's probably a good place for me to start, tho. My budget is realistically no more than $150ish. I have been doing some reading on line, and mostly what I'm finding is "shoot in front of a window and use a flash and reflectors". Since I'm wanting to do this on black plexi, I'm not sure that's workable. Or maybe it is...

I like the idea of a book. I was going to use a binder with plastic sheet protectors, but a book is definately far more professional, and in this industry can be the type of "edge" that gets you considered above everyone else.

I've bookmarked your Flickr links, and a quick look thru them is telling me I might not need as complex of a set up as I thought.

Thanks again. :thumbup:

 

[Village Idiot]

Thanks VI. I had thought about just my speedlite off camera and a reflector, but wasn't sure if it would be enough. It's probably a good place for me to start, tho. My budget is realistically no more than $150ish. I have been doing some reading on line, and mostly what I'm finding is "shoot in front of a window and use a flash and reflectors". Since I'm wanting to do this on black plexi, I'm not sure that's workable. Or maybe it is...

I like the idea of a book. I was going to use a binder with plastic sheet protectors, but a book is definately far more professional, and in this industry can be the type of "edge" that gets you considered above everyone else.

I've bookmarked your Flickr links, and a quick look thru them is telling me I might not need as complex of a set up as I thought.

Thanks again. :thumbup:

The biggest problem I see with using the black gloss setting is that you're going to have to watch your reflections from your light sources. Something like a CPOL would cut down on that, but it would also cut down on reflection of your food and place settings, which would probably be defeating the purpose.

$150 should be enough to get you your accessories and everything you need to shoot.

 

[subscuck]

I'm not a Canonite

Well, we all have our own crosses to bear...

and as far as diffusers, I have a collection of "clear" (translucent) plastic containers that I drop over my flash heads for work like this.

This is the type of DIY, "found objects" stuff I was looking for. I've got a ton of the disposeable Glad Ware containers.

Black construction paper and masking tape will make a great snoot.

I will do this as well. Thanks for all the info. :thumbup:

 

[subscuck]

The biggest problem I see with using the black gloss setting is that you're going to have to watch your reflections from your light sources. Something like a CPOL would cut down on that, but it would also cut down on reflection of your food and place settings, which would probably be defeating the purpose.

I hadn't thought about that. Maybe some black cloth then, or shoot the plexi with some satin or matte lacquer? I like the high gloss look, tho, so I'll try working out the lighting first.

 

[Derrel]

I went to that professional looking food group on Flickr and went through about 100 photos...of those 100, I found ONE image that looked like it had been made by a professional photographer. All the rest had tell-tale signs that showed the shooter has absolutely zero idea of what a professional food shot looks like. If you want to learn about food photography, which is an exceptionally demanding specialty branch of photography, I'd suggest you look into a book or two or three on the subject. It will teach you about things like reflection control, control of the lighting, light source positioning, camera positioning and lens focal length, and how to avoid making photos that look like you're a newbie with a camera. These days, food photography has undergone a decline in overall quality, mostly due to amateurs and non-specialized professionals being hired to shoot more and more food photography. The majority of working professional studio shooters are not capable food photographers. What I see on the Flickr site is the same chit, over and over...dull,lifeless lighting, harsh shadows, ZERO reflection control, and compositions where there's a huge, hot reflection in the upper left or upper right (or other!) corner of the image, where a poorly positioned light source blows out the background material.

Seriously...get a food photography book, or better yet, two, and learn from PROFESSIONAL food photographers...not people on Flickr....because what I see on Flickr is absolutely nothing you'll want to emulate. Mot of those people are self-taught hacks who have absolutely no idea about how to light food, or any other tabletop work. A book or two on close-up or table-top photography would also be well,well worth perusing. If you're on a budget, use your local library, and its inter-library load program, or search the biggest used bookstore in your city.

 

[Christie Photo]

A polarizer, circular or otherwise, will not satisfactorily minimize a direct reflection of a light source.

You should be OK though. Just remember... whatever is on wall behind you table will be reflected into the plexi.

I working on a shot right now with black plexi and have a blue gel on a strobe directed at the back wall.

-Pete

 

[Village Idiot]

I went to that professional looking food group on Flickr and went through about 100 photos...of those 100, I found ONE image that looked like it had been made by a professional photographer. All the rest had tell-tale signs that showed the shooter has absolutely zero idea of what a professional food shot looks like. If you want to learn about food photography, which is an exceptionally demanding specialty branch of photography, I'd suggest you look into a book or two or three on the subject. It will teach you about things like reflection control, control of the lighting, light source positioning, camera positioning and lens focal length, and how to avoid making photos that look like you're a newbie with a camera. These days, food photography has undergone a decline in overall quality, mostly due to amateurs and non-specialized professionals being hired to shoot more and more food photography. The majority of working professional studio shooters are not capable food photographers. What I see on the Flickr site is the same chit, over and over...dull,lifeless lighting, harsh shadows, ZERO reflection control, and compositions where there's a huge, hot reflection in the upper left or upper right (or other!) corner of the image, where a poorly positioned light source blows out the background material.

Seriously...get a food photography book, or better yet, two, and learn from PROFESSIONAL food photographers...not people on Flickr....because what I see on Flickr is absolutely nothing you'll want to emulate. Mot of those people are self-taught hacks who have absolutely no idea about how to light food, or any other tabletop work. A book or two on close-up or table-top photography would also be well,well worth perusing. If you're on a budget, use your local library, and its inter-library load program, or search the biggest used bookstore in your city.

100 out of 112,456 images. Good selection. Mad because the thread where you felt like you needed to "set me straight, in public" for mentioning that the OP posted in the wrong forum got moved?

 

[subscuck]

Derrel, I understand what you're saying, and I have looked at some blogs, articles on line by Lou Manna and others. I've seen and heard it said many times that if you can photograph food, you can photograph anything. I know it's a separate discipline within photography, and a difficult one as well. At this point, I'm starting from zero, so all info is useful right now, and down the road some of it will get binned. I've also looked at books on Amazon, and have seen a couple that I would like to have. The main intent of this post was equipment to start with so I can get my ass kicked by the learning curve. I'm expecting more disappointment than success at the beginning, and realize most, or all, of what I shoot at the beginning won't make it into the final portfolio, and will be reshot.

Pete, nice shot and very much what I see in my minds eye, sans the blue gel! I hope I'll be OK...

 

[subscuck]

100 out of 112,456 images. Good selection. Mad because the thread where you felt like you needed to "set me straight, in public" for mentioning that the OP posted in the wrong forum got moved?

OK guys, new day, new thread, new beginning, k? Don't make me come back there...

All of you guys have posted helpful info in this thread, and all of it will be used, and I appreciate the time everyone has taken to help me.

 

[Derrel]

100 out of 112,456 images. Good selection. Mad because the thread where you felt like you needed to "set me straight, in public" for mentioning that the OP posted in the wrong forum got moved?[/QUOTE]

No, I'm not mad; it's just that you're giving bad advice again,as you are prone to do sometimes. 100 photos viewed and only ONE photo even remotely looked like it was a professional food photo...that means that 99 percent of the stuff there looks amateurish, or worse. I've been around photography longer than you have even been ALIVE, Village Idiot,and I can diagnose most lighting schemes merely by looking at the images.I actually know, and can SEE the difference between professional photography, and wanna-be crap. What I am trying to say is this: today, the Strobist movement, and Flickr, and the "foodie" movement,all of which you are a part, is busy snapping pictures of food with umbrellas ( a LOUSY choice, which YOU suggested), and speedlights (also a LOUSY choice, which you suggested). The issue here is not food, but lighting, reflection control, lenswork, and knowlege of how to do food photography professionally. You yourself obviously don't understand much about lighting, or reflection control, or you would NEVER suggest using a single umbrella and a speedlight for food photography!!!

First off, almost all professional food photographers will tell you: speedlights SUCK. They have no modeling lamps. Umbrellas suck--they have curved surfaces, and the radius of the umbrella means there is not ONE single axis to contend with, but many,many,many degrees worth of reflection control to screw up shots. Village Idiot, your own suggestions to another newbie tell me you don;t know the first thing about profession al studio or tabletop work,and how to light it. I'm not "mad" at you because of your poor behavior yesterday, but I am merely stepping in to offer good advice in place of misguided 'advice' from a 20-something newbie...

Subscuck--take your lessons from true PROFESSIONALS in the field of food PHOTOGRAPHY. SKip the amateur hour on Flickr. Look in to making some scrims for your lighting. 99 percent, or more, of the stuff on the professional-looking food photography group on Flickr is out and out CRAP. You'd do far better to go to the library and look through ten years' worth of Gourmet and Bon Apetite magazine, or even Sunset magazine. If you wish to learn about how to do professional food photography, learn from the PROFESSIONALS in the field--not 20-year-olds on Flickr, making horrible images, 99 percent of which or more are decidedly sub-par.

 

[subscuck]

OK, I have a question about strobes vs constant. A lot of what I will be photographing will use buttercream and chocolate, neither of which will hold up to constant lighting. Wouldn't strobe be a better choice for this?

 

[Derrel]

I took about 10 minutes and did a Google search on the term "food photography", and evaluated a number of photographers and their on-line portfolios. Here is how I would classify people who are turning up on Google's first three pages of results:

food photographers

Mark Sykes. Professional food drink and bottle photography. Leeds UK.
beginning professional

Sierra Studio Food Photography
Journeyman

Matt Armendariz Photography
Journeyman

Food Photography by Michael Ray: Nationally acclaimed food photographer
Beginning Master

Take a look at the difference between the skill of first guy listed, and the skill of the last guy listed; the first fellow is what I would consider a "beginning professional" in food photography, and the last fellow is a Beginning Master-level shooter. The people on Flick are not even close to the Beginning Professional, or the two Journeymen I've listed.