What is the Best Lighting Choice for Food Photography The Canon 430Ex Speedlight or Natural Lighting?
http://www.strobology.com/photography-tutorials-by-photographers/979/1/What-is-the-Best-Lighting-Choice-for-Food-Photography-The-Canon-430Ex-Speedlight-or-Natural-Lighting/Page1.html
Keith Eddleman
Keith Eddleman is a Photographer in Austin, Texas.
He often shoots food, fashion and musicians. He is the VP of Interactive Marketing at a local start-up.
Portfolio:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/keitheddleman
By Keith Eddleman
Published on 02/11/2008
I've heard it said that if you can photograph food you can photograph
anything. I don't know. I think that is more applicable to kids, and
even more applicable if you and the kids are fishing, but I digress... This photo-blog discusses how to light food photography.
I've heard it said that if you can photograph food you can photograph
anything. I don't know. I think that is more applicable to kids, and
even more applicable if you and the kids are fishing, but I digress... This photo-blog discusses how to light food photography.Take Great Food Photos with Ease
I've heard it said that if you can photograph food you can photograph anything. I don't know. I think that is more applicable to kids, and even more applicable if you and the kids are fishing, but I digress.
This is a lovely cake that was crafted by my food-stylist and wife, Wyana.
I shot this particular cake using a strobe in a very simple off camera set-up. I set up a Canon Speedlight, the 430ex, on a 7 foot stand with a cheap shoot-thru umbrella attached. You can see the light spilling in from the top of the photo.
After much study of great food-photos I've found that back-lighting the subject is often the best bet. Pick up any foodie magazine and look closely at the photography. You will likely notice that the lighting is strongest from the top of the photo (behind the subject) and you will also notice that it's not lit with a speedlight - like my picture.
The best, most frequently used, lighting for really good food photography is almost invariably going to be NATURAL lighting.
Again take a look at that magazine. You're going to see a ton of straight-natural lighting. This should be really good news for the average pro-sumer photog that is thinking of shooting some magazine quality food. Use natural lighting.
For the last 8 years I've been doing restaurant photos and my gameplan was always the same. Get near a window. Backlight the photo. Have a shallow depth of field. When you think you're close get closer.
One last thing that I usually DON'T do is crop the plate in the photo. I would usually crop the photo in post-production. But as of late I've been trusting what I see through the lense a lot more. As you can see in this cake photo (above). I cropped it.
That's it for now I hope this helps you light some great food photos. Keep your camera handy and take photos near the window on a sunny day. Enjoy!
This is a lovely cake that was crafted by my food-stylist and wife, Wyana.
I shot this particular cake using a strobe in a very simple off camera set-up. I set up a Canon Speedlight, the 430ex, on a 7 foot stand with a cheap shoot-thru umbrella attached. You can see the light spilling in from the top of the photo.
After much study of great food-photos I've found that back-lighting the subject is often the best bet. Pick up any foodie magazine and look closely at the photography. You will likely notice that the lighting is strongest from the top of the photo (behind the subject) and you will also notice that it's not lit with a speedlight - like my picture.
The best, most frequently used, lighting for really good food photography is almost invariably going to be NATURAL lighting.
Again take a look at that magazine. You're going to see a ton of straight-natural lighting. This should be really good news for the average pro-sumer photog that is thinking of shooting some magazine quality food. Use natural lighting.
For the last 8 years I've been doing restaurant photos and my gameplan was always the same. Get near a window. Backlight the photo. Have a shallow depth of field. When you think you're close get closer.
One last thing that I usually DON'T do is crop the plate in the photo. I would usually crop the photo in post-production. But as of late I've been trusting what I see through the lense a lot more. As you can see in this cake photo (above). I cropped it.
That's it for now I hope this helps you light some great food photos. Keep your camera handy and take photos near the window on a sunny day. Enjoy!