Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Posted by Unknown |
Food Photography Lighting Tips

Photographing food is not as easy as the professionals make it look. You must be able to make the food look both appetizing and fresh, which can be difficult when the lettuce is wilting on the plate under the glare of hot studio lights. However, a few lighting tips and tricks will allow you to get your shots done quickly and professionally, whether you are an amateur or a professional.

Utilize Natural Light

    Many photographers rely too heavily on fancy equipment and supplies. In reality, getting a great food shot can be as simple as positioning your plate correctly near a sunny window. Natural light is best in the morning or late afternoon. Unfortunately, at midday the sun is directly overhead and the cast can be harsh and unforgiving. It's fine to leave on interior lights in your home. However, avoid fluorescent lights at all costs; they cast a harsh blue color that can be difficult to correct. Once you have your natural lighting sources set, place the dish in the spot you plan to use. Check your exposure either with the light reader on the camera or an external light reader. If you are dealing with a dish that has stark contrasts, such as a dark burger next to bright macaroni and cheese, try exposing for the light food first, then for the dark food. You may have to experiment to see what looks best, but in general food always looks better when it is brighter.

Diffuse and Reflect

    Diffusing and softening artificial light is a good food photography trick to use when natural light is unavailable. A soft box is a great way to diffuse light, if you can afford it. An umbrella light is a much less expensive alternative. You can bounce light off the concave part of your umbrella and have it reflect on your food. Or, for a more direct light, shoot the light through the umbrella and let it hit the food directly. Either way, your light will be softened nicely. Additionally, you may want to invest in an opaque reflector to bounce light off the other side of your food. Shadows are good, but too many shadows can be a distraction and make the food look unappetizing.

Occasional Flash

    Many food photographers shy away from flash, and for good reason. Without proper diffusion, a harsh flash can make your food look flat and unappealing. But some specific foods can benefit from a direct flash. They tend to be greasy foods like barbecue or sizzling fajitas. Even in these cases, however, it is a good idea to invest in an external flash unit rather than use the on-camera flash that comes standard with many cameras. These built-in flash units are tiny and provide a whole lot of erratic light output without any real control over where it goes. A good external flash can be softened with something as simple as a semitransparent plastic cup placed over the end of it to spread the light out a bit.


Food Photography Lighting Tips

Photographing food is not as easy as the professionals make it look. You must be able to make the food look both appetizing and fresh, which can be difficult when the lettuce is wilting on the plate under the glare of hot studio lights. However, a few lighting tips and tricks will allow you to get your shots done quickly and professionally, whether you are an amateur or a professional.

Utilize Natural Light

    Many photographers rely too heavily on fancy equipment and supplies. In reality, getting a great food shot can be as simple as positioning your plate correctly near a sunny window. Natural light is best in the morning or late afternoon. Unfortunately, at midday the sun is directly overhead and the cast can be harsh and unforgiving. It's fine to leave on interior lights in your home. However, avoid fluorescent lights at all costs; they cast a harsh blue color that can be difficult to correct.

    Enhance your photography skill,The Top Secret Photography Techniques

    . Once you have your natural lighting sources set, place the dish in the spot you plan to use. Check your exposure either with the light reader on the camera or an external light reader. If you are dealing with a dish that has stark contrasts, such as a dark burger next to bright macaroni and cheese, try exposing for the light food first, then for the dark food. You may have to experiment to see what looks best, but in general food always looks better when it is brighter.

Diffuse and Reflect

    Diffusing and softening artificial light is a good food photography trick to use when natural light is unavailable. A soft box is a great way to diffuse light, if you can afford it. An umbrella light is a much less expensive alternative. You can bounce light off the concave part of your umbrella and have it reflect on your food. Or, for a more direct light, shoot the light through the umbrella and let it hit the food directly. Either way, your light will be softened nicely. Additionally, you may want to invest in an opaque reflector to bounce light off the other side of your food. Shadows are good, but too many shadows can be a distraction and make the food look unappetizing.

Occasional Flash

    Many food photographers shy away from flash, and for good reason. Without proper diffusion, a harsh flash can make your food look flat and unappealing. But some specific foods can benefit from a direct flash. They tend to be greasy foods like barbecue or sizzling fajitas. Even in these cases, however, it is a good idea to invest in an external flash unit rather than use the on-camera flash that comes standard with many cameras. These built-in flash units are tiny and provide a whole lot of erratic light output without any real control over where it goes. A good external flash can be softened with something as simple as a semitransparent plastic cup placed over the end of it to spread the light out a bit.



  • Healthy Foods - Cooking Light

    www.cookinglight.com/food

    Browse our guide to healthy food, from quick weeknight recipes, entertaining menus and our editors' favorite healthy recipes.


  • Photography Tips Facebook

    https://www.facebook.com/LearnPhotography

    Photography Tips, Mumbai (Bombay), India. 361,682 likes 64,693 talking about this.


  • Digital Photography Tips: Digital Photography School

    digital-photography-school.com

    Welcome to Digital Photography School! Discover how to use your digital camera with our Digital Photography Tips. We are a community of photographers of all ...


  • Photography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography

    Photography (derived from the Greek photos- for "light" and -graphos for "drawing") is the art, science, and practice of creating durable images by recording light


  • Photography Tips, Tricks and Techniques

    www.photographytips.com

    Features information, tips and hints on all aspects of photography.


  • Food on Shine - Yahoo! Shine - Women's Lifestyle Healthy

    shine.yahoo.com/food

    Read the latest food news, discover recipes, cooking videos, entertaining tips, and dinner ideas on Shine Food. Because life should be delicious.


  • Food Network Recipes & Easy Cooking Techniques

    www.foodnetwork.com/recipes

    Find 1000s of Food Network's best recipes from top chefs, shows and experts. And watch videos demonstrating recipe prep and cooking techniques.


  • The Food Timeline: popular American decade foods, menus,

    www.foodtimeline.org/fooddecades.html

    Popular American decade foods, menus, products & party planning tips

  • Cooking Light Find Healthy Recipes, Nutrition Tips, and Guides ...

    www.cookinglight.comRecipes Recipe Finder Quick & Healthy Magazine Everyday Menus

    Find quick and healthy recipes, nutrition tips, entertaining menus, and fitness guides to help you make smart choices for a healthy lifestyle from Cooking Light magazine.

  • Delicious Food Recipes - Arts and Crafts Ideas - Entertaining Tips ...

    www.marthastewart.comFood Crafts Holidays The Crafts Dept Craft of The Day

    Enjoy all of Martha Stewart's delicious Food Recipes together with her Entertaining tips. Also get Martha's creative Arts and Crafts Ideas and useful Gardening ...

  • Art Photography - How To Information Page 1 eHow

    www.ehow.com Arts & Entertainment Art

    Don't just sit there scratching your head, find useful info on Art Photography on eHow. Get essential tips and learn more about everything from How to Shoot a Raw ...

  • FN Dish Food Network Blog

    blog.foodnetwork.com

    Go behind-the-scenes at Food Network featuring your favorite chefs, shows, recipes, events and more.

  • Low Syn Life Food, tips, ramblings and recipes from my

    lowsynlife.com

    What's up, I would like to 1 day 13 hours ago; I'm truly enjoying the design 1 day 13 hours ago; Does anyone know if you can 3 days 19 hours ago; We can argue all day ...

  • Delish

    www.delish.comRecipes & Menus Recipe Finder Games Desserts Casseroles

    Delish features recipes and menus, news, chefs and shows, parties and holidays, coupons. Enter a search term to find a recipe.

  • DIYPhotography.net Hacking Photography For The Love of It

    diyphotography.net

    For our American friends the 4th of July poses a great opportunity to go out and have lots of fun with fireworks. And there is only one thing better than playing with ...

  • Channel 4 Food - Food shows, recipes, tips and top chefs ...

    www.channel4.com/4food

    Welcome to 4Food from Channel 4. Get all the best recipes from Channel 4's chefs; including Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall. Plus, loads ...

  • NikonNet

    www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/index.page

    Behind every Nikon COOLPIX camera is the fundamental idea that photography should bring you joy. Stylish, compact and easy to use, you'll capture every precious ...

  • Pioneer Woman Photography Ree Drummond

    thepioneerwoman.com/photography

    I Love Photography! Dec 12, 2012 Manhattan Sunset Nov 21, 2012 Instajacked Nov 12, 2012 Exposing for the Sky Oct 31, 2012

  • Food & Wine Magazine Recipes, Menus, Chefs, Wine, Cooking ...

    www.foodandwine.comRecipes Restaurants Contact Us Magazine

    Food & Wine goes way beyond mere eating and drinking. We're on a mission to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations.

  • Food.com - Thousands Of Free Recipes From Home Chefs With

    www.food.com/maintenance.html

    Welcome to Food.com, the biggest recipe resource and food community on the web. Whether you?re interested in searching for and saving recipes or connecting with other ...

  • Spanish food recipes with step-by-step instructions & photos. How ...

    spanishfood.about.com

    Spanish food recipes with step-by-step instructions & photos. How-to recipes & tips. Intro to Spanish food, wine & menus. Spanish Tapas recipes. Ole!

  • Cheap Healthy Good - Frugal Recipes, Food Tips, No Mayo

    cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com

    Since freshman year of college, Ive had approximately 15,000 roommates. Some are still my best friends, favorite people, and life partners.

  • Recipes for Home Cooking

    homecooking.about.com

    Home cooking food features include recipes, history, nutrition, cooking techniques, selection, storage, hints and tips, message board, product reviews, cookbook ...

0 comments:

Post a Comment