I've been asked if I give any food photography lessons.
Firstly, thanks to all for the positive feedback on my photos (and, hopefully, cooks as well).
I did have a restaurant for 13 years so food presentation is key to me. I think about the plating while cooking the meal. I use as many fresh and different colors of vegetables and fruits to accompany a meal so the final plate will look very inviting.
I usually know in advance if what I am serving my wife and myself (more often than not these are different entrees but share the same sides) warrants a photo. Her meals are all posted on her Facebook page (I do not belong to Facebook myself) and both of ours are often posted on bbq/smoking sites.
In fact, invited guests usually email me the photo numbers from her page that they want me to prepare for them and I try to create a meal using as many of the dishes as I can.
There are many web sites giving great advice for food photography and all it takes is a Google for it.
So the number one rule of mine is to be creative with the plating of the food, cleaning the plate of drips and such. And this includes paying as much attention to the side dishes as the entree.
But here's my photo studio setup that is very inexpensive, very portable and easy to create.
The light box design which I found on the Internet (you can purchase a commercially made one of of different sizes on the Internet) is made from a cardboard box with windows cut in each side and the top. My box is 16" square purchased from UPS Store.
The windows leave about an inch of border. Tissue paper is taped over the windows. The inside of the box is lined with poster board cut to fit.
I set this up at a far corner on a kitchen counter. The box lives in another room and the lights (to follow) live in a cabinet just above where the box is placed.
I use two goose neck lamps from Home Depot with daylight corrected bulbs which give off a true white light, one on each side of the box at the side windows. I use the regular overhead kitchen spot lights for the top but better lighting would result from getting a longer reach lamp with the same bulb to shine through the top.
The camera is mounted on a tripod. I use Aperture priority so I can choose a large f number for the greatest depth of field. My small camera allows just f8 and that seems to keep all in focus. I also use Multi point focus rather than Spot or another available mode of focus.
There is a school of thought on food photography that pin points the focus to a single spot with the remainder of the food slightly blurred. But my goal is to have folks want to lick the screen.
I set the camera for a 2 second delay, put the plated food in the box and compose the photo, moving the plate or the camera as necessary. I try to keep the box and plate edge out of the photo but it's difficult at times.
It helps when I use an oversized plate (I have several sizes of square white plates that are usually used for serving family style but work well to keep the food in the center so the edges are hidden from the shot.)
I also have a 15" square of white Corian that fits in the box and sometimes arrange food like ribs on it. No sauced food, however, as it would run all over.
Not much more to tell but would welcome ideas from others who use proper lighting taking photos. I know that there are others around here that are excellent photographers in general.
Shelly
Firstly, thanks to all for the positive feedback on my photos (and, hopefully, cooks as well).
I did have a restaurant for 13 years so food presentation is key to me. I think about the plating while cooking the meal. I use as many fresh and different colors of vegetables and fruits to accompany a meal so the final plate will look very inviting.
I usually know in advance if what I am serving my wife and myself (more often than not these are different entrees but share the same sides) warrants a photo. Her meals are all posted on her Facebook page (I do not belong to Facebook myself) and both of ours are often posted on bbq/smoking sites.
In fact, invited guests usually email me the photo numbers from her page that they want me to prepare for them and I try to create a meal using as many of the dishes as I can.
There are many web sites giving great advice for food photography and all it takes is a Google for it.
So the number one rule of mine is to be creative with the plating of the food, cleaning the plate of drips and such. And this includes paying as much attention to the side dishes as the entree.
But here's my photo studio setup that is very inexpensive, very portable and easy to create.
The light box design which I found on the Internet (you can purchase a commercially made one of of different sizes on the Internet) is made from a cardboard box with windows cut in each side and the top. My box is 16" square purchased from UPS Store.
The windows leave about an inch of border. Tissue paper is taped over the windows. The inside of the box is lined with poster board cut to fit.
I set this up at a far corner on a kitchen counter. The box lives in another room and the lights (to follow) live in a cabinet just above where the box is placed.
I use two goose neck lamps from Home Depot with daylight corrected bulbs which give off a true white light, one on each side of the box at the side windows. I use the regular overhead kitchen spot lights for the top but better lighting would result from getting a longer reach lamp with the same bulb to shine through the top.
The camera is mounted on a tripod. I use Aperture priority so I can choose a large f number for the greatest depth of field. My small camera allows just f8 and that seems to keep all in focus. I also use Multi point focus rather than Spot or another available mode of focus.
There is a school of thought on food photography that pin points the focus to a single spot with the remainder of the food slightly blurred. But my goal is to have folks want to lick the screen.
I set the camera for a 2 second delay, put the plated food in the box and compose the photo, moving the plate or the camera as necessary. I try to keep the box and plate edge out of the photo but it's difficult at times.
It helps when I use an oversized plate (I have several sizes of square white plates that are usually used for serving family style but work well to keep the food in the center so the edges are hidden from the shot.)
I also have a 15" square of white Corian that fits in the box and sometimes arrange food like ribs on it. No sauced food, however, as it would run all over.
Not much more to tell but would welcome ideas from others who use proper lighting taking photos. I know that there are others around here that are excellent photographers in general.
Shelly
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