toptrainer Loc: Wellington

really looking for some lighting tips. shooting a food catalog five times a year and the client wants white on white background and foreground. Also using white plates, so trying to get the background white the foreground white and not blow out the white plate. I’ve done one session but had to go into Photoshop and tweak the back ground and the foreground and looking to possibly get away from that to make the post production go quicker.
Does anybody have lighting and camera setting tips that may help as I need to go back Wednesday and shoot the second round of the catalog? I am adding one photo so you can see what they’re looking for, and what I am up against.

Robertl594 Loc: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Nantucket

Here is one option. They come in different sizes. I have one that allows you to adjust the color temperature and replace the background color. Very useful.

FOSITAN Bi-Color Dimmable Photo Light Box Kit, 32x32 inch/80x80 cm Photo Studio Photography Photo Box Kit 2 Led Light Bars 252 LED Light Beads Tabletop Professional Shooting Tent with 5 Backdrops https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FD52RR6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_82YVGFM4ZV1A7K2V0HAA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

James, I'd suggest checking out some youtube videos on product photography. They might prove very helpful and eductational.
--Bob

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

65% of my commercial; work is FOOD PHOTOGRAHY. The basic concept of good food illustration is simply gettg to get the food to look appetizing. That involves recording texture, sparkle, dimension and effective staging.

Please understand, that I am not writing this to be nasty or harsh but frankly speaking, if that is what your client wants, they are on the wrong track! IAs a consumer of food, I can't tell if they are strange to look at hockey pucks or pastries. The selective focus in not help the situation it's distracting.

There are many ways of achieving a pure white background with white-on-white separation. Creating a table-top cyclorama background with white seamless backgron paper is one method, Transilluminated opal Plexiglas is another. These methods are not "rocket science" but they need to be planned, yoy have to have the light gear, and it can't be learned and mastered overnight. If you do the lighting properly and are exposed accurately, you won't' need to do any complex post-processing actions to change, remove or alter the background.

Even if you achieve the light and background affect yo need. the other aspect of the job may be missing- FOOD STYLING. This does not necessarily mean that you or the stylist needs to "fake" anything but there are ways to prepare food so it is more photogenic. Sometimes a food stylist is called in or the chef, baker, or maker can handle the task. I have big contracts I usually work with a stylist, on lowe budget gigs, I will call upon the kitchen staff and over the years, have learned many of the methods so I can DIY it.

The pure white background is not a bad concept- it looks CLEAN, however, some better food illustrations have more of an environmental or conceptual background and props. Selective focus can be affected as long as the man subject is in sharp focus and well placed in the composition. If there is no art direction or layout you need to conform to, you man be better off suggesting a more effective concept that is, in the face, easier to shoot.

If you can grasp the lighting concept, mostof the work can be done with one or two monolights, a medium-sized softbox and a few reflectors. If you are up for it, I can post a few light diagrams and explain the method.

toptrainer Loc: Wellington

Thank you very much for all your information, just as I said this is the first time me ever trying this and yes this is what he’s looking for by putting it on his website he wants it just quick and clean and this is not really for the consumer per se, this is for my end hotels in bakeries that just really want to see the desert.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I'm not skilled in product photography but if you want a white background and a white plate, take the photo with a colored background that doesn't contain the color of the food. In Photoshop you can easily select that color and delete it. You then put the image over a layer of a color you want (maybe a slightly off-white to create some contrast for the white plate).

I also like my food in focus. But maybe that's just me.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Learn how to focus stack your images. In product photography, fancy bokeh and shallow depth of fields are anathema.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

You are welcome! OK, so that's what the customer wants. Now, do you know how to get the white background (pure and white) and be able to separate white plates from the background? Let me know if you want to find out.

Attached, is a simp test shot to show various colours and surfaces on a white background.

Good luck with the project.

toptrainer Loc: Wellington

Yes, I would love to find out how I can get the white white background and the white plate and get everything separated to look nice and neat. If you have any words of wisdom for me I’m listening.

cactuspic Loc: Dallas, TX

E.L., the only problem with the bagel shot is that it lacked lox, cream cheese, onions and capers. Well...maybe that's not so bad as I am trying to diet.

Irwin

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Robert, thanks for this link. I wish it was around 50 years ago. My friend had a ceramic business and I did a make shift area in my garage to shoot his pieces for his catalogue. I draped material from the ceiling down to, and over a table. Used two lights at at 45 from each other. This would have been ideal.

spaceytracey Loc: East Glacier Park, MT

Well, your "white" background is blue!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Not anymore!

spaceytracey Loc: East Glacier Park, MT

Lol! Perfect!

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

Consider getting and learning how to use a Tilt-Shift lens. I have a professional product photographer friend who says a good job is possible without using one.