wolkodoff1

It seems no matter how hard I try, I can't duplicate the hero photos that restaurants have of their food. I use a Canon SX60HS, a pretty good bridge camera. I suspect that in these staged photos the light sources are arranged just so to make it optimal and just walking into a restaurant, especially at night limits the ability to shoot these types of photos well. Any advice or ideas are appreciated.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Welcome to UHH...Yes you need staged light box lighting. You will need two remote flashes. One will be your Main light and the other your key light. When shooting from the front of the food try to keep a great foreground and background to play with. Use these empty spaces to tell more of a story. Surround your main dish with ingredients and props that relate to the food. Ingredients, sauces, oils, and cooking utensils could indicate how the dish was made.

check out technique here.
https://digital-photography-school.com/5-tips-to-seriously-improve-your-food-photography-techniques/

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

One speedlight in a 30" softbox behind and a foam core reflector in front.
Window light could be used, but you still need a reflector to fill in.
Nikon D810 and the 24-120.
I got to eat it after we were done.... the sandwich, not the camera.

Attached file:
(Download)

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

You can do it with a nice large window and some know how.

Here is a LOT of good information to get you started.

http://pinchofyum.com/tasty-food-photography

wolkodoff1

Thanks for the advice, on the road to more tasty photos!

wolkodoff1

Thanks, will keep trying with this camera then likely have to move to something with a little more power.

wolkodoff1

Stan, thanks, I shoot these as part of travel stories, so lugging all that gear is probably not a reality for me. However, that will give me some ideas of at least where to sit to maximize the light.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The key, as you have already determined, is to make the light optimal. There is no other way - lighting is everything, but there are many ways to make the light optimal.

You will want this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Photography-Lighting-Photographers-Irresistible/dp/0321840739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1495329153&sr=8-2&keywords=food+photography+lighting

And this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Styling-Art-Preparing-Camera/dp/0470080191/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495329203&sr=8-1&keywords=food+styling

Good food photography involves 80% styling and 20% photography. The photography part is pretty standard from a lighting point of view, with the exception of beverages, where you can be quite creative.

The Hero shots are usually done by professional photographers and food stylists, and may involve the chef or just the stylist, who is usually a chef/baker in their own right. I've worked alongside Delores Custer, the author of the book on styling as a stylist as well as my own private work, and have shot food for editorial and restaurant use in the past, so I know what's involved from both sides of the lens. Off camera lighting is a must, but frankly I don't see much in the way of light tents or other similar things. Large softboxes, flags and grids to control light spill if there is room, large reflectors, etc otherwise the work is created in a kitchen equipped studio were there is more room and control over lighting. Gobos can be used to create the impression of filtered window light falling on the table, etc. Hero shots indeed, btw.

wolkodoff1

Thanks Gene, I am sure I can adapt some of the techniques from those, thanks again.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Both authors are considered among the best in the industry. Custer, in particular, has been styling food since before food styling was even a concept - over 40 yrs. Her book is a tome for food stylists - it makes food look amazing.

You might want to look up Donna Hay - she is an Australian food stylist, cookbook author and magazine editor - her stuff is simply elegant - but editorial in style - not what you are likely to see on restaurant menus, but might see on a restaurant's web site.

wolkodoff1

Gene, I can definitely ask for a specific table at a specific time of day. That would probably help. I am attaching one I took in Hawaii. I give it a B-, not bad, but had no light except natural. I post in online magazines, so it doesn't have to be the best resolution. Just reasonable for the situation.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Nothing wrong with that; especially if you aren't in control of any extra lighting.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

That works fine. If you had an option with this shot, how would you change it? FYI, shooting straight down is a style used exclusively by cookbook author James McNair (among others) in the mid 90s for his series of 26 or so single subject cookbooks, and is still in use today.

Look at travel magazines, local and regional lifestyle magazines, and other food-centric magazines like Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Epicurous and you'll find a nice mix of that style, and others where the food is the focus of the shot, taken from a lower angle. Many do appear as if they were taken with soft, large, filtered directional window light. A closer look may reveal a fill reflector to add light to the shadows, while other "texture" food shots (cookies, pastry and other "crunchy" foods will show lighting that is a bit more harsh to accentuate the textures. A lot of times you have to work with what you have, no stylist, little to no bounce light capability, so you go arrange to go early, have the chef prepare exactly what is needed, and you fire away.

Use a ColorChecker Passport to nail neutral light color, then warm it up slightly using the CCP's warming tiles to dial in a precise amount of warmth to the images. Food almost always looks more appetizing when you use a warmer white balance.

I'm hungry now . . .

R.G. Loc: Scotland

If you're up for a bit of pushing and pulling in post processing, don't rule out the possibility of exposure bracketing to give you data-rich files to work on. Ideally you would use a tripod, but if your merging software has auto align, hand-held bracketing is a possibility. Even moving elements like steam can be accommodated if your merging software has anti-ghosting.