PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

Food photography is mostly a lighting issue.

Generally all the best "food on a plate" images are lit with the lighting very low, not overhead.

Think of the table holding the plate as the horizon. Your lighting are "suns" on the horizon. Flatter plates are best.

Additionally, the lighting is rarely toward the front (the camera side) but to the sides and even to the rear. The reason for this is three dimensional form. Flat lighting from the top or front does not reveal the dimensionality of the food itself.

Sometimes, you CAN create a base exposure from the top as a soft directionless light (a stop or two down from the horizon lights, purpose of which is to prevent too much contrast) and THEN create the form by lighting from the horizons, sides and rear.

When doing food lighting, you must be concerned as well with the soft or specular nature of the light. Often, the crispness of specular (sharp, contrasty) light sources are the secret to creating the most appealing look, but it is generally a mix of soft and specular which create the look.

Then, apart from lighting, food preparation and food styling also count. This process, in the professional vein, very often makes the food itself poisonous as fun things like glycerin are brought into play to create juiciness. Mashed potatoes become vanilla ice cream... the list goes on...

Food photography shares a lot with studio product photography, and when you do it professionally, its digital Hasselblad, at the least, and generally 4x5 to 8x10 film (or scanning backs, these days.) The clients involved are SO serious. As formats enlarge so does rendition of the all important texture.

All this said, I haven't shot food in any serious way in decades, so all my stuff is on film and a pain to find.

Attached is a very simple picture shot in simple, late afternoon, low angle sun of my fabulously decadent pumpkin bread pudding with cinnamon rum glaze.
Had I shot it seriously, I would have used about six strobe heads in the studio, and it would be even MORE sumptuous.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

swimbob Loc: Columbia, S.C.

I read a tip from another forum recently that recomends if you want steam coming off the food, heat some wet cotton balls in the microwave and then place them behind the plate out of sight.

TraceyG Loc: SW, Fl.

Thanks again guys! PhotoArts, I'm bookmarking this one!

Swimbob, love your avatar!

swimbob Loc: Columbia, S.C.

Thanks Tracey. He's one of the major hold backs to my photography. He has to go everywhere with me and isn't very patient when I stop to take pictures.

TraceyG Loc: SW, Fl.

Sounds like my husband!
:lol: :lol:

affleckgray Loc: Eatontown, NJ

Dear Tracey.
Your plates are too crowded. Try using a 12-inch plate with food that you could fit on to an 8-inch plate. Allow generous space between items. Allow plenty of space around the soup bowl. Use a larger bowl with the same amount of soup.
The rose is out of scale -- much too large, and would be better in a lighter color, such as yellow or pale pink. Get rid of the shadow around the edge of the plate -- it's distracting and very harsh. Lightened up the pictures and increase contrast to provide some snap and sparkle. Perhaps a small spot as an auxiliary light would help.
Your food is fine -- don't mske it look like you raided a buffet table with an undersize plate,
Cheers,
Michael

Casser Loc: San Diego, CA

I love food shots as well and the final edit Bob did of the soup is really good. I have only one suggestion. The big sun flower sitting right in front of the soup bowl is almost the same size as the soup bowl and is distracting as my eye goes right to the flower instead of the soup. Also I can't quite distinguish what the other food items are on the plate. A very small garnish on the plate might be a better call -- the soup itself would then become the center of the picture.

Mrsmoses Loc: Oregon

Have to start the day off with a little something sweet.

Literati Loc: South Carolina

I too like to capture food and the mood surrounding the event where it was served. My family thinks I am nuts but the pics help me remember. Below are a few of the pics I took of some of the meals we had in Ireland last spring.

First meal in Ireland,


Cup of coffee on a rainy afternoon


Irish breakfast

LittleRedFish Loc: Naw'lens (New Orleans)

You must be a good cook. Looks great. Now I'm hungry.

:D

TraceyG Loc: SW, Fl.

Thanks all for the advice. There's a wealth of knowledge and thanks for sharing it with me.

Literati, it all looks good, but I really like #1.!

Rachel I do like to cook. I HATE to bake, but love to cook. Go figure, my daughter is a pastry sous Chef. LOL

Literati Loc: South Carolina

Thanks TraceyG. I found after a lot of trial and error that if I used a macro setting and metered on the light spots it would work. Also, I sat my camera on the table for stability. I am just shooting a fancy point and shoot but hope to have a better camera soon.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

I bet I know what you want to be when you grow up... You want to be the Photographer that takes all of those pictures for the IHOP & Applebee's restaurant menu's don't you? Nice, sharp, crisp pictures.

It says here that I can get the house dressing instead of Ranch. What's the house dressing?

mortonfarm Loc: Texas

Not exactly prepared food, but the best onions grown on earth...Noonday Onions from Noonday, Texas. Google them..something about the minerals in the sand there makes them so sweet they are edible out of hand...Yum....! Linda

Noonday Onions...

KathyinNH Loc: Kingston, NH

Well it sounds like you and your daughter make an excellent pair then.