lighting food shots - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR

07/28/2011 12:29:41 AM · #1

While looking for inspiration for food lighting, I stumbled on this very nice series of setup shots on a few different menu shoots. Pretty high end production but my favorite part is the use of many, many little hand held mirrors to bounce little pockets of light back and forth.

supanova

Nikon D5000

07/28/2011 01:52:39 AM · #2

Interesting stuff.
I wont be using this technique for the current food recipe challenge, I don't even think I have that many mirrors in my house!

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

07/28/2011 09:56:22 AM · #3

Yeah that's a great series Brennan, thank you for linking to it.

In some of the photos it looks like they are previewing the image on a mac... how does that work? I know about shooting tethered (have never done it but it's on my list of things to learn) but I didn't know you could rig it so that the full screen preview is available for reference. Anyone?

blindjustice

Canon EOS-7D

07/28/2011 10:14:03 AM · #4

This guy is quite good. Thanks for sharing.

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

07/28/2011 11:43:20 AM · #5

Originally posted by nova:

Buy a Canon, then it works :)

07/28/2011 12:24:16 PM · #6

Originally posted by h2:

Originally posted by nova:
Yeah that's a great series Brennan, thank you for linking to it.

In some of the photos it looks like they are previewing the image on a mac... how does that work? I know about shooting tethered (have never done it but it's on my list of things to learn) but I didn't know you could rig it so that the full screen preview is available for reference. Anyone?

Buy a Canon, then it works :)

Huh? I don't understand what you mean. Actually my backup camera *is* a Canon...

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/28/2011 12:31:21 PM · #7

It is becoming standard to shoot tethered so the client can approve a shot before you break down a setup and move to the next shot. I can't see what software he is using but I know Lightroom and BreezeBrowser allow tethered capture, which work well with live view to really nail your focus and lighting.

amsterdamman

Canon EOS-5D

07/28/2011 12:53:55 PM · #8

This shows why I decided not to enter the recipes challenge, he isn't shooting dinner, he is shooting a great, food setup shot.
I'm too lazy to cook food with no intention of eating it. I took a few shots of a fish I cooked, but its a mid 4 image, though a high 9 meal.
So many different kinds of photography, with his mirrors, brushes and tweezers he has worked on perfecting his food images.
Great work, and having a well stocked gourmet kitchen plus a master chef in the house probably helps a bit!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/28/2011 01:40:40 PM · #9

Originally posted by BrennanOB:

Yes I agree with you down the line, but my question is something else. Maybe I'm revealing my ignorance, and it wouldn't be the first time.

Here's the difference: when you shoot tethered, doesn't the image show up on the pc screen AFTER the shot occurs? Kind of like chimping on a larger format. What I *think* I am seeing in these food shots however is that he has a mac screen that is showing a real time view of the setup before he takes the shot, so that he can tweak lights etc and see what the effect is.

amsterdamman

Canon EOS-5D

07/28/2011 01:46:46 PM · #10

Originally posted by nova:

doesn't the image show up on the pc screen AFTER the shot occurs?

He has it all on tripods and stands. The last image is exactly the same as the set up sits.
Its not a dynamic subject. Hit the trigger again, and you get a 99.99% identical image as is on the mac screen.
Its probably not a "live view" on the mac, but that becomes negligible with his setup imho.
Unless a tomato falls out, then he grabs his tweezers...
With live view coming on more bodies, it not at all impossible he is using it. Money buys most stuff.

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

07/28/2011 03:19:34 PM · #11

Oh of course, that makes perfect sense! Once again I overlooked the obvious; thanks

amsterdamman.

yanko

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

07/28/2011 03:34:07 PM · #12

Those look like cheap vanity mirrors.

gyaban must be laughing his ass off. Does he not have the money to buy the hubble space telescope and use its mirrors? or better yet have them fabricated from scratch?

DCNUTTER

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/28/2011 04:33:43 PM · #13

Originally posted by amsterdamman:

Originally posted by nova:
doesn't the image show up on the pc screen AFTER the shot occurs?

He has it all on tripods and stands. The last image is exactly the same as the set up sits.
Its not a dynamic subject. Hit the trigger again, and you get a 99.99% identical image as is on the mac screen.
Its probably not a "live view" on the mac, but that becomes negligible with his setup imho.
Unless a tomato falls out, then he grabs his tweezers...
With live view coming on more bodies, it not at all impossible he is using it. Money buys most stuff.

In some tethering software you might not get a live preview, but I can with the EOS Software that comes with the camera. I haven't really used the tethering feature in LR much, but it's on my list of things to try out.

So yes, it's possible to view all your changes in a live window on a computer screen, and of course also see a still when you take a shot.

Actually, I also in addition to the whole OnOne Software Suite the DSLR remote software for my iPod Touch. I have other Canon wireless remotes and a wired one as well, but the software on my iPod Touch allows me to change camera settings with the iPod and I can also see a live preview on the screen as well. So, I can adjust the focus, aperture, shutter speed etc. I can even set it to shoot multiple brackets beyond what the built in camera settings allow. So the camera can take brackets of 3 shots at a time, but with my iPod and the software I can actually set it take take many more bracketed shots. Works great. It even has a intervalometer setting that allows me to take time lapse photos. Just set it and forget it. Naturally I can also remotely focus and fire the shutter. To use it the camera has to be tethered to a computer on a wireless network or a laptop with a wireless card built in because there is a second part of the software that is a small server that runs on the system. You can shoot the photos and upload them directly to your computer or have them go to your card and computer at the same time. Works very fast too.

So again, yes...you can get a live view of your set up, and it's really cool holding your ipod touch or iphone in your hand and seeing a live preview of what your camera sees!

Dave

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

07/28/2011 09:15:45 PM · #14

In some of the frames (35 as an example) you can see that the photog is using the little mirrors to fill in a shadow he doesn't like, so I'm thinking they are using live view on the monitor to get the shot nailed down tight before they hit the shutter.

blindjustice

Canon EOS-7D

07/28/2011 10:04:27 PM · #15

Originally posted by amsterdamman:

Leave it to us Americans to be too lazy and gluttonous and eat all the food before we shoot it....

bergiekat

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

07/28/2011 10:35:23 PM · #16

ya know...against my better judgement, I've entered, but even with the low number of entries...I feel my shot will be voted down, lol. My setup was NOTHING like what that guy uses.