Workshop Preparation - Food

Look at two quite different professional quality images in the category being covered in the workshop. I must have been feeling a little peckish and was thinking of a nice antipasto so decided to search for some images which turned out harder than expected. There were lots of images on the web but few from food photographers or food stylists.

I picked this image because if reminded me of many antipasto plates I've seen and made me want to reach in and grab a few tidbits.

The image was probably taken with an 85 or 100 mm lens f8-11.

Based on the reflections, especially looking at the black olive in the centre, it looks as though this shot shot using a medium to large softbox rather than natural light. The only strong shadows are around the edge of the serviettes indicating the uses of reflectors on the right and front of the plated food to fill in shadow areas. The light is high and and coming from the top left.

Camera position in front and high from the position of a person standing in front of the table looking down at the selection of food laid out for them.

Props are two serviettes, one red and on checkered, as well as  a baguette that has been torn. The props are close to the plate of food forming a frame for three sides of  the image. The plate is to the right of frame with a small portion of it cropped.

What better to go with antipasto than fettuccine? I'm a very big fan of pasta and fettuccine in particular. To my mind, at least, I think it's taste and texture differs substantially from other pastas even though they are all may be made from the same batch of dough the texture makes a difference.

Similarly to the image above it was probably taken with an 85 or 100 mm lens f4- 5.6 based on the fall off of DoF across the bowl and place mat.

Main lighting coming from a natural source on the right hand side with reflectors used to eliminate harsh shadows. The spectral lighting on the bowl of the spoon and the inside left edge of the bowl indicate the main source is on the right hand side. There is a spectral light reflection on the inside of the bowl at about 1 o'clock indicating a reflector or possibly a softbox but I doubt it is a softbox because of the pasta shadows in the bowl on the right at 3 o'clock.

Props: White woven place mat and brown wooden serving fork and spoon. The place mat fills the entire frame. Three quarters of the spoon is in the frame with part of the handle out of shot and only the tongs of the fork are visible resting on the spoon.

Camera is in front and above the bowl, closer perspective than individual standing over table.  There appears to be a reflector above and to to top left of the image because there is soft shadowing on the place mat closest to the camera under the bowl and to the bottom left of the image.

Several links to sites with photos and lighting diagrams of food shoots. 

• Shooting Food On Location With a Twist –  http://www.lighting-essentials.com/shooting-food-on-location-with-a-twist/
• Food Photography Case Study – http://www.foodportfolio.com/blog/food_photography/case_study_cheesecake.html
• Food photographer in Atlanta: chicken wings, photographer, stylist and a sauce [and only 6 lights!] – http://www.photigy.com/food-photographer-in-atlanta-chicken-wings-photographer-stylist-and-a-sauce/
• Shooting Food On Location - With a Twist – http://www.lighting-essentials.com/shooting-food-on-location-with-a-twist/
• Food Photography: One Light Setup – http://www.foodpixels.com/blog&tag=lighting%20setup