Food Photography Lighting Tips
Photographing food is not as easy as the professionals make it look. You must be able to make the food look both appetizing and fresh, which can be difficult when the lettuce is wilting on the plate under the glare of hot studio lights. However, a few lighting tips and tricks will allow you to get your shots done quickly and professionally, whether you are an amateur or a professional.
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Utilize Natural Light
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Many photographers rely too heavily on fancy equipment and supplies. In reality, getting a great food shot can be as simple as positioning your plate correctly near a sunny window. Natural light is best in the morning or late afternoon. Unfortunately, at midday the sun is directly overhead and the cast can be harsh and unforgiving. It's fine to leave on interior lights in your home. However, avoid fluorescent lights at all costs; they cast a harsh blue color that can be difficult to correct. Once you have your natural lighting sources set, place the dish in the spot you plan to use. Check your exposure either with the light reader on the camera or an external light reader. If you are dealing with a dish that has stark contrasts, such as a dark burger next to bright macaroni and cheese, try exposing for the light food first, then for the dark food. You may have to experiment to see what looks best, but in general food always looks better when it is brighter.
Diffuse and Reflect
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Diffusing and softening artificial light is a good food photography trick to use when natural light is unavailable. A soft box is a great way to diffuse light, if you can afford it. An umbrella light is a much less expensive alternative. You can bounce light off the concave part of your umbrella and have it reflect on your food. Or, for a more direct light, shoot the light through the umbrella and let it hit the food directly. Either way, your light will be softened nicely. Additionally, you may want to invest in an opaque reflector to bounce light off the other side of your food. Shadows are good, but too many shadows can be a distraction and make the food look unappetizing.
Occasional Flash
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Many food photographers shy away from flash, and for good reason. Without proper diffusion, a harsh flash can make your food look flat and unappealing. But some specific foods can benefit from a direct flash. They tend to be greasy foods like barbecue or sizzling fajitas. Even in these cases, however, it is a good idea to invest in an external flash unit rather than use the on-camera flash that comes standard with many cameras. These built-in flash units are tiny and provide a whole lot of erratic light output without any real control over where it goes. A good external flash can be softened with something as simple as a semitransparent plastic cup placed over the end of it to spread the light out a bit.
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