# Food photos for C&C - There is BACON in some of them btw...



## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

I have a new technique where I set my shot up...camera on the tripod...framed...settings how I want them...then set the camera to release the shutter in 10 seconds.

Then during that 10 seconds I grab my light and move it exactly how I want it and PRESTO...the lighting looks good...to me anyway...that's why I want some feedback.

I haven't turned in these photos yet, so anything that you see that should be fixed, please let me know.

Thank You!


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## tirediron (Nov 3, 2014)

I think the lighting is very good in these, as is the food presentation.  Two issues that bother me are OOF foregrounds and the 'bits' of glasses.  I think your backgrounds and overall scenes need a little work, but aside from that, and greater DoF, good job!


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## Braineack (Nov 3, 2014)

seems like an odd technique, but if it works for you.

I'm trying to figure what's stoping you from getting the lighting perfect BEFORE you click the trigger.


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

Braineack said:


> seems like an odd technique, but if it works for you.
> 
> I'm trying to figure what's stoping you from getting the lighting perfect BEFORE you click the trigger.




Some of these restaurants have limited space, since there are customers at the other tables, and since I am shooting these on location, it isn't practical to bring in a convoy of lights on stands. So I have a light that sits ON the table that the food is on...however when I did that the light comes straight ACROSS the food, and left harsh shadows.

So I pick up the light and move it to where I want, plus the 10 second delay makes me stop and think about every shot AND of course makes sure the camera is perfectly still and doesn't get moved by me pressing the shutter.


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## baturn (Nov 3, 2014)

What ever you did, it worked. I'm hungry now.


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

tirediron said:


> I think the lighting is very good in these, as is the food presentation.  Two issues that bother me are OOF foregrounds and the 'bits' of glasses.  I think your backgrounds and overall scenes need a little work, but aside from that, and greater DoF, good job!



I guess its a preference thing on the DOF, because the magazine these go in likes the shallow DOF, so I have been shooting these around f/4 for the most part.

I feel the glasses were kinda...gimmicky, but they added some different colors, so I went with them. I see how they can be distracting though.

Thanks for the feedback!


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

Also I  just used continuous light with NO flash on these. I feel it gives the photos a much natural look and doesn't have bounce back from the flash.


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## astroNikon (Nov 3, 2014)

I like it
BUt as the others have said, background.
For instance # 2 .. there's partial glasses there and some black squarish thing in the near background.
Just move them out of the way or maybe have a very small black backdrop to put behind the food to eliminate the BG (glasses, people, multicolored wall) - like a small black quare diffuser might work held upright by 2 glasses.


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

^^ Fair enough, I feel I am learning something new on every shoot, but still have some work to do to make it perfect. I don't see a black square thing in photo 2, I think that is just the table?


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## Scatterbrained (Nov 3, 2014)

Parker219 said:


> Also I  just used continuous light with NO flash on these. I feel it gives the photos a much natural look and doesn't have bounce back from the flash.


light is light.  It's not the flash that makes it look like that, it's where you place it.  The lighting here looks a bit flat to me.   If you don't like the "harsh shadows" you get when the light is next to or behind the food, then add a bounce card on the other side for fill (this is generally how it's done).  Quick, simple, and it gives soft light with nice directionality.


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## astroNikon (Nov 3, 2014)

Parker219 said:


> ^^ Fair enough, I feel I am learning something new on every shoot, but still have some work to do to make it perfect. I don't see a black square thing in photo 2, *I think that is just the table*?


Ahh ... it's a weird shadow.  Same thing in # 10 & 8


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

^ I see what you mean, I don't think there is anything I can do now but for next time I will try to avoid that.


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## JoeW (Nov 3, 2014)

What I'm going to say is probably more revealing of my biases with food photography then your work.  So please take what I say with a grain of salt (no pun intended).

1.  I prefer a softer light.  I know you're shooting on-site, have lighting restrictions, etc.  Too me, the lighting is still a little harsh.

2.  Agree with the earlier comment about DoF.  If I were shooting a portrait, no problem with the foreground out of focus.  But for food, I think the foreground needs to be sharp.  So I'd approach DoF a little differently.  I did not take Tirediron's comment to mean you need a broad DoF, only that the foreground (especially if it's part of the plate or the food) needs to be in focus.

3.  I agree with the earlier comments about the glasses/stemware.  I think it's better to have background objects like that, that are NOT symmetrical but instead are varying sizes or offset so it looks more "natural".  It's not that you can't have glasses or utensils in the background, it's that it looks too staged.


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## Designer (Nov 3, 2014)

Parker219 said:


> I have a new technique where I set my shot up...camera on the tripod...framed...settings how I want them...then set the camera to release the shutter in 10 seconds.
> 
> Then during that 10 seconds I grab my light and move it exactly how I want it and PRESTO...the lighting looks good...to me anyway...that's why I want some feedback.
> 
> I haven't turned in these photos yet, so anything that you see that should be fixed, please let me know.



The light is very flat.  If this were my assignment, I would make sure the light is not so flat.  Also the frame is not always optimal.  Also, and I realize this is probably not your doing, but why do they garnish with rosemary?


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## MichaelHenson (Nov 3, 2014)

I'm not a food photographer by any stretch but my first thought when looking at these was that the light looks flat. In a couple of the photos, the backgrounds and other secondary subjects seem to "pop" more than the food.


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## Designer (Nov 3, 2014)

Parker219 said:


> I don't see a black square thing in photo 2,



Read that post again.  He is suggesting that you get one and use it.


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

Can someone edit one if these photos and try to make the light not as flat?

I think that would help to visualize what you are saying.


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## Designer (Nov 3, 2014)

Parker219 said:


> Can someone edit one if these photos and try to make the light not as flat?
> 
> I think that would help to visualize what you are saying.


Are you kidding?  There might be someone here who can do that, but you were there, why don't you make the light better?


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## tirediron (Nov 3, 2014)

Parker219 said:


> Can someone edit one if these photos and try to make the light not as flat?
> 
> I think that would help to visualize what you are saying.


You need to work with the restaurant owner/manager and explain to him/her that you simply cannot provide the best product in this way.  You need to dedicate a day, when the establishment is closed, to come in, cook the meals, design, and shoot as required.  Trying to do this without proper lighting/staging is pointless.  Add to that, I would think that customers would be rather upset to know that they were getting 'used' food.  I certainly would be!


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## tirediron (Nov 3, 2014)

Parker219 said:


> Can someone edit one if these photos and try to make the light not as flat?
> 
> I think that would help to visualize what you are saying.


I agree that the lighting isn't the most dramatic in these, but I think it works well for the sort of product you're shooting.  That said, you need to work with the restaurant owner/manager and explain to him/her that you simply cannot provide the best product in this way.  You need to dedicate a day, when the establishment is closed, to come in, cook the meals, design, and shoot as required.  Trying to do this without proper lighting/staging is pointless.  Add to that, I would think that customers would be rather upset to know that they were getting 'used' food.  I certainly would be!


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

Designer said:


> Parker219 said:
> 
> 
> > Can someone edit one if these photos and try to make the light not as flat?
> ...




If I thought the light wasn't good, then I wouldn't have taken the photo. I think the light looks fine. I am getting feedback that the light is FLAT. I want to see someone that thinks the light is flat make a photo NOT flat, to see what they are talking about.

I don't think..."...you were there, why don't you make the light better"? is helpful AT ALL!


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Parker219 said:
> 
> 
> > Can someone edit one if these photos and try to make the light not as flat?
> ...




I get where you are coming from, but these are smaller restaurants that cant close for a dedicated day.

What makes you think they serve the food to the customer after I take the photos? I don't get the used food comment!?


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## tirediron (Nov 3, 2014)

Okay, let's keep it polite folks...  don't want to have to lock down a thread or anything!


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

Ok, now that I am home and can look at these in photoshop...is this what you guys mean by "flat"?

Original - 







Not Flat? - 






I increased the highlights and reduced the shadows.


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## Designer (Nov 3, 2014)

It is obvious that you don't understand the terminology or how light models the subject.  Look up "flat" light and perhaps you will realize that it is your holding the light in the position that makes the light "flat".

Since several people have offered their opinion that the light is too flat, it should be taken as a sincere critique, and you should take that critique and either do something to correct it, or ignore it as you wish.


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

Does me posting an edited photo of my trying to FIX the flat light seem like ignoring it?


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## Designer (Nov 3, 2014)

Well, look, far be if from me to be hypercritical, but you're the one holding the light, so why don't you just hold the light to give optimal modeling?


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2014)

I thought I WAS holding the light correct.

You are not being hypercritical, you are just trying to be helpful.


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## tirediron (Nov 3, 2014)

The term "flat" when used in relation to photographic lighting means that the lighting is very even, free of shadows, and lacks contrast.  Flat lighting is NOT always bad, but many people feel that shadows are necessary to add drama, and interest to an image.  If you were shooting food for a $100/entre type restaurant, then I would say these images would be sub-par, however since that doesn't appear to be the case, and they're [I assume] meant to be more illustrative than 'food portraits', it's not the end of the world.  If you haven't already, please buy and READ the lighting bible!


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## kdthomas (Nov 4, 2014)

I took the liberty of taking a crack at it in photoshop CC, and started with the "not flat" image.
Added a brightness/contrast layer and pushed the contrast to 30
The added a selective color adjustment layer. Under green I pushed the black to 55, and in red pushed the black to 28.

I felt like this punched the green of the garnish and the red of the tomatoes

I would still want to get rid of the glasses though


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## Parker219 (Nov 4, 2014)

Looks great.

Thank you!

I will take the raw file and try to make something similar.

The reds and greens definitely need a punch like you did.


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