Food Photography

Food photography is a genre of commercial photography that makes food look appetizing for the camera. It is not just photographs of food. It has its own vocabulary and conventions.

Inspiration

Other Inspiration

  • Jennifer Causey https://www.michelekarpe.com/Jennifer-Causey/Food/1
  • Kana Okada https://www.michelekarpe.com/Kana-Okada/Food/1
  • Marcus Nilsson https://www.marcusnilsson.com/
  • Quentin Bacon http://www.quentinbacon.com/#/food/

Food Photography Basics

Angle of View:

The two main angles of view used in food photography are: overhead and three-quarter view which is between eye level and overhead.

  • Photographer: Andrew Scrivani -Overhead
  • Photographer: andrew Scrivani – three-quarter view

Depth of Field

If a three-quarter view is used, often shallow depth of field is also used to bring attention to the food itself.

Light Quality

Direct light-all comes from one direction and makes clear crisp shadows. Sunlight is an example of direct or hard light.

Diffused light– comes from many directions and makes soft shadows. The light on a cloudy day is an example of diffused or soft light.

  • Marcus Nilsson – Direct Light
  • Andrew Scrivani – Diffused Light

In food photography, there is a main light. It is usually a side or a back light.

  • Andrew Scrivani – backlight
  • Andrew Scrivani – Side light

The main light casts the shadows.

The fill light brightens shadows. Often instead of a second light or the fill, we use a reflector opposite the main light to bounce the light into the shadows.

  • Marcus Nilsson – hard light with fill

Distance

The distance between the light source and the subject will allow you to control how it looks. This is such an important factor because of the Inverse Square Law.

The Inverse Square Law states that the intensity of the illumination changes in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the source.

Translation: The light’s brightness drops much faster closer to the light source than further away.

Generally, when working with a clamp light as the main light, set the main light a bit further from the subject to spread out the light. Hold or fasten the diffuser in front of the light. The farther in front of the light the diffusion is set, the softer the light will be.

Set up the white reflector as close to the food as possible and not have it in the frame.

Resource

Watch 1:14 to 6:00 on lighting

Quiz Questions

  1. What is the role of the main light?
  2. What is the role of the fill light?
  3. What is the function of a diffusion panel? How does how you position it change how much it diffuses the light?
  4. What is the function of a reflector? How does how you position it change how much it reflects the light?

Lab Exercises

Onions and garlic

Homework

Final Project

Quiz 2

There will be a quiz next week on November 29.

The topics will be on portrait and food photography: the lighting patterns of portrait photography-Rembrandt, split, butterfly, broad and short light, three-point lighting, fill light, wide angle distortion, the conventions of food photography.