Milk and cookies.

[Rob Ekins]

While researching food photography I noticed that all of the tutorials were based on ambient lighting, the majority of the photographers had beautiful studios with gorgeous light flooding in. This is not an option for me for two reasons, my little studio does not have fifteen foot high windows over looking the New York Skyline......and I like to shoot these fun project when the kids are in bed. One photographer even went as far as saying that you can not shoot food with strobes..... Challenge accepted!

Setup
1 x YN560ii @1/1 facing the camera in a softbox, there are 2 scrims 300mm apart in front of the soft box.
1 x White reflector CR to light the front edge of the biscuits.
1 x Silver reflector hand held CL to light the milk.
1 x Black card behind the milk to knock down some highlights in the second image.

Camera Info
Canon 6D Tethered with EOS App.
EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM @180mm.
ISO 400.
f/9.
1/160s Max Sync at that ISO.

Props
The table top is old fence palings I cut up to fit into the space.
Jam jar for the milk.
Store bought ANZAC biscuits.
Cooling tray I use to put Scones on when I make them.


C&C welcomed as always.

[Mike Buckley]

Both work really well for me though I prefer the focus point and depth of field of the second one (it might be better explained that I prefer the composition which leads to a different focus point and depth of field). Good for you for proving the idiot wrong for writing that you can't photograph food with strobes. (Anyone who says something like that is an idiot if indeed that is exactly what was said.)

I could really use any extra leftovers from the fence. Too bad you live so far away from me.

What is the purpose of using the black card behind the milk in the second image? I see differences that I prefer in the tabletop near the milk but I'm not positive they are solely the result of using the black card.

[Mike Buckley]

While I was posting my message, you eliminated the second image and the information about it. Shame on you!

By the way, I would venture to surmise that not a lot of food photography is done at a 180mm focal length. If I'm right about that, great to see you breaking the "rules."

[Rob Ekins]

Sorry Mike,
The second image is back up, I was playing with the images as I am not happy with the way they are being displayed. On my monitor in PS, my mobile devices and in other image preview programs the red in the cookies is more muted. Tinypics has added some saturation to the images or an optical illusion with the CiC background colour perhaps..

I also prefer the second image but my wife and chief stylist on this one liked the first. The black card created a shadow that blocked the highlights that you noticed CL of the milk, I should add that I did not use the silver reflector on the jar in the second image either.

The focal length was dictated by the gear I have and the space I have to work in. I could not get the comp I wanted with any of my other lenses.

I wish I had saved the link to the video where the presenter made her comment about lighting, unfortunately it is lost down that rabbit hole called Youtube...

[JBW]

shoot it with raisin and apple scones and make me really hungry. well done.

[Rob Ekins]

Thanks Brian,

I might just do that next time I make a batch of my *world famous scones.. I am on holidays for a while so I have some time to play.

Serious question...What should I use as props... Jam, butter, a cup of tea?










*well my kids like them...

[JBW]

Thanks Brian,

I might just do that next time I make a batch of my *world famous scones.. I am on holidays for a while so I have some time to play.

Serious question...What should I use as props... Jam, butter, a cup of tea?










*well my kids like them...

how about a teapot or a mug of coffee/tea?

[FootLoose]

With respect to the photography, I prefer the first shot for the DoF.

Store-bought Anzac biscuits - well, that is a non-sequitur, which possibly explains why they look so anaemic. If they were real Anzac biscuits then a cup of tea (in a tin mug) would be the natural prop, but since they aren't then a bit of store-bought jam - or even coffee - would suffice.

[Rob Ekins]

Thanks Greg,

Perhaps a billy can as a prop... now that's going to confuse the other members

[Kaye Leggett]

Thanks for being so specific on your set up - I'm just beginning to dabble in the studio set up and thoroughly enjoying the challenge andpeace it provides - I am not surprised this is a post childrens' bed-time.
I like the second best as the composition works better I feel - that little more room in the foreground brings the subject of the biscuits to the fore. It also allows us to see the crumbs on the table which are so essential to the image.

[Rob Ekins]

I like the second best as the composition works better I feel - that little more room in the foreground brings the subject of the biscuits to the fore. It also allows us to see the crumbs on the table which are so essential to the image.

Kaye,
I spent quite some time with a rocket blower and tweezers getting those crumbs where I wanted them to be, it is no accident where each one lies, I wanted the majority of them to remain under the arc of the tray and in the field of sharp focus with only a few smaller element outside to add to DOF. Well spotted!

[Shadowman]

I wonder if most food photographers have an artist background and assume that northern light is the best for their craft? Nice efforts, perhaps ease of setup is another reason for ambient light. In your shots, the table surface shows the most detail, the second shot looks the best between the two captures.

[Mike Buckley]

The colors look fine on my calibrated monitor. I always use TinyPic and Firefox and I've never noticed any change being made to the images I post. Perhaps your browser is causing a change.

It's also possible that you're correct that an optical illusion is occurring because of a change in the color of the background. All of my software displays a shade of gray as the background and my cataloging software displays a gray that is very close to the gray displayed in CiC. I always view my images in my cataloging software immediately before posting them to CiC, so maybe that explains why I've never experienced an optical illusion about that.

[Mike Buckley]

What are the characteristics of the first image that cause your chief stylist to prefer it?

[Mike Buckley]

I'm just beginning to dabble in the studio set up and thoroughly enjoying the challenge and peace it provides

It seems to me that another way of putting that is to say that you're already hooked.

Seriously, I would never have thought on my own of the "challenge and peace" of studio photography. Now that you have mentioned them, they are certainly two of the reasons I enjoy it so much. That's so long as the challenge doesn't become so overwhelming that it prevents the peace from having its calming effect.

[Wavelength]

For me, the difference between the images does not create much artistic concern... i liked them both

[bnnrcn]

Certainly the second shot for me Rob I have some cookies at home but no milk right now

[Dave Humphries]

Second for me too Rob, although it took about 10 flicks between them to decide

It was mostly influenced by the lack of the background highlight in the second one and following that, the different aspect ratio.

[Mike Buckley]

I have some cookies at home but no milk right now

Glad to know you have the right priorities!

[TonyW]

I do like the images, not sure which I prefer, but next time you really should make your own ANZAC biscuits. These don't look quite authentic.