I’ll show you how to create these impressive food photos with just a flash and a simple light shaper to mimic the light shining through a window frame.
I wanted to create a photo with a monochromatic feel of style and light, so I chose food ingredients with a very light or dark appearance to give the subject a high degree of distinction. The background is a white textured panel that allows the widest range of contrasts for the scene. My camera was placed directly overhead to capture the classic flat composition commonly used in food photography.
I used the Canon 5D Mark IV, a camera of my choice along with a 24-70mm . lens. I love fixed focal length lenses, but the versatility of this zoom is integral to testing and determining the best way to crop an image while the camera is overhead.
In this photo shoot, I had a heavy duty Cambo studio stand. However, a Manfotto tripod and a handstand with sandbags are also a great option. As with any shot that involves precise ball placement, I don’t recommend shooting handheld. I capture everything connected to Capture One straight to my computer screen.
I decided to start with the image of spoons and spices (as seen above). This is the closest of the three planned setups, and I chose to put a hard light on the bottom to create long shadows. I used a Elinchrom studio flash with a standard 21 cm dish and barn door, which directs the light more and allows the light to refocus. Then I added two black poly panels on either side to create an outstanding light axis.
Below you will see the next image where I want to create a window frame right from my clipping. I increased the distance between the two poly boards and added a thick strip of black card in between them. Using the pegs to position the horizontal line is extremely helpful, when I’m taking pictures, and repositioning when I find better angles. The scene still needed a vertical window frame element, so I used a slat that was attached to a heavy wooden box, allowing for easy repositioning to create the shadows I wanted precisely.
The photo of the garlic bulb has a similar setup, but I want to create a drop shadow on the bottom right. To do this, I moved the poly panel to the right further away. This action makes the shadows softer and a little bit of light through to break up the bottom part of the image.
I hope you enjoyed this lighting tutorial and learned something new today. The results of any lighting setup will look different depending on the shooting position, the distance of the lights and the flag used. My advice is to experiment and have fun until you get the results you like.
