Food Photography (plus a BTS)

[sunnyside_up]

So I've recently been a bit inspired by food lately. Anyone who follows me on facebook and instagram and flickr may have noticed

I had a portrait shoot cancellation yesterday so I did a bit of cooking. I've included a bts shot as well... did these in my conservatory. Pardon the mess.

Thanks for looking!

Fruit and Yogurt by Beth Botterill, on Flickr

Delicious! by Beth Botterill, on Flickr

Chocolate Cake by Beth Botterill, on Flickr

Soft Pretzel Logs by Beth Botterill, on Flickr

Soft Pretzel Logs by Beth Botterill, on Flickr

bts by Beth Botterill, on Flickr

 

[Glyn Carnell]

WOW.... Great images and from a simple setup. I like

 

[SteveMc]

Well executed, particularly like the composition of #1 & #4

 

[danny_bhoy]

Loving these Beth! I've always been put off doing stuff like this as I assumed that continuous light preferable and I've only got flashes - you've inspired me

 

[plamen_gb]

Very nice set, nice rendition, for the cake I would love to see it slightly from the side so I can see the white chocolate(assume it is chocolate) fragments a bit better

 

[kendo1]

Very nice, though I'm not keen on the half-eaten one. (makes me think you'll be showing spinach in teeth next )

You've got too much time on your hands

 

[sduk]

bts by Beth Botterill, on Flickr

Hi Beth, I've been reading up on food photography and your posts have been so helpful, thank you.

I have a couple of quick questions if that's okay...

- what would be your go to lens for these shots?
- is that just a reflector on the left or do you have a flash in there? I can't quite see from the photo,
- last one, what would be your camera settings for the bread shots?

I've been doing some similar work to you but have just been bumbling my way through without any real knowledge haha

Many thanks.

Sammy

 

[sunnyside_up]

Hi Beth, I've been reading up on food photography and your posts have been so helpful, thank you.

I have a couple of quick questions if that's okay...

- what would be your go to lens for these shots?
- is that just a reflector on the left or do you have a flash in there? I can't quite see from the photo,
- last one, what would be your camera settings for the bread shots?

I've been doing some similar work to you but have just been bumbling my way through without any real knowledge haha

Many thanks.

Sammy

Hi Sammy

I'm so very sorry for not replying sooner. I don't come on much anymore.

In answer to your questions...
1. I tend to use when I can prime lens'... 100 2.8 mm macro is my fav, followed by the 50mm 1.4. But when neither one will do, I go to my workhorse 24-70 2.8.
2. I have a soft silver reflector bouncing a bit of light back in, but I don't always use that. It depends on the angle I'm shooting from. I tend to shoot from every angle to get a feel for what works best, and add a reflector in when the dark side needs a little push.
3. 5.6, 1/80th sec. You can drop the shutter down when you're using flash. I like to keep my iso as low as possible for obvious reasons and use a tripod when needed. To be honest, it's a little unusual that from that angle I shot at 5.6 as tend to shoot 4.0 from this angle, and 8.0 from over head as a general rule of thumb.

I hope that helps. These shots really aren't some of the better stuff, and were early days. Props can make a world of difference. Go to a tiling store and get a big slab of natural stone tile... or tear up an apple crate and make a table top... get some burlap from the fabric store, put some pallet planks together and stain them / paint them and then weather them up with some sandpaper and chains. I used a cutting board from B&M, sanded it down, then used a stain made of steel wool and vinegar to age it.

All the best,

Beth

 

[scoped]

Hi Sammy

I'm so very sorry for not replying sooner. I don't come on much anymore.

In answer to your questions...
1. I tend to use when I can prime lens'... 100 2.8 mm macro is my fav, followed by the 50mm 1.4. But when neither one will do, I go to my workhorse 24-70 2.8.
2. I have a soft silver reflector bouncing a bit of light back in, but I don't always use that. It depends on the angle I'm shooting from. I tend to shoot from every angle to get a feel for what works best, and add a reflector in when the dark side needs a little push.
3. 5.6, 1/80th sec. You can drop the shutter down when you're using flash. I like to keep my iso as low as possible for obvious reasons and use a tripod when needed. To be honest, it's a little unusual that from that angle I shot at 5.6 as tend to shoot 4.0 from this angle, and 8.0 from over head as a general rule of thumb.

I hope that helps. These shots really aren't some of the better stuff, and were early days. Props can make a world of difference. Go to a tiling store and get a big slab of natural stone tile... or tear up an apple crate and make a table top... get some burlap from the fabric store, put some pallet planks together and stain them / paint them and then weather them up with some sandpaper and chains. I used a cutting board from B&M, sanded it down, then used a stain made of steel wool and vinegar to age it.

All the best,

Beth

I did this exact thing last week to provide a good backdrop/base for some food photography!

 

[On the Huh]

1,3 & 4 for me. Good use of props. Eaten one not so good IMHO (#2) .