I am going to walk you through how these remarkable food shots were created using only one flash and simple light shapers to imitate light coming through a window frame.
I wished to produce a shoot that felt monochromatic in regard to its styling and lighting, so I chose food components that were either extremely light or dark in appearance to supply the subject with a high level of difference. The background was a white textured board that allowed the broadest series of contrast for the scene. My cam was placed directly overhead to capture a timeless flat ordinary typically used in food photography.
I used a Canon 5D Mark IV a video camera of option for me together with a 24-70mm lens. I love prime lenses, but the flexibility of this zoom is indispensable when screening and determining how finest to crop the image while having the camera overhead.
On this shoot, I had a heavy-duty Cambo studio stand. However, a Manfotto tripod and an overhead arm with sandbag is a great alternative as well. Like with any shoot that includes precise shadow positioning, I do not advise shooting handheld. I shot everything tethered with Capture One straight to a computer screen.
I chose to begin with an image of spoons and spices (as seen above). It is the closest setup of the planned three, and I picked to place a hard light low to create the long, dark shadows. I used an Elinchrom studio flash with basic 21cm dish and barn doors, which even more directed the light and permitted it to pool. I then added 2 black poly boards on either side to create a popular shaft of light.
Listed below, you will see the next image in which I wanted to create a window frame simply out of my crop. I increased the space between two poly boards and included a strip of thick black card in between them. Utilizing pins to place the horizontal line was incredibly helpful, as I was taking shots and repositioning as I discovered much better angles. The scene still needed a vertical window frame component, so I used a wood batten attached to a heavy wood box, which allowed simple repositioning to properly create the shadow I wanted.
The shot of garlic had a comparable setup, however I wished to feather the shadow on the bottom right. To do this, I moved the poly board on the ideal farther away. This action made the shadow softer, and a bit more light was let through to break up the bottom section of the image.
I hope you enjoyed this lighting walk-through and found out something new today. The results of any lighting setup will look various depending upon shooting location, distance of lights, and the flags utilized. My suggestions is to experiment and have a good time till you get the outcomes you like.