If you saw my other post about food photography lighting, you’ll remember that it covered shooting with an overhead set. This post is about shooting on a tabletop with the same artificial light.
Shooting food with natural light can be quite difficult at times because the sun is always moving on us AND changing it’s color temperature. Not to mention, the whole getting dark at 4:00 pm issue in the winter and farther north, even sooner than that!!! That pesky sun!
Soooo, if you are serious about your food photography, you have to learn to take control on the lighting when you need to.
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The Softbox
We are going to talk about the same lighting equipment as we did in the last post. The wonderful softbox.
As a reminder, the light shown here uses a Tungsten light bulb. This softbox is about $100 for the light, $5 for the light bulb, then about $30 for a light stand.
Yes, there are cheaper lights out there, as I am currently testing one of those right now. And yes, you do get what you pay for – more about that later in my next post, so stay tuned for that (and sign up for the blog if you haven’t already).
There’s a safety issue with lighting, I take that very seriously. So, with this light box that I use all the time, I can very safely recommend it, and it’s a great light that will last a long time made by Westcott.
Also keep in mind that tungsten lights burn very hot and many countries no longer allow them so you’ll have to switch out those bulbs for what is allowed in your area.
For more information on artificial lights, click here.
Moving on!
The Set Up
Here’s my little set. I’m using a normal table with some fabric on it. Those two clear glasses in the background are VERY out of focus in the shot and I put them there just to add some interest and texture in the background.
I’m shooting this with my Canon 5D Mark III with the 100mm macro lens.
My setting are:
- F/ 5.6 (for those with a 50mm lens you will need to use an F/stop much wider than this, like 2.8 or even 1.4 (if your lens has that) to get the same selected focus look
- Shutter 1/4 of a second (hence tripod)
- ISO at 100 (I always shoot at ISO 100 when on my tripod)
Notice here that my light is NOT on, or real close to my set. It is back to the left, and the middle of the light head is about 5 feet tall.
The light is not right next to my set either. I am behind my food plate a bit and turning the light head at an angle. This is giving the food some nice back light.
Then of course, I have a huge fill card on the right side kicking in lots of fill light into the shadows.
The black card (with the hole in it) is white on the front side. The card is angled in order to get as much light in there as I can.
That hole that you can see in the card is used to put my lens through when I’m using a fill card right in front of my set. I’ll do that for product shots that are very reflective.
Here is an overview of my set. This really is one of the easier food photography lighting set ups that you can do.
There you have it! Super easy side light. Winter will be upon us soon so this will be very handy for you to know, and take control of your lighting!
Disclaimer: The links in this post are affiliate links with Amazon. Should you choose to buy anything mentioned here, I will get a small commission 🙂
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Nat
Dear Christina,
A big thanks for this article. I have started a blog where food is only part of it and I realize now I need to put more attention to how I am shooting my dishes. I am only concerned by my camera (Lumix FZ200) so not sure how great the pictures will look but I am sure that with your advices they will certainly look better!
Christina Peters
Hi Nat,
You are welcome and thanks for reading the blog! Just put a keyword on my search bar to the right and you’ll probably find what you are looking to learn.
Cristina
Hi Christina, your posts and tutorials are very helpful, nice job 🙂
In this particular case, would it be possible to get the same results with a speed light? Same modifiers, but speed light instead of a tungsten bulb.
Thank you very much!
Christina Peters
Hi Cristina, These boxes are made for incandescent lights. You absolutely can use a speedlight in a softbox made for it – you have to make sure to get the correct attachments and a wireless transmitter/receiver set up- something like this: Photoflex LiteDome
Beth
I don’t think this question has been asked, if so forgive me. I have googled it but can’t seem to find the fill card anywhere. (Add it to your Amazon links!!) I think that is what I’m lacking. I have tried homemade ones but can’t get them on the right angle to bounce the light back onto my scene! Thanks!!
Christina Peters
Hi Beth, a fill card is simply a piece of cardboard. There isn’t an Amazon product for this. You could spend money oh a white diffusion disc that comes with a white cover, but again all you need is white foam core. If you aren’t seeing light being kicked back into your shot, you are holding the card at the wrong angle. Keep moving the card until you see the light bouncing back in off the card. You will see it when you get the right angle.
Angelika
your blog is just awesome! thank you so much for all the help! greetings from Vienna, Angelika
Christina Peters
Hi Angelika! Thanks for reading and I’m glad you like the content.
Patty K-P
Great post, Christina! Thanks for sharing the prices! They seem affordable enough 🙂 I think I’ll finally put on my big girl pants and give artificial lighting a try!
Christina Peters
You can do it Patty! Let me know if you have questions along the way!
Patty K-P
Thank you! I’m deciding between the Westcott Photo Basics 411 uLite and 20-Inch Soft Box and the
Westcott uLite with 26 In. Octabox that you recommended in a prior post. Since the price difference is not that large, would you suggest I just opt for the Octabox? I am completely new to artificial lighting, but I don’t want to find myself growing out of the 20-inch soft box and yearning for the Octabox a few months down the line. Kind of like beginning with a kit lens and then wishing I had gotten a pro lens after learning the basics. Hope that makes sense. What do you think?
Christina Peters
Great question – so with the larger Octabox, it will be able to cover a slightly larger area, which is always a great thing to have when needed. You can always block light, you can’t make a light larger when needed 🙂
Bill Watters
I would like to learn how to use my Canon Powershot SK40HS for food photography. All the tutorials seem to be for people who can afford the latest products. As a retired graphic designer, hoping to develop another skill, I find difficulty in relating your instructions to my own particular situation.
Might I also add it is quite difficult to comment on this page (now viewing it at 200%!) as the type is so pale it is almost illegible. Have you tried it yourself on a desk top computer? My computer is quite new and a large screen HP all in one 64 bit with windows 8.1. This page could be improved to make it more user-friendly.
Christina Peters
Hi Bill, lighting is universal for any camera and every camera has it’s limitations. As you are commenting on this post, with your camera, you can actually shoot manually with it. You have several shooting modes available. The difference is the lens. Your lens can go from a wide angle to a long telephoto. You can try to shoot your food by zooming in your lens till it’s at about 80-100mm. The thing is though, your lens is not a macro lens, so that means you’ll have to back up away from your set a bit to keep focus. There will be a sweet spot, that will enable you to zoom in on your food so that it is large in the frame AND still be in focus. Some students in my classes in this situation are about 5-6 feet AWAY from their set. Hopefully that addresses concerns with this post. If you have specific questions about your camera, please ask them.
Regarding your computer, Yes, I always proof my blog on many devices. I’m looking at it right now on a PC laptop with windows 7.1 and the text looks large at 100%. Might I suggest you check the resolution settings on your computer as this might make it easier for you to see? At 200% on our PC, it’s absolutely massive. Sorry you’re having issues with it, this is the first time in 5 years anyone has said this.