See how famous food photographers "cook" food.

Jeff Cork is an American photographer who specializes in food and still life. In the past 20 years, his works have appeared in national advertisements, magazines, cookbooks and packaging. He originally studied watercolor painting. After taking photos, he reflected the performance of watercolor painting in lighting style and composition. The preparation of Jeff Corker's works depends on which line you are shooting: magazines or advertisements. If you are shooting for a magazine, you must first understand the recipes and dishes and be familiar with the tableware used and all the materials that may be used as the background. Then, when the chef finishes cooking and fills in the dishes, we can start shooting. If you shoot for the advertising industry, it's about the same, but there are some differences. Prepare a menu and layout list in advance, and then you have to shoot in the early stage, that is, exercise, so that you can adjust the position of food and scenery to ensure its accuracy to meet the requirements of customers. Then you can enter the final finishing stage and present a perfect photo. I always use natural light when taking photos for magazines or cookbooks. The purpose is to make the scene look real and intimate. In advertising, food must be consistent in color from beginning to end. Obviously, natural light doesn't have this function, so you need the help of a flash. My inspiration for light comes from nature. Learning to paint has benefited me a lot, because I have studied gouache and never used a whiteboard, so I should learn to color with intermediate tones and highlight key points. This is my way of lighting. Generally speaking, people tend to choose the shooting location near the window. But you can control the light by filling the reflector or changing the distance of the light source. By changing the size of the window, the projected area of light can be controlled. In addition, you can also use cardboard as a reflector to make the light meet your requirements. If Jeff Corker shoots the atmosphere, I prefer to choose the first light or the last light. Because the first ray of light is more transparent. If I want to take pictures of food and I don't have enough time, I will choose a window seat. The light in the north is the best, usually at two or three o'clock in the afternoon. For me in Chicago, the light in the northern hemisphere is great. One. Nature is the best light source. We only have one sun and enjoy the same sky.