A collection of light and composition strategies for food photography

All photos use natural light (sunlight), without artificial light or other auxiliary light sources. The photography equipment is Canon 5D mark II camera, Tamron 90mm fixed focus macro lens, Canon 24-105 zoom lens, and most of them use a tripod. In most cases, backlight or side backlight or side light is used for shooting. ISO is usually 200 when the light is good. Post-process photos using PS and LR. This guide consists of 20 food photography pictures. Each picture will explain in detail the camera parameter settings, lighting methods, scenery methods and conceptual details. It is recommended to friends who like to shoot still life.

1. Dried red pepper and chili powder

Parameter f/4, exposure 1/40 second, ISO-400, focal length 105mm, shooting time 15:31

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Dried red peppers stacked in wooden bowls and scattered beside them

Setting: dark gray wooden boards, bowls, wooden tables, etc.< /p>

Composition: The composition conforms to the rule of thirds, with the subject located lower on the left side.

Details: I wanted to highlight the red feeling of the pepper, so I used a dark background, and still used a wooden board that can shine through strips of light as the background ~ I lowered the saturation of the background and wooden table in the later stage , which better brings out the texture and color of the pepper.

2. Pickled fish

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/40 second, ISO-400, focal length 75mm, shooting time 16:37

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Pickled fish

Setting: oil, salt, green chili, lemon, blue wooden board

Composition: overhead shot . The focus is on the upper right, and other things supplement the picture.

Details: I used a blue old wooden background to shoot food. This is a photo of grilled fish before it is put into the oven, so I visited some of the ingredients needed for grilled fish.

3. Tomato

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/10 second, ISO-2000, focal length 88mm, shooting time 17:20

Lighting : Side light

Food: small tomatoes

Setting: bamboo basket, white cloth, dark wooden board, knife, small plate, black pan

Composition: overhead shot . The main body is located on the lower left, with other props scattered around.

Details: Shooting in the late afternoon, it was almost dark. Mainly through the difference in color of each part and the difference in material size of the appliance to enrich the picture~

4. Watermelon

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/20 second, ISO-800 , focal length 50mm, shooting time 17:29

Lighting: backlight

Food: cut watermelon

Setting: brown cutting board, wooden handle knife, Yellow porcelain plate, dark wood board, blue checkered cloth

Composition: overhead shot, scattered composition. There is no particular point of emphasis, focusing on the whole.

Details: I originally thought the melons were red, but they turned out to be yellow. Cut them into pieces and place them scatteredly to highlight the sense of randomness. The small plate can be used as the visual center. The cloth on the lower left can break the silence of some pictures~

5. Dried radish and sweet potato

Parameters: f/5, exposure 1/80 second, ISO-200 , focal length 84mm, shooting time 14:38

Lighting: backlight

Food: dried radish and sweet potato

Setting: dead branches, dry leaves , dark wood board, paring knife, worn porcelain basin, persimmon petals

Composition: The main subject is dried radish in the basin. There are many scattered items~

Details: I want to show a casual and simple scene, so the props, tools and food used are extremely primitive and even cheap.

6. Small green pepper

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/25 second, ISO-200, focal length 85mm, shooting time 16:08

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Small green peppers stacked in a bowl

Setting: wooden table, sunflower-shaped wooden plate, wooden handle knife, dark wooden bowl, white cotton cloth

Composition: The chili in the bowl is the main subject, the gauze softens the picture, and the vegetables on the plate behind supplement the picture

Details: overhead shot.

Spread black velvet under the table~

7. Wedding cookies with flying skirts

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/60 second, ISO-200, focal length 75mm, shooting time 15 : 48

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Wedding cookies with flying skirts

Set: cyan wooden box, white gauze curtain

Composition: flat shot, with a reflector in front, and biscuits placed one after the other.

Details: I tried to find a way to make the biscuits stand up and have a more three-dimensional and realistic effect ~ backlighting. There is a white gauze curtain at the back, and the painted wooden box has reflective properties, so it can make the standing cookies look more three-dimensional.

8. Spicy Beef Jerky

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/6 second, ISO-1000, focal length 60mm, shooting time 17:14

Lighting: backlight

Food: beef jerky on a plate

Setting: black iron pot, blue background, blue cloth, black chopsticks.

Composition: overhead shot, slightly to the left. The main body stands out, and the others serve as foil and supplement.

Details: The super delicious beef jerky given by Yuxuan’s mother~~I wanted to use dark blue and dark utensils to express the texture and color of the jerky~For the tableware, I chose black chopsticks. More suitable. Appropriately lowering the saturation of the blue part can also better highlight the subject.

9. Macaron

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/125 second, ISO-400, focal length 90mm, shooting time 15:58

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Macaroons on a plate

Setting: Iron plate, iron plate, knife, small mesh sieve, chocolate sauce, chocolate powder

< p> Composition: overhead shot, close-up shot, non-residential composition.

Details: I chose a silver metallic background and dinner plate, hoping to get the cool feeling brought by this material. This color also contrasts with the color of the chocolate macarons~Use an overhead shot& The close-up shooting method is mainly to highlight the texture of the thing itself and the lines of the dinner plate; a macaron with chocolate sauce on the outside of the dinner plate can echo the macaron on the plate and the chocolate sauce on the knife. It should be noted that when using close-up shooting techniques, in addition to the subject, the other elements we place must also be things that can be related to the subject. Dolls and artificial flowers cannot be included in the shooting range. ~~

10. Macaron (2)

Parameters: f/3.2, exposure 1/25 second, ISO-200, focal length 9mm, shooting time 16:29

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Macaroons on a plate

Setting: white cloth, dark blue rag, spoon, transparent water glass, English newspaper , cup, iron plate, mesh sieve, knife

Composition: Shot at about 30 degrees; non-residential composition~

Details: Taken together with the first picture; you can see The angle has changed. It is also backlit. The shooting at a 30-degree angle looks stronger than the overhead shot, and the shape of the display is also different. It is not as visually stunning as the first picture, but it has more elements and more content. and a sense of story. Only place other props that can be related. The relationship is not clear, but those that do not steal the spotlight from the main subject or are not obtrusive can be placed back and blurred appropriately.

11. A basket of eggs

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/80 second, ISO-100, focal length 90mm, shooting time 15:33

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Stacked wood eggs and quail eggs

Set: wooden boards, wooden boxes, straw

Composition: shot at a 30-45 degree angle, In a non-residential composition, the main subject is concentrated on the left side, with straw appearing as a background.

Details: The rustic-looking photo is very suitable for taking country-style, rustic-style photos~~ There is no need for strong contrast in color, but the contrast between light and dark can be stronger. For this photo, I took it under backlight conditions, using a darker background to highlight the texture and color of the eggs; I also used wood-fired eggs and quail eggs to match the shots, so that they are different in size and color. , can also produce better contrast.

12. Grilled chicken wings

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/20 second, ISO-400, focal length 102mm, shooting time 16:35

Use Light: backlight

Food: chicken wings

Setting: light blue board, printed cloth, rectangular white plate, white small round plate and white chopsticks

Composition: overhead Take a simple composition that highlights the subject.

Details: I used an overhead shot to express the shape and texture of the dishes; I used a clean and slightly cold background color to highlight the color and texture of the dishes. This kind of photo that highlights the dish itself does not require a lot of other props. I think a small plate and a pair of chopsticks are enough~~ I chose white chopsticks. 1. It fits the clean style of this photo, but I don’t want the chopsticks to stand out too much.

13. Cut a pumpkin

Parameters: f/2.8, exposure 1/2 second, ISO-200, focal length 90mm, shooting time 17:30

Use Light: backlight

Food: cut pumpkin

Setting: dark wooden board, cloth, bowl, wooden handle knife, spoon, wooden container

Composition : A shooting angle between a flat shot and an overhead shot ~ a relatively messy scene composition

Details: I use backlight + shooting at a certain angle to highlight the texture of the pumpkin; the golden color of the pumpkin and the background The colors are relatively thick and contrasting; on the props, there are some related tools and props for cutting pumpkins and digging out pumpkin flesh.

14. Fresh vegetable salad

Parameters: f/3.2, exposure 1/125 second, ISO-200, focal length 90mm, shooting time 15:46

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Vegetable Salad

Setting: White wooden board, olive oil and oil bottle, white plate and cheese powder, green plate and peas soaked in soy sauce, Quail egg shells and forks

Composition: Taken at an angle of about 30 degrees to 40 degrees, highlighting the non-residential composition of the subject.

Details: The white background and white plate bring a sense of freshness and highlight the color of the salad. Shooting at an angle of 30-40 degrees can well show the shape and texture of vegetables. On the props, there are some related utensils, ingredients and tableware.

15. Breakfast

Parameters: f/4.5, exposure 1/20 second, ISO-100, focal length 90mm, shooting time 15:58

Lighting : Side light

Food: Fresh vegetable and fruit salad

Setting: Salad dressing and glass bottle, spoon, teacup, blue plaid, table

Composition: A slightly higher angle than flat shooting. The composition is multi-element, with staggered heights and differences in materials.

Details: A fresh photo, showing the table legs and covering the tablecloth to create a dining atmosphere. Use blue and white to highlight colorful food; use staggered cups and bottles to fill the back space and break up the flat space.

16. Cut pomegranate

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/320 second, ISO-100, focal length 88mm, shooting time 14:28

Lighting: backlight

Food: cut pomegranate

Setting: iron plate, wooden handle knife, spoon, bowl

Composition: overhead shot; non- Residential composition ~ the subject is concentrated on the diagonal position

Details: I shot under direct light. In the case of a large light ratio, the contrast is very strong. There is a texture contrast between the crystal clear pomegranate and the rough slate. There is also a color contrast between the red color of the pomegranate and the blue-gray color of the slate.

17. Food

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/100 second, ISO-200, focal length 85mm, shooting time 15:05

Lighting : Backlighting

Food: leeks, bean sprouts, ginger slices, crushed peanuts and pickled ingredients (sichuan peppercorns and pepper segments)

Setting: olive oil and oil bottle, small plate, cutting board , straw rope, teapot and slate

Composition: overhead shot, multi-element composition

Details: food pictures can often be multi-element, and the food materials in the pictures usually belong to the same category For example, materials for making Chinese food; materials for Western food; materials for snacks; in this film, they are all Chinese food materials, with contrasts and changes in color, line, and texture.

18. Eggs under light and shadow

Parameters: f/2.8, exposure 1/4000 second, ISO-200, focal length 90mm, shooting time 14:19

Lighting: side light

Food: a bowl of eggs placed in a bowl

Setting: dilapidated bowl, straw, brown wooden box

Composition: The shooting angle is about 40 degrees; non-residential composition; the subject is located in the upper right corner of the photo

Details: This photo has direct lighting to the areas that can be clearly seen in the picture, but other areas that appear black are not Direct light irradiation ~ Since there is a large difference in light and shade between areas with direct light and without direct light, when the subject is exposed normally, the surrounding area appears black due to underexposure.

The mesh image projected on the eggs and boxes was caused by the mesh iron basket I placed on the right side.

19. Waldorf Salad

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/250 second, ISO-100, focal length 67mm, shooting time 11:10

Lighting: Backlight

Food: Salad

Setting: White vertical striped wooden board, tea cup and tea, round plate, fork

Composition: overhead shot, highlighted The main body is simple in composition.

Details: I used clean white and extremely simple props to highlight the color and texture of the dish itself.

20. Old Man’s Hands & Mushrooms

Parameters: f/4, exposure 1/250 second, ISO-200, focal length 105mm, shot at 14:12

Lighting: Outdoor light

Food: Mushrooms

Composition: The old man’s hands picking mushrooms are the focus, and the mushrooms are the background.