Food is probably one of the most accessible subjects to any photographer - novice to amateur to serious hobbyist to a professional. Chances are that your interest in photography grew from your love for food, the pictures you took of food and shared on your Instagram account. Unless of course if you are like me whose interest in photography precedes the Instagram era where you dabbled in other genres of photography before playing with Food Photography.
No matter how you ended up nourishing your interest in Food Photography, it is not too difficult to compile the lighting equipment that helps you create content in this genre, especially so, if you already have a home studio, with equipment similar to what I have, as I described in my previous post.
As with any genre, there is a ton of gear that you can acquire but my endeavor here is to keep it simple and talk about gear that is just enough to get you started, without overwhelming you.
Shot Angles: Before we venture into discussing Lighting and Lighting Equipment, it is important to understand the angles at which you typically compose and shoot food. Typically, you would shoot at four angles -
Zero degrees, or at Table level
45 degrees or Straight
60 degrees angle to give a Diner's perspective and
Overhead at 90 degrees, for the most common angle also called the 'Flat Lay'
Lighting: Once you understand the shot angles, from a lighting perspective, there are essentially three things that you should keep in mind when photographing food. First and foremost, you would need a very large light source (this applies whether you are composing a well lit shot or even a darker moodier shot), then you would need a way to soften that light and finally a way to shape that light, which is where the modifiers come into play.
To create the largest light source artificially at home, I use an AD200 in a Glow EZ Lock Quick Octa Large Softbox With Bowens Mount (36") which I put behind a white disk from the Glow Portable 5 in 1 42" Reflector Kit to soften the light. I then put the modifiers to use based on the mood I am looking for, hero of the dish, etc.
Props and Styling: I personally believe that when you are dabbling with this genre, it comes down to personal taste and as such play with what you have available instead of spending oodles of cash on pots and pans. Some simple hacks at home will work magic. So again, if you are just starting, please do not spend much moolah on these.
And now, the most vital arrows in your Quiver!
Let us talk about the items you really need (in addition to immense patience and want a long lasting back)! The angles at which you shoot, styling & composition and the mood requires that you have some very handy equipment at your disposal.
Chief among them are a sturdy tripod. When it comes to food, every little thing in your composition matters so you are constantly moving things around - not just your subject and the props but also the lighting. It is quite cumbersome to get your angles right while also changing your composition and lighting. If you are clumsy like me, you may knock something over and you probably might prefer cleaner hands to handle your camera. You also do not want any visible blur caused by camera shake.
I know that getting used to using a tripod can be a pain. Even if you manage to get away from not using a tripod with most angles I mentioned above, the Flat Lay shot is an extremely difficult one to take even with a tripod. After much trial-and-error and research, I have now settled down on a overhead rig that is working really well for me.
I usually use a coffee table or my kitchen island for my food shots that are less than 36 inches in width. I put a Flashpoint Light Stand - 7' on each side of the coffee table, mount a Avenger D520L 40-Inch Extension Arm on one of the Light stands, run a Manfrotto 014- 14 Rapid Adapter converts 5/8-Inch Stud to 17mm Long 1/4-Inch- 20M Thread through the Extension arm whose other end is fixed on the second Light Stand through a Avenger D200 2.5-Inch Grip Head.
The camera is mounted onto the Manfrotto 234RC Monopod Head Quick Release which is then screwed into the Manfrotto Rapid Adapter. This contraption (not including the Light Stands) cost me about $125. Hopefully the picture on the right gives you an idea.
If you have this contraption built, using a feature similar to Canon's Live View, tethering your camera to a laptop, having a flippable LCD and using a remote control or timer will add to your convenience.
Hope this simple contraption/rig helps you extend your home studio to enable you to take great food photographs. I hope you found this useful and do let me know your experience in building a food photography studio at home.
I have to acknowledge that I need to give most of the credit in extending my home studio for this genre to Joanie Simon of @thebiteshot and Skyler Burt of @we.eat.together_. Check their YouTube channels for they are both incredible coaches of this genre in photography.
Cheers!