I was invited to do a food workshop at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography this afternoon. Setting up a food shoot in their studios with their equipment without a stylist but an eager group of 21 students was the challenge of the day.
We worked on shooting both flash and daylight options. We looked at shooting tethered for “immediate” review of the images and the importance of using a grey-card to colour balance the shots especially on a rainy day like today.
With the use of the flashes, we created a fresh “daylight” look and with a few light adaptors, we could change everything to a “dark moody” look. The use of a tripod, reflectors and mirrors were added into the setups. All that was left was to shoot a natural light option which we shot from the top.
With food photography, props and styling either make or break the images and of course there are the “tricks of the trade” that also come in. So a special thanks to Caro who not only organised the workshop but also brought all the produce and props to make our “dark moody” shot.
NEVILLE LOCKHART 