Food photography is challenging because food touches so many emotions. I've been steadily improving my technique, and here I show a light stand I built to aid in taking better pictures.
All images were taken with a Nikon Coolpix L4 (in fact, the same camera we gave away in a previous contest here). The Nikon is a low to medium range digital camera and can probably be found for around $100. I choose to use it to demonstrate the quality of pictures possible with an affordable camera using my setup.
Undoubtedly, the pictures could have been better through the use of different equipment, different lights, or a more experienced photographer -- consider this an introduction for you to improve on.
All images were taken with a Nikon Coolpix L4 (in fact, the same camera we gave away in a previous contest here). The Nikon is a low to medium range digital camera and can probably be found for around $100. I choose to use it to demonstrate the quality of pictures possible with an affordable camera using my setup.
Undoubtedly, the pictures could have been better through the use of different equipment, different lights, or a more experienced photographer -- consider this an introduction for you to improve on.
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Signing UpStep 1: Motivation, parts, and estimated cost
My previous attempts at food pornography involved a mishmash of desk lights, a set of 500-watt halogen task lights (that double as lights for our dinning room!), and a light tent. The pictures' colors were always too hot, and lacked the dinner table context you see in a food magazine or William-Sonoma catalog. So, with this setup I am trying to get better color-balance from a portable set of lights I can set on the dinner table. Having the light fit around my light tent is a bonus.
scrap wood from a dumpster - free
12 x 24 inch light tent - $35 or make your own bigger, better, and cheaper one here or here.
tripod - $30
5 clamp-on lights - $6 each at Home Depot, but you know you've got at least two sitting around somewhere
5 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) - $10+ depending on rebates, energy star discounts, and whatever governmental price discounts are available. I've paid as low as $1 per CFL at times!
extension cords - $5
Including my purchased tripod and light tent, I spent around $100 in addition to the camera for this setup. If you built your own light tent and used a bunch of milkcrates and chairs as a tripod, this could easily be a $25 project consisting of a few new lamps and CFLs.
scrap wood from a dumpster - free
12 x 24 inch light tent - $35 or make your own bigger, better, and cheaper one here or here.
tripod - $30
5 clamp-on lights - $6 each at Home Depot, but you know you've got at least two sitting around somewhere
5 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) - $10+ depending on rebates, energy star discounts, and whatever governmental price discounts are available. I've paid as low as $1 per CFL at times!
extension cords - $5
Including my purchased tripod and light tent, I spent around $100 in addition to the camera for this setup. If you built your own light tent and used a bunch of milkcrates and chairs as a tripod, this could easily be a $25 project consisting of a few new lamps and CFLs.
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"food touches so many emotions."
What the hell.