Fried Rice - Not sure about Lighting?

[thekevinmonster]

This is some fried rice:



It was shot in my kitchen, underneath three incandescent lights. I've already tweaked the white balance a bit so it isn't all horribly yellow, and cropped it up a bit, but I feel like the picture is ruined somewhat by the reflections off the rice and meat. They're too glinty and highlight-y. Too specular?

What would be the best way to try and smooth them out? (I only have on-camera flash to work with... I have a compact digital cam, and am getting a DSLR soon and may invest in a much more powerful flash and diffiuser, etc) I love taking pictures of food, and want the 'food porn' look

[clockdoc]

Hi,
Don't dispair! I think you are off to a good start. Remember that food photography is a difficult medium. Typically, food, as photographed, isn't fit for consumption. It is usually undercooked and not prepared to the full extent one sees when photographing food prepared at home. For starters, try using one photoflood lamp washing across the food from the rear. Have that bounce into a white card (large poster board works well) with a hole cut into it for the lens. Forget about using the onboard flash for now. Adding more lights will complicate the matter and you will learn more with just the one light for starters. Try different types of foods with different surface texturs to see how each responds to this lighting pattern. Watch , also, that the plates do not compete with the product. Thanks for sharing your work with us. Keep shooting! I'll be glad to help where I can.
Sincerely,
Lee -clockdoc-

[thekevinmonster]

Originally Posted by clockdoc

Hi,
Don't dispair! I think you are off to a good start. Remember that food photography is a difficult medium. Typically, food, as photographed, isn't fit for consumption. It is usually undercooked and not prepared to the full extent one sees when photographing food prepared at home. For starters, try using one photoflood lamp washing across the food from the rear. Have that bounce into a white card (large poster board works well) with a hole cut into it for the lens. Forget about using the onboard flash for now. Adding more lights will complicate the matter and you will learn more with just the one light for starters. Try different types of foods with different surface texturs to see how each responds to this lighting pattern. Watch , also, that the plates do not compete with the product. Thanks for sharing your work with us. Keep shooting! I'll be glad to help where I can.
Sincerely,
Lee -clockdoc-

Wow, I didn't know it was usually undercooked. I always assumed amateur food bloggers and stuff just made everything and shot it. I know professional stuff can be tricky... I saw a show as a kid, on the Zillions (consumer reports for kids) show that my school had, where they showed how milk in cereal is really elmer's glue, etc. You cut a burger patty and 'expand' it so it fills out on the bun...

Huh, so I put a flood light behind the food, and bounce it off a card with the lens through it? I never would have thought of that. I suppose I could also use a flash from the back... I might be getting a separate one sometime soon, if I end up taking tons of macro shots. (I probably will. I'm always sticking my lens where it doesn't belong.)

How do you prevent lens flare like that? Doesn't light coming at the camera often cause flare?

[clockdoc]

Yes, you may encounter some flare. Use a lens shade if you have one. If not raise the position of the light and adjust the angle so as to not have it beam directly into the lens. You can also try a piece of cardboard as a makeshift shade.
Some other food fakes in the past I have heard about are using mashed potatoes for ice cream, using acrylic ice cubes in drink ads, and many years ago there was a story about a soup ad that used marbles in the bottom of the bowl to make the vegetables or letters appear to be on the surface (giving an impression the soup was packed with veggies, etc.).
Let me know when you have posted another shot using the lighting suggestions. Thanks for your note.
Sincerely,
Lee -clockdoc-