Cake Shots (Need Advice)

[Hydesg]

hi,
recently my friend approached me to help him do some food shots
mainly cakes, fruits and stuffs.

may i know what kind of equiptment do i need?
what kind of details should i look for?
to make the food look delicious? as this would be for his new coming shop.

reflectors,lighting and stuffs?

i am still wondering if i should use digital or film
for digital i can only use my olympus c4000z. is it good enough for these kind of shots? but i can do alot of enhancement in photoshop

as for film i guess ill be using velvia to bring out the colors and will use my 420ex flash
i was afraid that since the cakes have a glossy layer on top
the flash may create some kind of light spot on the cake which wouldnt be nice
do i need a diffuser or something?
i was too afraid that my ef 28-105 lens couldnt make it

any advice?
should i rent higher end equiptment or stick with what i have



please help me on this
thanks

[zaren]

use ur oly c4000z! it's an excellent camera which gives u razor sharp pics with accurate colors and great resolution. the super macro mode also allows u to get really close (almost touching) to the subject if u want to.

[igpenguin]

talk more with your friend also... try to gauge as much as possible requirements...
- presume needs consistent style?
- what outlets/outputs - brochure, flyers etc

if not using lights you can consider shooting al fresco or with window light... again depends on requirements.

your friend can be the stylist. try to look at more pictures of cake loh.

[Hydesg]

thank you all for your advices

will try to get more information about the shoot

i guess it would be the whole package
billboard adverts, menus , etc


i was just wondering if my skills were up to it
ahaha

[Mrs_Canon]

Originally Posted by Cheesecake to me, the essentials are... 1). u need a food stylist. or u can improvise... but it really is hard for me personally... i dun know how the cake and food should really look like! 2). u might need a studio lighting set-up for food photography. and a macro lens would be a bonus. but a little improvising can be done and good results can be achieved too. for example, u can use table-lamps and a nice background for ur cake shots. table lamps, yes. i've used it before and it produces great results. i shot a food-catalogue for a restaurant's menu with this basic set-up(used 4 table-lamps! and a couple of white boards to act as reflectors). and i din't use specialise films or slides. i used normal FujiFilm Superia 100 and i scanned the negatives to turn it into digital format for the client. i can't really comment on the mounted-flash part as i've never done it before. i can't say for sure what the result will be like. but if the table lamps can provide a bright enough picture composition and the cake looks good through the view-finder, then everything will be ok! 3). u might need a macro lens that gives u 1:1 result. 1:2 is pretty good too! if u don't have a 1:1 then a 1:2 is good enough in my opinion. the main thing is to work around what u already have and try to beat the odds. i think since this might be ur first foray into food photography, the most logical thing to do would be to read up on cook-books and look at their composition. if possible, go to kinokuniya's page one and read up on the professional lighting set-up for such food photography. very very helpful books. is ur friend using ur photos for the menu or for the billboard adverts? not sure if ur digital camera can do the job for the huge adverts... not sure if i missed out anything... maybe the experts and pros can comment and direct u further! oh ya, u need a tripod. regards, cheesy

!!! Oh Mi God!!! These tips are definitely coming out from a pro, and definitely worth more than 80 bucks.

Mr Canon is a stock photographer and all this are relatively true. Perhaps you can PM me if you need more info. His info might cost more than 80 bucks.

[rncw]

Originally Posted by Cheesecake 2). u might need a studio lighting set-up for food photography. and a macro lens would be a bonus. but a little improvising can be done and good results can be achieved too. for example, u can use table-lamps and a nice background for ur cake shots. table lamps, yes. i've used it before and it produces great results. i shot a food-catalogue for a restaurant's menu with this basic set-up(used 4 table-lamps! and a couple of white boards to act as reflectors). and i din't use specialise films or slides. i used normal FujiFilm Superia 100 and i scanned the negatives to turn it into digital format for the client. i can't really comment on the mounted-flash part as i've never done it before. i can't say for sure what the result will be like. but if the table lamps can provide a bright enough picture composition and the cake looks good through the view-finder, then everything will be ok!

very informative i might be doing something like that in the near future, and like to know what type of table lamp you have used for shooting? also, what type of bulbs were used? thanks!

[Fundee]

for food shot....
macro lense =is a bonus
lightings= as long is not flat and strong enuff( can use table, window or studio set-up)
reflector=must
film=slower better(35mm or medium format=depends your blow-up size)
digital=raw
tripod=must
cable release=if u have good, if u dont, use a timer
accessories(cup&saucer.....)= depends what mood u want to create.
test shot(polaroid)=must(to see how delicious & exclusive it looks)
pay attention to the foreground and the background
ta-pow the cake to give me some= dont you ever forget that !!!!!

[Hydesg]

hmmm polorid?

can i replace poloroid with digital camera?
haha

well
from what i see

the output of film kinda depends on the developer also

[igpenguin]

do a custom white balance if required... colours ought to look right too.

your friend prolly would find digital a faster and efficient tool to check the shots. better than waiting for the slides to come back.

[rncw]

Originally Posted by Cheesecake hello, i bought a special table lamp that can be clipped to the table's edges. it cost around S$4.50 and can be found in Vin-Mart. i bought it long ago though. it is made in Thailand and the bonus is that the head of the lightbulb can be rotated and swivelled like a top-range flash-gun. from the same stall, i bought 4 Philips Essential, 14watt Energy Saver lightbulb. i figured that i needed the lightings to be as close to the food as possible and bright enough. i did all these simple series of shots last year for a small restaurant, on location. of course, its no big deal to bigger players and professional photographers with studios and better equipments to boast. but its thoroughly pleasing nevertheless, to see the end results of such a simple set-up. give it a try!

thanks for the tips....

well, whatever equipments, pro or cheap and simple setup, it is the end results that we're all after...

will try it out soon....but i think i'll visit ikea to see what lamps are available first....14watts x 4 , bright enuff? i'm think about at least 60watts x 4

[leonzhu]

I'm doing a series of food shoots now, and we're using DSLRs (D100/10D) with lenses like Canon's 50 f/1.8 and Micro-Nikkor 55 f/2.8 (pre-AI). Using WB, we use Ikea clip lights with various tungsten bulbs. Sorta like using tungsten film, i guess. Homemade tracing paper diffusers and lightweight reflectors. Cheap, and it works. Brush up on your lighting techniques. Soft light, hard light, side light, top light, whatever.

A good food stylist is very very important. If not, no matter how good you are, the food still will look bad. Also, suitable props. Granted, people don't actually notice the props, but it 'completes' the look.

If in Digital, shoot in RAW, for the greater bit-depth and post-process flexibility.

If in Film, shoot Slides to ensure that your photos aren't 'screwed' by some over-zealous lab personnel. Use appropriate filtration to adjust WB.

Just my 2baht. Any questions, PM me. I'll try to answer them.

[rncw]

thanks for all the tips....

BTW, just to ask...how much would normally be the charges for shooting a standard menu, or how do you guys go about charging?

[rncw]

Originally Posted by leonzhu I'm doing a series of food shoots now, and we're using DSLRs (D100/10D) with lenses like Canon's 50 f/1.8 and Micro-Nikkor 55 f/2.8 (pre-AI). Using WB, we use Ikea clip lights with various tungsten bulbs. Sorta like using tungsten film, i guess. Homemade tracing paper diffusers and lightweight reflectors. Cheap, and it works. Brush up on your lighting techniques. Soft light, hard light, side light, top light, whatever.

is this the lights you're using?

[leonzhu]

Originally Posted by rncw is this the lights you're using?

yup, these and the bigger sized ones. remember, a bigger light source gives less harsh light. but a big light source must be used close to the suibject to take advantage of the size. a big light source far away becomes a small light source. think about the sun n moon. so huge, but so far away that they become dots in the sky.

[Fundee]

go to mustafa to get the light holder.... neighbourhood store oso haf....