Culinary studio work by Jean Louis Bloch Laine - How was this shot?

[SteveNC]

Doing a food shoot for a friend (free portfolio work for him and I) and he mentioned he likes this style of photography by photographer jean-louis bloch -laine in his book Pierre Gagnaire: Reflections on Culinary Artistry. (http://www.amazon.com/Pierre-Gagnaire-Reflections-Culinary-Artistry/dp/1584793163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220885894&sr=1-1)

I've never come across anything like this before, very interesting and I'd love to hear some ideas about how it was shot. I'll post a follow-up after the shoot tonight.

[Jannie]

It appears from your photograph that the food was laid upon a lighbox table, this can be made of white plexiglass or real glass with white diffusion material (Ross or Lee or other manufacturers product and I've also used different densities of paper/tracing paper) and lit from below. then additional lighting from the top to taste with a softbox will work.

Word of warning, if you use the glass version of this Don't aim a hot light close to the glass as it can cause it to break more easily or when you put cold food down on the surface.

It's easiest to put a white card or foam core at a 45 degree angle under the table so that a light coming in from the side mounted low can shine under the table, bounce off the card up into the white surface.

It's fun, it's really easy and has been used for all sorts of things. Many studios have had a permanent table like this set up somewhere just because they are so handy. One studio I worked in had a 5'x10' one with the white plexiglass and it was built with a cyc curve like a studio wall, pretty neat, you can shoot all kinds of product stuff on it and play with how little or how much light you want coming from below.

[RPCrowe]

I would expect that this onion was shot on a translucent shooting table and lit primarily from below with perhaps some minimal fill from above.

Here is an example of the type of table I mean. They are lots of fun to work with and can be fabricated very easliy using PVC pipe and a translucent shoot of plastic.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Shooting-Table-with-Complete-Light-Set-NEW_W0QQitemZ350096167089QQihZ022QQcategoryZ30088Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[SteveNC]

It appears from your photograph that the food was laid upon a lighbox table, this can be made of white plexiglass or real glass with white diffusion material (Ross or Lee or other manufacturers product and I've also used different densities of paper/tracing paper) and lit from below. then additional lighting from the top to taste with a softbox will work.

Word of warning, if you use the glass version of this Don't aim a hot light close to the glass as it can cause it to break more easily or when you put cold food down on the surface.

It's easiest to put a white card or foam core at a 45 degree angle under the table so that a light coming in from the side mounted low can shine under the table, bounce off the card up into the white surface.

It's fun, it's really easy and has been used for all sorts of things. Many studios have had a permanent table like this set up somewhere just because they are so handy. One studio I worked in had a 5'x10' one with the white plexiglass and it was built with a cyc curve like a studio wall, pretty neat, you can shoot all kinds of product stuff on it and play with how little or how much light you want coming from below.

Seems like it's not too hard - I think we're going to get some plexiglass, regular glass, and tracing paper just in case one works better than the other.

One thing that concerns me is that my strobes may be too powerful. I'm using two elinchrom D-lite 4's (400w/s each) and 580 flash. What do you think would work best given that equipment? I'm thinking maybe the 580 side lighting the whitecard with one D-lite directly overhead with softbox...

[Jannie]

That ought to work, start first by doing your display on the table and turn on your light below, then try first using reflectors to bounce the light back onto the food, bring one right over the top until it almost touches the camera and see what it looks like, it may be all you need. You can always use the softbox as a side light too or as you mentioned.

And you're right, it's not hard, kind of just try stuff and break the rules until it looks neat, it's easy to get lost in this kind of work, it's a fascinating world.

[SteveNC]

We just finished the first dish, second dish is in preparation as I type. Hoping someone would be so kind as to give some advice for the next round. Jannie and RPCrowe thanks guys!

http://www.andrawesphoto.com/sean/0057.jpg

http://www.andrawesphoto.com/sean/0067.jpg

[Jannie]

Okay less light from the bottom and/or more light from the top, and try to design it so there is not so much white space but you can deal with that onece you get the white just down to almost burning out.

You can't let greens in food go dark or they get muddy, same with yellows, so more light on top and or less on the bottom.

This is also a time to add your side light from either the side or 3/4 back skimming across just the top of the food as a kicker. Just a thought, I'm not there and just guessing from these photos.

[Jannie]

Also your food is less translucent than the photo on that book where the food was able to let the light shine through a bit, or between pieces. There is no way light will come through that food that's on the bottom, which looks yummy anyway LOL.

Notice on the bottom photo, in the upper right corner where you have the food held in a little boat you've made out of leek, see where it's letting the light through that thin leek wrapper, you have to design your food more toward that if it fits the dish.

[Hermes]

Your depth of field looks too shallow in the first shot with the result that nothing is in sharp focus and the food lacks detail and crispness. Stop down more, re-arrange the food, shoot from a higher angle, do whatever you have to to get proper focus and DOF otherwise all the effort spent on lighting and composition will be wasted.

The food itself needs more light (both in terms of brightness and definition). Up the power on your key light and add a gentle accent on the shadow side. The light coming from underneath will generate some flare and reduce contrast so dont over-do it and make sure your lens has an adequate hood/shade.

[figmented]

mmm soapy food