Between the Facebook Group, my instagram account, and really any chance I get, the subject of hard lighting has been coming up frequently; and this post of the wrap up of the Hard Light Grey Salt Collective Prompt, is no exception. Safe to say I’ve been gently nudging other food photographers in this direction, or at least tempting them to open their minds to it, over the past year.
Why? Because direct, hard lighting is:
- dramatic, bold and beautiful
- a strong storytelling tool
- has its place in food photography
As we just wrapped up, I am again able to showcase more of the beautiful work that is being created through these food photography prompts.
Below is a collage of images created during this hard lighting challenge and visual proof that using a direct, hard light source to light your food photography is a beautiful option!
If you want to read more about the subject, with BTS diagrams, just pop over to my last post HERE.
Also, big thanks for the most recent comments as they let me know that these little ‘assignments’ are helping you to grow, to push your boundaries, practice your crafts, and create new work for your portfolios, websites, blogs and marketing materials.
Here are a few:
- “I didn’t shoot these eggs for the challenge, but it was the challenge that made me do it! My kitchen gets really direct morning light and I have never once shot an image in it. The challenge had me seeing this light in a new way and when my breakfast looked pretty, the light that I usually ignore became an opportunity! I feel pretty darn grateful for this group and these challenges landing in my life when I really needed them.” ~Laura Visioni
- “This is the only FB group i am active in as i love your prompts from the very beginning i joined! It also gives me impulse to be creative and develop in food photography” ~ Rasa Arlauskiene
- ” I love all of your prompts and they always push me to try something new. ” ~ Elizabeth Lowry
- “I love the prompts and take them all very seriously. It pushes me, I need to be challenged. ” ~ Heather Grilliot
If this is the first you’ve heard about Grey Salt Collective and want to learn more about it, just hop on over TO THIS PAGE to get all the information.
THEN – JOIN IN and PRACTICE with a group of passionate food photographers and WORK YOUR CRAFT!
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The last thing I want to share are a handful of bts shots and finished images from my own shoot for this prompt.
With a little bit of planning, a handful of simple props, and some beautiful unmodified hard lighting, you too can create some of your own beautiful, dramatic imagery.
The first images below were shot at our kitchen table, using the morning sun streaming directly in through one window.
The window frame created a geometric shadow directly onto the table, which I used as part of my composition.
Below is a bts of this set up:
Next up are the images I made outside on my driveway, in full on sunlight. I positioned my ‘set’ on an angle to the sun in the direction that I wanted my shadows to fall – just as you would do with any light source.
And lastly, here are the bts for these images.
I hope this intrigues you, even just a little, and inspires you to go out and experiment with using hard light as your light source to create some new imagery!
