Let’s start with the basic gear: body & lenses. I’m still using and loving my Canon 5D MII. There are some rumors out there that a 5D Mark III may be coming later this year (typically 6 months after the 1Ds replacement comes out, which folks are hoping to hear about in April).

I commented the other day on Twitter that you can make a great photo with any lens, but it might not be the photo you wanted to make. Lenses do make a difference; you aren’t going to get the same shot with a 50mm lens as a 100mm lens, and images with a 5.6 aperture aren’t the same as those with a 2.8. When you make a big investment in camera gear, it really should be in the lenses before the body. Save up, and get the best lenses you can for the type of work you want to do.

Taken with the Canon 100mm 2.8 macro with natural light via northern window

I’ve had the same 100mm 2.8 macro for over 6 or 7 years, and while the new “L” version is definitely tempting (shiny new lens!), I’m just not convinced that the difference is worth the $1700 when I still love the quality of images with the original. I use this lens on over 1/2 of the photos I take. When I do get around to a new lens purchase, however, it will probably be this upgrade.

Taken with the Canon 90mm 2.8 t/s with natural light via southwest window

The next lens I use often is the 90mm 2.8 tilt-shift. Again, this is a lens I’ve had for quite sometime. There was a period when I used it for almost every tabletop shot I took, but I’ve backed off from that some this year. The tilt-shift effect for food photography (not the Photoshop tilt-shift “miniturizing” effect you see all over the web) is incredibly useful for changing the plane of focus, so, for example, you can get the whole surface of the soup in focus while still keeping the image soft. This lens is a really huge investment though, and unless you are shooting for a lot of commercial applications, is beyond the needs of most photographers. Still, there are shots that you simply cannot capture without the tilt…

The newest lens I’ve gotten, and one that quickly made its way into my regular rotation, is the 24-70mm 2.8. I love this lens. I’ve had the 24-105 4.0 L for years, but that hasn’t really seen the light of day since I picked up the 24-70. It’s a great lens to take to the market or to use in the studio. The short minimal focal distance let’s you get right into the shot when you need a tight one, while it’s a fantastic wide angle for full tabletop shots. Did I mention I love this lens? I got the Sigma brand of this lens (all my other lenses are Canon). The Canon version is great, and maybe a touch sharper, but I’ve had no problem with the Sigma and the price difference is significant.

I still have a few other lenses that I use on the rare occasion. The 50mm 1.4 and the 80mm 1.8 still make it into my bag. And on a rare occasion, I pull out my 45mm 2.8 tilt-shift. But it’s really unusual when those get used these days.

Oh, and speaking of bags, I have a broad selection of bags to choose from, but I almost always grab my emera bag. Love this bag. Mine is in grey.

What has changed a lot is the lighting gear I’m using. Several years ago, I moved from the Tota lights to a set of speed lights (small, portable strobes). These little strobes are easy to throw into a bag, along with a stand and umbrella, and give you great, soft light that is easy to set up and bring with you on any shoot. And they don’t require a power source, something that can definitely pose a challenge on location.

Shot with two speedlights with umbrellas

Of course, shortly after I got rid of my continuous Tota lights, I started shooting some short videos with my dSLR, and once again needed continuous lights. Since these just live in the studio, I went for a pair of large continuous light soft boxes, which work great.

Most recently, I picked up a pair of Alien Bees SB800s for a bit of flash in the studio, when the day calls for it. These are fantastic studio strobes; not crazy expensive but plenty of power for any tabletop shot. Typically, when I use strobe, I use a single strobe diffused with a large softbox. The Alien Bees softboxes are super easy to setup (much quicker than the softboxes that are on the continuous lights I have) as they have a frame that collapses and opens sort of like an umbrella. No crazy straining to stick rod A into slot B. But, at least with the gigantic soft box, it is very easy to knock over (or fall over on of its own accord) even if you have the whole shebang on one of the heavy duty light stands. So, most of the time, I’m finding myself doing a simpler diffusion technique of just bouncing the light off the wall, shooting it through a muslin drape or even taping on a sheet of vellum over the front surface.

Shot with 1 diffused Alien Bees SB800s

While I do love using natural light, and still use it most of the time due to cable aversion, there is definitely something to be said for being able get just the right light just where you want it. Don’t trust anyone who says natural light is the only way.

For accessories, I’m still using the same old Manfrotto legs and Really Right Stuff ball head. These will last for years and years. I really can’t imagine getting another tripod; if I ever find I need more than this one, I’ll be stepping up to a studio camera stand (ooo…shiny studio camera stand!)

In the studio, I have 2 large C stands to hold up whatever needs holding. Some days, it’s curtains (or more likely a tablecloth hung up as a curtain) for a soft backdrop; some days it’s a large piece of foamboard bouncing light or blocking it off. Somedays it is football cards meticulously glue-gunned to crepe paper that sadly just never really made sense in the shot.

Software-wise, since making the switch to Lightroom a few years back, I couldn’t be happier. The latest version is even better, allowing you to make some quick and dirty pixel edits (like crumb removal) before exporting those raw files. I still do a round of deeper edits in Photoshop, but luckily, each image only takes about 5 or 10 minutes of fine detailed editing now. I’m using Photoshop CS4, but I’ve really stopped recommending full on Photoshop for editing unless you do a lot of serious graphic design. Lightroom + Photoshop Elements is all you really need and will save you a bundle.

By the way, Lightroom added the ability to shoot tethered directly, but they are still missing a critical piece for me… the ability to change the camera settings on the fly. So, I’m still using the Canon software to do the actual tethered shooting with the auto-import hack in Lightroom to import the images. It’s a little annoying to have to switch back and forth, but until Lightroom gets a real tethered shooting UI, it’s a better option.

Oh – while I’m thinking of it, I also picked up both of the new food styling books from the last year. If food styling is your thing, it’s worth grabbing both of them. My friends Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannagan wrote The Food Stylists Handbook which is packed with beautiful photos and practical tips whether you are starting a food styling business or just want to know more about the world of food styling. You’ll definitely pick up a few useful tips.

Delores Custer’s Food Styling is really the bible of food styling. While most of it covers very commercial techniques, there is plenty of useful information for those who don’t want to use shortening and powdered sugar in place of ice cream. The cover price is pretty hefty though, so it’s a better fit for those who really want to make food styling their career… in which case, I’d say it is a must have. If nothing else, you’ll learn a neat way to cut citrus fruits!

And, have I mentioned that I have a book coming out later this year? Oh yeah, I don’t think I have. Well, I do. And it’s on food photography and styling. I can’t share too many details yet, but the manuscript draft is in, photos are being uploaded as I type, and I’m sure I’ll be able to tell you more about it soon!

For 2010, I’m going to start it up again, beginning with this question from a reader about a budget lighting:

I am an amateur photographer and enjoy taking pictures of food. Currently I’m trying to put together a family recipe book with photos.   The lighting in my kitchen is not very good. I found your blog and I read the blog post about food photography gear from 2006. My question is about lighting gear. Do you still recommend the Tota-Pak or V-Light Pak?   $200 would be about tops for my budget. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

My first recommendation, if your kitchen doesn’t have good light, would be to find a different room in your house with a window. You only need one good sized window, and a table set to its side. My kitchen doesn’t get good light either. My studio is upstairs, with windows on the south and west sides.  On sunny days, cover the window with a very sheer curtain or some tissue or vellum to soften the light or it will be too harsh.

But of course, there are still times that sunlight just won’t work, like when you are trying to shoot your dinner (or, in Seattle sometimes in dead of winter, your late lunch). So, having a nice, compact lighting set is nice to have.

The Lowell Tota‘s are good lights. They worked very well for me getting started… the bulbs last a long time, they give nice soft light when used with the umbrellas, and they are pretty compact. One thing to be aware of is that these lights do get very, very hot and are somewhat easy to knock over, so be very cautious running them around small kids or pets.

The other option, which is a bit less expensive, is the Lowell Ego light system which uses standard household lightbulbs (Update: they use compact florescent, which everyone should be using now anyway! See the comments for more on the replacement bulbs). These are super easy to use, and work quite well for tabletop work. As long as that is all you are doing, I’d probably say go that way. The Tota’s are more flexible though if you want to get wider shots, like people cooking in the kitchen.

I still use natural light 85% of the time, but I’ve moved to an off camera speedlight kit (with pocket wizards) which is super compact for taking on location, and battery powered so I don’t have to worry about finding electrical outlets near where I’m shooting (something you will have to think about with either of the Lowell lights mentioned above). You can get a very simple speedlight kit for about $249. I use rechargeable Nimh batteries because they do chew through the batteries pretty quickly.

Do you have questions? Send them my way!

Fun camera… but not what I actually do my work with…

Wow. It seems like I just posted my Guide to Food Photography gear… but it’s been almost a year, and I have realized a good chunk of my equipment has changed during that time. Since the number one question I get from readers is what gear do you use, I thought I’d give you a new peak into the studio & camera bags.

Camera

This year, I upgraded to a Canon 5D. Up until the first time I had it in my hands, I was a bit skeptical about upgrading to this body… torn between just squeezing every last little day out of my 20D to save up for a medium format camera, or holding out for a Canon 1Ds III. Well, in June, that changed. I needed a full frame sensor for a shoot, so I rented one locally for the weekend. I placed an order with Adorama as soon as I got back into town… that’s how much I loved it. Yes, the 1Ds III will be better… and one of these days, I really am going to get a digital medium format something or other. But, the 5D is a fantastic camera and it’s going to keep me happy for quite a while.

That said, initially, the 5D has caused me some pain. Because it’s a full frame sensor, the lenses I knew and loved all became wider… and not just a little bit. The wideness is nice, but it often makes you feel like you need to get in closer… which means I’m constantly hitting the minimal focus distance on my lenses. My goto lens for a good chunk of this year has been the 45mm f/2.8 Tilt Shift, but with the 5D, it just can’t get close enough for a lot of my shots. I started falling back almost exclusively to the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro. But, I missed my tilting and shifting so much, that finally I broke down and bought the Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt Shift Lens. Great lens. Great great lens. I love this lens. If you are shooting full frame, and shooting food, it’s definitely worth getting one.

Of course I’m still shooting quite often with my 50mm f1.4, but I also added the 85mm f/1.8. The drawback of the 85 is a pretty far minimal focal distance.. but it is such a great portrait lens, it’s worth ignoring that part. I love this lens for taking action shots of people and food in the kitchen.

I also still use the 24-105mm f/4L, primarily for a monthly shoot that I do for Seattle Magazine called Chef Test. Each month, I do a portrait of a chef taste testing ingredients, and this lens is just perfect for this (on a tripod, with sufficient light btw). Also in my lens bag are the 200mm f/2.8L and the 17-40mm f/4L, neither of which I use for food photography but both of which are nice lenses for travel.

Remember the Canon EP-EX15 Eyepiece Extender I talked about last year? I still love this… but I must warn you, if you use it, you will likely end up buying many more eye piece cups. They tend to slide off very easily. I’ve gone through about 5 cups now. But, it still nicer than a smudgy display.

I also love my Remote Switch, which lets me take photos on slow shutter speed without having to mess around with the timer. I picked up a little wireless remote a few weeks ago. It was great fun. For one afternoon. Then the battery died. Maybe it was a bad one, so I’ll see how it goes once I replace it.

This shot was taken in my old kitchen, but I still have those same lights.

Lighting

My lighting really hasn’t changed much this year. I still use natural light… south and west facing windows, covered with frosted vellum when it is really sunny out. And, of course, my favorite free thing in the world: a few big sheets of styrofoam board to act as a bounce.

I’m still using the Lowel Tota system, which is a reasonably priced start into studio lighting. The Tota-Pak includes a 750W tungsten halogen lamp with bulb, a stand and an umbrella is regularly $280. The V-Light Pak, which is 500W is on sale as well for about $5 less. The Tota-frame and Assorted Lighting Gel Set for the Tota-lamps are nice too, although I don’t use them all that much.

Maybe it was because I was reading a bit too much Strobist, but I did venture into some off camera flash this year, and picked up the Canon Speedlite 580EX Flash which I can use to create some nice off camera flash when used as a master with my old 430EX Speedlite. When I use the flash, I always soften it with some sort of diffuser.

I picked up the Lowel EGO Tabletop Fluorescent Light for an additional small table top lamp, as well as the Lowel EGO Sweep Table-top Background Support Stand. This is a nice inexpensive setup for tabletop photography.

I also have a very small fresnel light by Mole-Richardson that I use only for special cases that I need just a little bit of extra light in one spot. It’s fairly dramatic lighting, esp with all the accessories you can put on it.

My studio, on day 1 of my move. That whole shelf is full now, as is the closet (below). Those windows, btw, are my main light source.

Props & Accessories

My tripod is a set of Manfrotto legs and a Really Right Stuff ball head. This is a heavy duty studio tripod… the kind of thing you wouldn’t want to throw into a backpack and take with you, but excellent in the studio. I also have a great arm that clamps onto my tripod for holding onto miscellaneous gear like reflective discs.

Look at all that room! Not so much a mere 3 months later…

My prop closet has grown. It’s really not a single closet anymore. It’s at least 2, although one of the shelving units isn’t actually in a closet. It’s scary. We need to get earthquake insurance. I’d try to describe what I have, but it’s really too big at this point. If I could have it, I probably do. And, I’m always picking up new things here and there as I find bargains. The one thing I don’t have is pewter… must get going on that.

White is always a great choice for props.

If you are just starting out, make sure you have a good variety of white plates and bowls, and some simple flatware. Trays (like wooden breakfast trays) are really nice to have too. Forks appear most frequently in my shots, quickly followed by spoons. I tend to use the smaller flatware more frequently, but I also have a couple of interesting serving tools, like a copper ladle and coffee scoop. Ebay, thrift stores, CB2, Cost Plus, Pier One are all good places to go to find inexpensive props. Also, ask at the store if they have a rental program. Many places, like Crate & Barrel do, and you can just rent things for 20% of their cost as long as you bring them back with the tags on and in new condition. This is particularly good if you need something like a table for a shot, but don’t want to pony up the money for a full table or maybe, like me, don’t really have the space for one.

For backdrops, head to your local fabric store. You can get some good deals on cloth paying by the yard. Who cares if the edges aren’t finished when they don’t show up in the photo. Also, hand-made paper found at arts supply stores or card stores makes for some really nice backdrops, esp when you have a working sweep.

For a more finished look, I also have a fairly wide selection of towels and linen napkins that can be folded and placed under or around dishes. I prefer simple patterns and solids, in fairly light colors for these… but I do have the occasional piece that is quite bright and playful. I find most of my linens in the sales racks.

For styling your food, a good set of tools to have on hand are a pair of chopsticks (for pushing, poking or picking things up), tweezers, toothpicks, a pair of manicure scissors, some cotton swabs, a spray bottle (with water) and plenty of paper towels. Joe Glo wipes are also really good for little clean-ups. Also, my new favorite quick clean stuff are the Method wipes.

Computers & Software

In my last post, I talked about software, but didn’t talk about my computer at all. If you’ve been reading the blog and comments, you might have seen a Mac vs PC debate going on. You won’t get me going too much on that kind of debate. I know people have personal preferences that make them very passionate about what OS they use. I’m fine with that. If you have something you love, great!

As for what I use, I have a MacBook Pro. I like it. It’s pretty. It goes pretty fast. It has all the apps that I need. It annoys me sometimes too. But, that is true of any computer. My next computer will be a desktop Mac with one of those gorgeous Apple Flat-Panel Displays, which will be color calibrated all the time and more storage space than I can pronounce. Hopefully, this will be soon.

For image editing, I’ve upgraded to Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium. It’s really, really expensive (I had a bit of a discount through a friend), but it has Photoshop CS3 along with web design, illustration and print design tools. If you don’t need advanced editing, just go with Photoshop Elements. If you outgrow it, Adobe is generally pretty good with giving upgrade discounts. Or, if you are really just getting started, you can always go with iPhoto on the Mac or Picasa on the PC without any outlay of cash.

That said, I almost exclusively use Phase One’s Capture One Pro now, and only go into Photoshop if I need to do something like clean up a wrinkle or a crumb (or, ack, sensor dust!). Capture One is a raw workflow tool that lets me shoot tethered to my Mac. I have a long USB cable that connects my camera to my Mac, and as soon as I take the photo, it’s on my laptop and I can see it full res to make sure that I’m getting what I wanted. It’s completely changed the way that I shoot and edit, and I couldn’t be happier about it. But, it was a serious expense. Unless you are going pro, there is no reason to pay that kind of money.

I also still just use Adobe Bridge for my “organization.” It’s fine. It’s kind of lame. This is an area I really need to improve on, so expect a post on that sometime in the next several months… or sometime after the new Mac gets bought and installed.

For other software, my blogs are powered by WordPress. I use a client editor called Ecto. I’m currently using Firefox for browsing, in support of their recent announcement to start respecting image colorspace info (Ya-hoo!) I also use an app called FileChute, in conjunction with my .Mac account, to help me get files to my clients. It’s kind of nice because you just drag the files on, it zips them up for you, posts them, and gives you a URL. Then, you just email the URL to your client and they can download the photos. You can even password it if you want. Neat.

So, that’s it! Well, I’m surely forgetting something… but that probably means I don’t use it all that much.

If you have a favorite gadget or must-have piece of gear, please feel free to leave it in the comments!

Camera

I’m still shooting with a Canon EOS 20D for most of my shots. I love this camera… it’s a great size and produces beautiful shots. Of course, the Canon EOS 5D is on my wishlist… but I think it’s still many months off.

In the studio, I shoot with one of three lenses almost exclusively: the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, the 50mm f1.4 and the 45mm f/2.8 Tilt Shift Before I got the tilt-shift, I used the 50mm quite frequently… but it’s so close to the 45mm, that I rarely use in the studio anymore. 75% of my shots are now with the 45 T/S. It is an amazing lens.

Outside of the studio is a different story. For shooting on location with minimal gear, the 50mm 1.4 is a must have. Nothing else handles low light like this lens (ok, the 1.2 version would, but can anyone afford it?). I also love to take the 24-105mm f/4L, which is a great lens for well-lit shots and gives a bit more flexibility for framing. Just the little bit of zoom handles most of the shots I want to take. If I’m up for bringing a 3rd lens with me, then it’s the 200mm f/2.8L , which is my favorite telephoto lens… cheaper than the 70-200 2.8 and a bit crisper.

I also have some accessories. My favorite is the Canon EP-EX15 Eyepiece Extender, which lets me look through the view finder without always smudging up the display on the camera. Such a simple little thing, yet it makes me so happy.

I also love my Remote Switch, which lets me take photos on slow shutter speed without having to mess around with the timer. Of course, I’m sure I’d also like the Wireless Radio Remote too.

Lighting

A good portion of my lighting is free, or nearly so. Big windows and french doors that face south and west. I’ve covered the southern windows with a frosted vellum that is available at art supply stores by the roll. That, and a few big sheets of styrofoam board are my lighting solution for about 75-80% of my photos.

When I don’t have enough light, I use the Lowel Tota system, which is a reasonably priced start into studio lighting. The Tota-Pak includes a 750W tungsten halogen lamp with bulb, a stand and an umbrella is regularly $280, but I just noticed that it is on sale for $194 on Amazon right now. The V-Light Pak, which is 500W is on sale as well for about $5 less. I haven’t used them yet, but I recently got the Tota-frame and Assorted Lighting Gel Set for the Tota-lamps as well.

I also have a very small fresnel light by Mole-Richardson that I use only for special cases that I need just a little bit of extra light in one spot. It’s fairly dramatic lighting, esp with all the accessories you can put on it.

Props & Accessories

My tripod is a set of Manfrotto legs and a Really Right Stuff ball head. This is a heavy duty studio tripod… the kind of thing you wouldn’t want to throw into a backpack and take with you, but excellent in the studio. I also have a great arm that clamps onto my tripod for holding onto miscellaneous gear like reflective discs.

White dishes are my most frequently used, but I have quite a few solid color things as well. And some dishes with Asian prints. But, if you are just starting out, make sure you have a good variety of white plates and bowls, and some simple flatware. Forks appear most frequently in my shots, quickly followed by spoons. I tend to use the smaller flatware more frequently, but I also have a couple of interesting serving tools, like a copper ladle and coffee scoop.

For backdrops, head to your local fabric store. You can get some good deals on cloth paying by the yard. Who cares if the edges aren’t finished when they don’t show up in the photo. Also, hand-made paper found at arts supply stores or card stores makes for some really nice backdrops, esp when you have a working sweep.

For a more finished look, I also have a fairly wide selection of towels and linen napkins that can be folded and placed under or around dishes. I prefer simple patterns and solids, in fairly light colors for these… but I do have the occasional piece that is quite bright and playful. I find most of my linens in the sales racks.

For styling your food, a good set of tools to have on hand are a pair of chopsticks (for pushing, poking or picking things up), tweezers, a pair of manicure scissors, some cotton swabs, a spray bottle (with water) and plenty of paper towels. Joe Glo wipes are also really good for little clean-ups.

Software

I reference Photoshop CS2 for most of the articles on Still Life With. It’s really, really expensive but it’s also just about the only tool that you can use to do advanced editing. If you don’t need advanced editing, just go with Photoshop Elements. If you outgrow it, Adobe is generally pretty good with giving upgrade discounts. Or, if you are really just getting started, you can always go with iPhoto on the Mac or Picasa on the PC without any outlay of cash.

My newest software necessity is Phase One’s Capture One Pro. It’s a raw workflow tool that lets me shoot tethered to my Mac. I have a long USB cable that connects my camera to my Mac, and as soon as I take the photo, it’s on my laptop and I can see it full res to make sure that I’m getting what I wanted. It’s completely changed the way that I shoot and edit, and I couldn’t be happier about it. But, it was a serious expense. Unless you are going pro, there is no reason to pay that kind of money. That said, I’ll have more info on shooting tethered in an upcoming post.

BTW – I’ve been thrilled to get so many mails asking me my opinion on this stuff. I’m very happy to help… so if you have other questions, do feel free to shoot them my way!

Technorati Tags: camera gear, Food, Food Styling, Photography, shopping

Let’s start with the somewhat obvious. Different light has different color characteristics. Anyone who’s worked in an office is certainly familiar with the blueish glow given off by florescent tube lighting. Or, you may have heard of $1 million dollar light, the term that movie studios use to describe the golden quality of light just before sunset (it’s called that because at the time the phrase was coined, it took about a million dollars to replicate the same quality). The lighting you use will have a dramatic effect on the color composition of your photos.

The color of light is referred to as color temperature, and it is measured for some ungodly reason on a degrees Kelvin scale. Kelvin temperatures are actually negatives, so warm tones are between 1900 and 3200 degrees Kelvin. Neutral tones between 3300 and 4000. Cool tones are 4000 to 6500. If you think about natural light for a second, you’d put sunset at the far end of the warm spectrum and a Seattle overcast day at the far end of cool.

Note: Setting the color temperature in a photo editing application adjusts for the light the photo was taken in… for example, if you set it to the cloudy end, it will make your photo warmer assuming that it if you took it under cloudy skies it will look too cold. In Photoshop’s Raw editing tool, this is particularly confusing because you enter a lower number if you want your image cooler and a higher number if you want it warmer.

Now, you might be tempted to think that if you want neutral colors… that is your whites to look white… that you should go with neutral light. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Warmth and coolness do affect how color appears, but not in a uniform fashion. Some warm bulbs give the truest overall color reproduction. The lighting type (and even the quality of the individual bulb) has a lot do to with it as well, and as this chart shows, it’s pretty nutty. The quality of rendering is measured on a scale called the CRI – lower numbers render less color and can look washed out. Higher numbers indicate that color will come through naturally. There’s lots of math involved with this, and if you are really interested, Wikipedia has some great explanations and equations on why this all makes sense.

As for me, I’m going to take their word for it. For indoor, artificial lighting, incandescent bulbs (like this one) rate the highest, closely followed by tungsten halogen. Daylight florescents (those cool spiral energy saving bulbs) aren’t quite as good, but are ok.

Here’s a sample of tungsten halogen and natural daylight:

As you can see, with proper setting of the white balance, they are pretty close but the natural light is warmer. (You’ll have to ignore the fact that one is backlit and the other side lit… my ‘studio’ has it’s limitations). In particular, notice the blue hints at the top and on the handle of the pitcher in the tungsten version. I could correct those in Photoshop fairly easily, but then other parts of the photo might start getting too yellow. In the natural light, you can see more warmth in the shadows, particularly in the lower left corner.

So, different lights, different color tone and different color rendering.

Unfortunately, that’s not all. There is a different kind of temperature you need to be aware of… that is actual heat given off by the lamps. There are hot lamps and cool lamps. Hot lamps (like the incandescent and tungsten halogen listed above) run continuously which can be great because it allows you to see exactly what the light will look like and the quality of the light is warm and inviting. But they do get really, really hot and that can be a problem for food photography, particularly for things that should stay cool like ice cream, fresh herbs, salads, beverages and so on.

Cool lights (strobes) on the other hand omit quick, high intensity flashes of light. The light often has a blue cast, and without some sort of color balancing is likely to give you very cold looking results. But, the food stays fresher, longer. Strobes are also typically harder to work with because you can’t see what the end effect will be until the strobe fires.

Despite the fact that you have to work quickly, beginners are typically recommended to start with continuous, hot, lighting. It’s easier to get a feel for how lighting positions and strengths will affect your photography and the lighting systems are significantly cheaper.

For the most basic continuous lighting setup, there is a fantastic article here on using work lamps that you can find at your local Home Depot. Two dual head work lamps and stands that you can use indoors or out will run you only about $100. Jesse, the I Faked It site author, also has some great tips on photoshop… definitely worth checking out.

I’m using a slight step up from that… the Lowel Tota-Pak tungsten halogen lamps. This set comes with a small umbrella and reflects light to the subject rather than lighting it directly. The result is a really nice soft lighting. Another thing I like about these are the size. They are small, so I can move them around my very small kitchen without much problem or even collapse the stands and set them right on the counter. I also recommend getting a small spotlight to go along with this set, since the indirect lighting doesn’t let you highlight specific areas much.

“Lowel Tota-Pak, Light Kit with Tota-light, 750 watt 120 volt EMD Lamp, Stand & Tota-brella.” (Lowel)

I haven’t shot with more than this, and I’ve never shot with strobe lighting, so I’m reluctant to make a suggestion on those. If you have a system you like, please feel free to talk about it in the comments!

Once you know what light you are shooting in, don’t forget to set the color temperature on your camera… If you do forget (like I always seem to), you’ll have a lot of extra color correction to do in your shots.

Technorati Tags: Photography, Tips