Find your Light

I am sometimes asked, how I do light my photos, if there is a general setting for my lighting, which light source I use and so on. This question isn't that easy to answer, because beside the technical side, lighting is a very personal way in composing images. Especially in food photography lighting is essential and you have to find your own light.

For the technical stuff and background information I would suggest the reading of:
Lou Manna: Digital Food Photography. Beside covering the various aspects of food photography in detail (e.g. composition with great examples), the book is also covering the topic of lighting in food photography.
Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua: Light - Science & Magic. This introduction to photographic lighting is covering all the aspects of lighting from scientific background to application. It is a great textbook.

My Lighting Equipment:
Natural Light from windows. I use it whenever I can, because I like the differences it is producing, although the pace at it will change can be hard sometimes.
Artificial Light Bulbs (5000 K), stands and equipment. When there isn't enough light or when I want to reproduce a very defined lighting, I am using artifical steady light bulbs. The light bulbs I'm using do not get hot, they still get a little warm though, but nothing you would have to worry about in food photography.

Useful Supplies:
I have various white foam boards of different sizes for fill light. The white styrofoam has the advantage, that the surface is irregular, so that the reflected light is softened a bit.
Silver and golden foil for stronger and harder fill lights. I fix these foils often on the foam boards. The golden foil will produce a more yellow (warmer) fill light. I use it seldom in food photography. The silver foil will produce a stronger fill light than the white foam board. You can bend the foil to produce fill light covering different directions onto the object, so that you can get an almost shadow less object.
Black card boards and papers to shade areas or to "direct" light. By excluding light from certain areas you can create a kind of light beam situation.
Small mirrors. I have several of them for effect light and for a strong fill light in certain areas.
Translucent papers will help you to soften (a too hard) light source. I have them in different sizes and can mount them on litle sticks to just shade certain areas. This is useful for example, when you want to reduce highlights which are too strong.
Sheer Curtain. I'm often using a pieces of sheer curtain to smooth (soften) light. This will soften also hard shadows. Especially useful when using natural light from a window.

Lighting setting:
There is no standard recipe for that, although I do prefer a back light or side light. I seldom use a front lighting. Beside a main light source (main light direction) I have often a fill light from opposite direction of main light source to control shadows. Angle of light and strength of light are depending on what I want to get in my photo, there is no general way to photograph food.

Find your own Light:
Lighting is essential part of the composition. Try to envisage the photo prior you do it. Think of the lighting before taking the photo. Should it be bright or more mysteriously dark? Should it reflect a direct natural light or a more soft still life light? Should it create certain effects? You can't think of lighting without taking the food into account. How do you want the food to appear in the photo? Are there stronger contrasts in the food you have to take care of (e.g. bright and dark parts)? Dark food is "eating" light and in combination with bright food you may have to use a strong main light and shade the brighter parts or you have to use a strong fill light for the darker parts to balance the lighting in these different areas. And because lighting is central part of the composition it is a very personal thing. You have to find your own way, which is a process. The (technical) basics are described in the books mentioned above.

How to learn lighting:
Take a look at many food photographs and analyze them. Find out how they might have been done in lighting. Where is the main light source? What is about shadows? Lighting angle (high or leveled). Is it a soft lighting without hard shadows or is it more structural light creating defined shadows? What is the mood of lighting? Is it bright and sunny, mysterious, dark, cozy, warm, cold, stylish, fancy? How is the lighting for different types of food?
And if you like a certain kind of lighting, try to re-create it. Try to find out how it was done and try to realize it in one of your own photos. In most cases you will end up with something completely different, but in this process you will learn much about lighting.
Try to "see light". This can be done always. Try to analyze the light surrounding you. What is the difference between light in the morning or afternoon; on a sunny or cloudy day. Do it where you like to take your photos and you will learn how to use the light more effectively in the area where you take your photos. Is there a time of day, when light is "best" for you?
And learn from and with others. Talk and discuss about food photography, composition and lighting. Let other critize your photos. You can learn much more from your mistakes than you might expect. If someone doesn't tells you, that the lighting in your photo doesn't work, how will you ever find out? Everyone likes to get compliments on their photos, but the value of a honestly ment review is much more. It gives you something to work on and to improve your skills. A place for such a discussion on the internet is the "Food Photography Club", where members and also non-members can discuss about foo photography in detail. I and others have created this group on Flickr a while ago just for the purpose to learn from each other and to have an in-depth discussion on food photography.

Interested in further posts? I will post some more about food photography in the future (follow the label photography in my blog). If you are interested in a post about Hard light, Soft light you should read the post about it in Alessandro's blog Food-o-grafia

If ou like this post you may also like "Let there be Light!"

It's nothin' but a Hotdog

© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

Maybe Hotdogs are the "typical" American Recipe for Non-Americans. Not that there aren't any fried sausages in a bun or with bread recipes in Europe. But Hotdogs seem to be THE signature recipe for fried sausages fast food.

I sometimes make Hamburger, but I haven't made Hotdogs for ages. To make Hotdogs is by far no fast food with all the preparing of cucumbers or fried onions you have to do in advance. Even with a store bought hotdog bun it takes some time, but I have to admit that it is worthwhile the effort. So, here my version of a Hotdog.

Hotdogs
(should be made 4 hotdogs)

1 small salad cucumber (you need about 200 - 250 g)
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
cayenne pepper and salt to taste

1 tomato
salt and pepper to taste

4 small onions
2 tablespoons butter

4 hotdog buns
4 hotdog sausages (I used Frankfurter Sausages)
oil

Ketchup (or tomato sauce for hotdogs)
Mustard (as hot as you like it)


Peel onions and slice very thinly. Heat butter in a pan over medium high heat and then add onions slices. Let the onions cook on low to medium high heat to brown them. This will take about 10 minutes. You should brown the onions slowly. So they get some sweet notes. When onions are browned to your liking dry them on some paper towel and set aside.

Wash the cucumber and slice them. In a bowl combine vinegar and sugar, add salt and cayenne pepper to your taste and add the cucumbers. Let stand for about 30 minutes.

From the tomato just use the flesh. Cut it into cubes and add some salt and pepper. Set aside.

I make my hotdogs in a pan with some oil. So I pan-fry my sausages until they are browned from the outside on medium high heat. To prevent sausages from bursting I prick them with a toothpick several times from all sides before frying.

Prepare the hotdog buns according to package directions. Slice the buns lenghtwise but don't cut through.

Making the hotdogs:
Pat dry the cucumber slices and make a frist layer with them. Add tomato cubes. Put the sausage on this and add ketchup and/or mustard to your liking. Add fried onions and then close the hotdog. Serve right away.

Peach Jam

© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

Last week I could get some real good peaches, fruity and full of flavor. Isn't there anything better than to make jam out of them? Because these peaches were very ripe and full of flavor, I choose a very simple jam, just peaches and sugar. To support the fruity notes I added some lemon juice (which also supports the gelling process). Again I'm using a commercial gelling sugar which combines all necessary things for the jam. I used a 1:1 ratio gelling sugar for a real sweet jam. Beside for breakfast, this jam is great for any other sweet stuff, like cakes.

Peach Jam

1000 g peaches (weigth after you have pitted them)
1000 g 1:1 gelling sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Note on Gelling Sugar: I'm using a commercial gelling sugar which contains the neccessary acidifier, pectin, gelling ingredients. It is foolproof. And I'm just too lazy to do this completely from scratch.

Cut pitted peaches into pieces. In a large pot puree half of the peaches, then add rest of peaches, sugar and lemon juice. Let stand for 1 hour and stir from time to time.

Meanwhile sterilze your jars. I fill them onece or twice with boiling water and pour out the boiling water immediately before I fill in the jam. This would 1500 mL of jam. So have enough jars at hand and prepared.

Bring the peach mixture to a boil stirring all the time. Let cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Fill into prepared twist off preserving jars and close jars. Let stand for 1 minute and then turn up side down. Let stand for 10 minutes and turn over again. Let cool completely.



© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

Comfort Food: quick and easy

© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

Prawns with scambled eggs on buttered bread is one of the typical dishes in northern region of Germany. Especially in harbours where you can get fresh shelled and cooked prawns you will find this in many variations. Mine is just another - very easy - variation. I like prawns with scrambled eggs on a typical German "Schwarzbrot" (coarse rye bread) without butter on the bread. When I'm not in the mood for cooking I get some prawns from my favorite fishmonger and within a few minutes comfort food is ready to serve.


Scambled eggs and prawns
(just for me)

about 100 g prawns
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
chives (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 -3 slices coarse rye bread

Bring the prawns to room temperature. I often use pre-cooked shelled prawns. So they don't have to be cooked. I would suggest to use these. If you like you can add them in the end to the scrambled eggs in the pan to heat them up.

Mix eggs with milk until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat butter in pan over medium high heat. When hot add egg mixture and let cook until the eggs are set. Then turn the mixture once and add the chopped chives (as much as you like). Let cook until the eggs are done. The eggs should still be moisture and fluffy.

Put scambled egg on a (if you like - buttered) slice of bread, top with prawns and garnish with some chopped chives. Serve with a glass of beer or two.

Taste of childhood: peaches

The variety of peaches or any other fruit you can get on local markets seems to get bigger and bigger. Not only yellow and white fleshed peaches, but also all different shapes like what is called here in Germany "vineyard peaches":



© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

This more flat shaped peaches have a thicker peel. I haven't seen them the last years, but now they seem to be almost anywhere. While I was walking over the market last week, I saw a more orange to yellow colored peach variety with a very intense flavor. It reminded me at once to the flavor of peaches known in my childhood. Very sweet, very fruity. I have bought some and immediately after coming home I have to test them. And the flavor was just as I remember it from my childhood. Even the little bitterness of the peel was there. I love this taste and I hope that these peaches will become so popular as the vineyard peaches are nore.



© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

Soon after these photos were made, I made peach jam out of these wonderful peaches.

Summerly Berries: Raspberry Muffins

© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

I found some wonderful looking raspberries in a local store and I couldn't resist to get some for a sweet snack: a basic raspberry muffin recipe with a twist. I added freshly grated ginger. The fresh spicy note of the ginger complements the sweetness of the berries so well.

Raspberry Muffins
(for 12 muffins)

about 250 g raspberries
150 g all purpose flour
80 g finely grated almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
100 g sugar
1 egg
250 g buttermilk
1/2 teasponn freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon melted butter
dash of salt
powder sugar

Pre-heat oven to 175°C and prepare your muffin tray (grease it or line them with muffin papers).

Clean the raspberries, if necessary, but try to keep them dry and the brries intact. If you are lucky, you don't need them to clean at all.

Combine flour, finely grated almonds and baking powder. Set aside.

Mix egg and buttermilk. Add sugar, ginger and salt, mix well. Add melted butter and mix for about one minute. It should have a creamy texture.

Fold in the flour mixture until combined. Don't over mix.

Fill the muffin pans by using 2/3 of the dough. Arrange the raspberries onto the dough. Cover the raspberries with the rest of the dough. Put into the oven and let bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until muffins are golden.

Let cool in pans for a few minutes. Then take the muffins out of pans and let cool completly on a cooling rack.

Dust the muffins generously with powder sugar.

If you like, serve the muffins with some whipping cream or a vanilla sauce. As a snack I prefer them just dusted with powder sugar and a cup of coffee.

Have strawberry jam all year around

Strawberries are my favorite fruit for making jam. I always have strawwberry jam in the house all year around. From a simple strawberry jam, over different varieties with vanilla, basil, lime & bay leaf and others. You can combine strawberry with other fruit like rhurbarb too.

Making jam the lazy man's way is to use commercial gelling sugar containing all required ingredients from sugar, acidifier, gelling ingredients. It is making jam easy and some products are giving you the chance to cut down sugar to 1/2 or 1/3. If you like your jam real sweet you can use the "classic" 1-to-1-ratio (like I did it here).

Here is a very basic strawberry jam recipe.




© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

Ingredients:
1000 g hulled strawberries
1000 g 1:1 Gelling Sugar* (lazy man's way making jam)
2 tablespoons lime juice

* I'm using a commercial gelling sugar which contains the neccessary acidifier, pectin, gelling ingredients.

Directions:

1. In a large pot mix half of the hulled strawberries and Gelling Sugar. Add lime juice. Mix until you have a smooth puree.
   
2. Cut the rest of the strawberries into pieces (as large as you like them) and add them to the strawberry puree. Set aside.
   
3. Meanwhile sterilze your jars. I fill them once or twice with boiling water and pour out the boiling water immediately before I fill in the jam. Have enough jars at hand and prepared.
   
4. Bring the strawberries mixture to a boil stirring all the time. Let cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Then remove from heat.
   
5. Fill into prepared twist off preserving jars and close jars. Let stand for 1 minute and then turn up side down. Let stand for 10 minutes and turn over again. Let cool completely.
   

Strawberry Jam ideas
In my photo set Jams, Bread, Rolls & Breakfast you will find more photos for strawberry jams like this one for strawberry-basil jam



© All rights reserved, Thorsten Kraska, 2009

Add 3-4 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped) immediatley before cooking to the strawberry mixture.