Appetizing Tips for Shooting Mouth-Watering Food Videos and Photos
Syrp Lab has released a new video to help videographers capture mouth-watering food footage, although the tips and tricks also apply to still photography.
The video outlines the creative process of shooting a commercial for a food delivery service, including three different shots of a grilled cheese sandwich, burger, and gelatin dessert. The team used a Canon R5 mirrorless camera alongside adapted EF 24mm f/1.4 and EF 50mm f/1.2 prime lenses.
Each ad segment requires different lighting setups, which Syrp Lab outlines in its video. For example, for a shot of a grilled cheese sandwich being pulled apart by two people, Syrp Lab used a light shined through a lampshade to create a warm late-night look and a pair of other lights to create a bit of fill and rim light. To reduce contrast, a fourth light shot through a softbox illuminated the subjects from the front, while a fifth light shone through a window the team set up to add color contrast.
As with the other segments, Syrp Lab used its slider products to create a sense of motion and a parallax effect. While this approach is unique to video, all the information about lighting, set decoration, and employing color theory to tie everything together also applies to still photography. An especially interesting tip is to use plants in front of artificial lights to simulate the shadows visible outside and make a set appear more natural.
A large part of food videography and photography is making food look appetizing. PetaPixel’s article about the tricks food photographers use to make food look delicious showcases many ways professional food photographers spruce up food and drink.
Syrp Lab used many props to help tell a story and provide context to its food delivery advertisement. While some props and equipment are specialized, others are everyday household items that nearly everyone owns. PetaPixel’s article on “Six Versatile Food Photography Props That You Already Own” shows the value of items like bed linen, plants and flowers, cutlery, jars, candles, and parchment paper.
Syrp Lab used gear from the Manfrotto Move ecosystem alongside lighting equipment and props. Last year, Syrp Lab, formerly known as Syrp, was folded into Manfrotto, with Syrp’s popular timelapse and camera accessories rebranding as Manfrotto Move products.
Syrp Lab routinely publishes interesting educational videos on its YouTube channel, including an informative video that compares cine versus photo lenses to see which looks more “cinematic” and why.
Returning to the realm of food photography, PetaPixel recently interviewed professional food photographer Eric Wolfinger about the “Delicious Art of Food Photography” and how Wolfinger transitioned from wanting to be a chef to becoming a highly respected and successful food photographer.
Image credits: Syrp Lab
