Lighting is everything when it comes to photography. I have two charcuterie boards taken on the same board and in the same house at the same time of day. One was taken in a room with an overhead light on and one was taken by the window with natural light coming through. The first pic was very scrumptious, but you can clearly see the harsh unnatural light being reflected on several pieces of fruit and vegetables.
This is the second picture. I took this by a window that had natural light coming through. You can see the difference in the quality of the picture. It is also important to note a few other key differences between these two pictures. The backgrounds are different. You will always get a better picture for lighting with a white background. Just use what you have on hand. For the second picture, I used tissue paper that is supposed to be for presents. Something else to note is that I always post edit my pictures. What does that mean? Well, for me, that means that I go into photoshop express which is a completely free app (it probably has in-app purchases, but I don't ever need to use them) and I typically do two things. The first thing I do is adjust the brightness and contrast. I like my pictures to be crisp and clear. Brightness allows for that additional lighting for your pictures. Contrast allows your items to pop. The second thing I do is adjust the saturation and vibrance just a little. I have often found that pictures don't accurately portray what my eye sees. When I look at a plate of fruit or vegetables, I see bright vibrant colors and I want my pictures to reflect that. So, I don't really do too much post editing. Also, everything I do in editing is attainable from every person with a phone. It typically takes me just a few minutes to add a little brightness, contrast and saturation/vibrance to my pictures. You can see they look vastly different.
Helpful lighting tip number one: Use natural lighting when the sun is out if you are indoors. The best time to take pictures outside is two hours before sunset. That's the golden hour for photography. It doesn't have to be a big space or even a dedicated space. I took the second picture by my back door because that is where the natural lighting is the best in my house. Find a spot that works for you.
Helpful lighting tip number two: Get near a window or outside light source and use a white cloth over the area so that you can get the natural light without the harsh shadows. A white cloth can come in many different forms. You could use a sheet, a thin plastic table cloth from the Dollar Tree, a towel, a pillowcase, etc. It doesn't have to be expensive and there is likely already something in your house that you can use. You got this!
댓글