Backlighting translucent or coloured drinks with hard light really makes them glow! Image by Suze Morrison @gourmetglow
What lighting kit do I need?
Balanced, accurate lighting is what makes those amazing cookbook images look mouthwatering everytime. Light is how you create the magic, but it can be the bit that can cause the most hair-tearing, especially when you’re working with ever-changing natural light.
You really don’t need much to get beautifully lit images. Great lighting rarely comes from adding more equipment. It comes from moving what you already have, shifting the set, adjusting the diffuser, bringing in or taking away shadow. That’s when your image will hit that sweet spot of intentional, dimensional and beautifully illuminated.
A basic kit might include:
- a window with indirect soft daylight
- an outdoor space with direct sun for hard light sets
- a diffuser (or tracing paper, thin cotton, baking paper)
- white card or foam board to bounce light back in
- black card or foam board to deepen or block (flag) light
- small reflectors (foil-wrapped card works just as well!)
- If you want consistency at any time of day, just add a daylight-balanced continuous light with a softbox - it behaves similarly to window light.
- Shooting glass? We recommend buying a grid with your soft box - it’s an essential piece of kit helping to reduce light spill, which allows you more control over tricky reflections.
Softness vs drama
One of the biggest lighting controls is simply how far your setup is from the light source.
- closer to the light → brighter, higher contrast, more dramatic
- further from the light → softer, calmer, more even
Moving your scene nearer or further from the window or light changes the mood instantly.
- If you want punch and depth, move closer.
- If you want airy and gentle, move back.
Direction of light
Side light is the most common for food and still life. It creates shape, texture and gentle shadow across the set. This works beautifully with most tabletop scenes.
Back-side light (slightly behind the subject - see photo) adds separation and glow, a must have for drinks, glossy foods or anything that needs some specular highlights.
Front light flattens texture and reduces shadow. In food photography, avoid using front light at all costs!
How to reduce glare on vinyl photography backdrops?
If you’re relatively new to lighting, using a diffuser softens strong window light, spreads the light and creates an even, flattering wash across the backdrop. It softens both highlights and shadows. Even a thin sheet or baking paper can make a huge difference.
Diffused light → soft shadows, gentle transitions
Hard light → crisp shadows, strong contrast, bold graphic look
Suze Morrison at Gourmet Glow using a snoot (a pointed cone to direct the light) on a single light source, to narrow the light hitting the scene. Shot on the Powder vinyl photography backdrop
Light vs dark backdrops for food and product photography
Managing shadow with bounce and flags
Once the light direction is set, you can shape shadow with simple boards. White card (bounce card) reflects light back into shadow areas and lifts them. Black card also known as flags (fill cards), absorb light and deepen shadow.
For darker moods, you’ll often need to flag (block) light hitting the backdrop – typically from the light side, and sometimes from above as well. Black card or foamboard works really well for this; you can simply fold it in half to stand it up. On very dark or black photography backdrops, you may notice small areas of shine where the light catches - this happens with any dark coloured smooth matte surface.
To remove any distracting 'hot spots' pulling the eye, increase your diffusion, reposition your light at a steeper angle relative to the backdrop, or use a larger flag to block off the light's reflection path.
