SFU :: Lighting and Staging #GrillingisHappiness #SoFabU

This week in my Campaign Photography with Sears Grilling class, we focused on lighting and staging.

I've been trying to pay closer attention to lighting for a while but this was a great week for refining some of the things I've learned in the past.  I took this week's photos using only natural light {I try to never use a flash unless I absolutely can't figure out a way around it}.  The first three photos below were taken outside in a shaded area and the other photos were all taken indoors, next to a window but out of direct sunlight.

For me, staging was a tricky part of this lesson.  I think staging may come a bit more naturally to me when I'm taking photos of crafts.  With food, I found it difficult.  I love simplicity so I had a hard time adding much to my food scenes.  {I also had five hungry kids ready to eat and they weren't too excited about waiting for staging!}

I kept my backgrounds simple, using a brick wall or a piece of scrapbook paper {my favorite new trick} and kept my props simple as well ... a fork, some tongs, or a colored napkin.  I do want to experiment more with staging and props and try to find a happy medium.  I think much of staging is a matter of personal style.

I grilled a number of meals throughout the week {including these delicious chicken tortilla pizzas ... I'll share the recipe soon} and took lots of photos.

I was very careful to watch my lighting {keeping my aperture low} while taking the photos but I also made some adjustments in Pixlr during the editing phase, brightening the photos just a bit.  It's amazing what a difference just a small adjustment can make to the overall look of a photo.

The photos below were taken with my light source {a window} beside me which, unlike lighting from the foreground, adds tone and texture to the photos.

But see what I mean about my staging needing some work?  A piece of rosemary directly in the middle of the plate ... it just looks goofy, doesn't it?  I should have looked at my photos before I ate the meal {smile}.

Shooting a more vibrant subject was enjoyable and I used a bright colored plate to complement the yellow of the pineapple ...

... but kept the background very neutral so it wouldn't distract from the main subject.

I'm really enjoying this class and I feel like my photos are improving. I love the small tips I've learned that have made such a difference. Only two more weeks left in the class ... I can't wait to see this week's assignment!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears.  All photos and opinions are my own.  #CBias #GrillingisHappiness

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