Natural Light: The Best Option? And Can You Really Tell?
As photographers, we’re always looking at different things to tell a compelling story in a single frame. In food photography, light and composition are massively important in creating mood and feeling so we’re constantly looking at ways to control light to tell different stories. That said, many times client briefs call for “natural light” and sometimes that can be quite ambiguous. In the images above, one is indeed natural light. Care to hazard a guess? Let’s have a look at each of these images and break down the lighting setups.
As photographers, we’re always looking at different things to tell a compelling story in a single frame. In food photography, light and composition are massively important in creating mood and feeling so we’re constantly looking at ways to control light to tell different stories. That said, many times client briefs call for “natural light” and sometimes that can be quite ambiguous. In the images above, one is indeed natural light. Care to hazard a guess? Let’s have a look at each of these images and break down the lighting setups.
Image 1
Horizontal Gridded Stripbank
Positioned low to avoid the reflection on the top, the grid focuses the light and lights the liquid making it the star of the show.
Image 2
Bare bulb
Bare bulb from camera left, behind and up high. I wanted to mimic harsh sunlight to give a summery bright mood. Plus that shadow and light on the plate is gold!
Image 3
Diffused Softbox
Lit from behind through a diffused softbox up above subject to give a reflection off the top of the cocktail. Can give a feel of morning light coming through a window.
Image 4
Undiffused Softbox
An undiffused medium softbox from above and camera left casts specular highlights and a hard shadow beneath the plate. Could be mistaken for mid-afternoon light?
Image 5
Natural light
Big window with morning light from behind. Nice even light. What story does it tell?
Image 6
Vertical Gridded Stripbank
The gridded strip bank from behind and above not only focuses the light through the middle of the frame, but also breaks the reflection on the top of the cocktail, mimicking the slats in a window frame.
So, were you right in your predictions? More importantly, did the naturally lit image produce the most compelling frame? Natural light is beautiful, but relying on it will only get you so far. Controlling and shaping the light puts the control back into the photographers’ hands and allows us to really get creative in our storytelling. Which was your favorite and what other lighting would you like to discuss? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!
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Travel Diary: Hanoi 2020
Since Saigon is going through its 3rd week of “Social Distancing Measures”, I’ve been going through the archives while redoing and updating my site (hint hint, go take a gander!). In the process, I came across these images from the last time I was in Hanoi last November. One of my favorite cities in Asia, Hanoi offers endless photo opportunities. Hopefully we can all get through this wave quickly and hit the road again for more adventures!
Since Saigon is going through its 3rd week of “Social Distancing Measures”, I’ve been going through the archives while redoing and updating my site (hint hint, go take a gander!). In the process, I came across these images from the last time I was in Hanoi last November. One of my favorite cities in Asia, Hanoi offers endless photo opportunities. Hopefully we can all get through this wave quickly and hit the road again for more adventures!
Nerdery info: all these images were shot with 35mm focal length, save one. Anyone have a guess which one was shot at 85mm?
Fishing Villages in Central Vietnam
Recently, I had the opportunity to hop up to central Vietnam and jump on the tail end of one of our Central Vietnam photo tours. It’s always lovely to get to this part of the country and with Quinn joining too, a stellar day of shooting with friends was guaranteed. As a guest, I got to explore this little area a bit more than when I’m teaching, so it was a chance to see this place with some new eyes and a different approach. Not to mention seeing friends whom I haven’t seen since covid reared its ugly head. Okay, enough prattling, here’s a selection of some of my favorite frames.
Recently, I had the opportunity to hop up to central Vietnam and jump on the tail end of one of our Central Vietnam photo tours. It’s always lovely to get to this part of the country and with Quinn joining too, a stellar day of shooting with friends was guaranteed. As a guest, I got to explore this little area a bit more than when I’m teaching, so it was a chance to see this place with some new eyes and a different approach. Not to mention seeing friends whom I haven’t seen since covid reared its ugly head. Okay, enough prattling, here’s a selection of some of my favorite frames.
Serenity in Lak Lake, Vietnam
Over the Lunar New Year this year, my wife and I had the chance to head up to a location I first visited in 2007. Faint memories of the lake and the surrounding hills had me quite excited to see Lak Lake with new eyes and show my wife what I remembered as storybook countryside. Originally, we were going to stay for a few days and then head down to Con Dao, but covid took care of that, so we stayed put and turned 3 days into 10. With not much to do, I initially thought we may get bored, but that turned out to be the polar opposite of what ended up being such an amazing decompression from the city. Hikes, quiet mornings, mists rising over mountains and lakes…it was everything I remember and more. Largely off the radar, (well maybe not anymore), this little bit of paradise is the cure for what ails ya if the city life starts to be too much.
Over the Lunar New Year this year, I headed up to a location I first visited in 2007. Faint memories of the lake and the surrounding hills had me quite excited to see Lak Lake with new eyes. Originally, I was going to stay for a few days and then head down to Con Dao, but covid took care of that, so I stayed put and turned 3 days into 10. With not much to do, I initially thought I may get bored, but that turned out to be the polar opposite of what ended up being such an amazing decompression from the city. Hikes, quiet mornings, mists rising over mountains and lakes…it was everything I remember and more. Largely off the radar, (well maybe not anymore), this little bit of paradise is the cure for what ails ya if the city life starts to be too much.
Saigon Punk Chronicles : Year End Party
With such a bizarro year wrapping and the quickly upcoming lunar new year, this year’s End of the Year Party was bound to be a banger. I caught all but the first band who started early (this may be a punk rock first) so apologies for not having images for them. The bill consisted of Diarsia, Jaigon Orchestra, Đá Số Tới, District 105, Taiyoken, Do it Dad, and Kaali. Musically it ranged from pop punk to metal to hardcore, so a great mix of styles and people showing up at the show.
With such a bizarro year wrapping and the quickly upcoming lunar new year, this year’s End of the Year Party was bound to be a banger. I caught all but the first band who started early (this may be a punk rock first) so apologies for not having images for them. The bill consisted of Diarsia, Jaigon Orchestra, Đá Số Tới, District 105, Taiyoken, Do it Dad, and Kaali. Musically it ranged from pop punk to metal to hardcore, so a great mix of styles and people showing up at the show.
I’d be completely daft if I didn’t mention how wild it is that we are in a country where we can actually have shows safely while most every where else on the planet is going into lockdown. Granted things may not be this way for long, but the Vietnamese authorities have done a damn fine job containing the ‘Rona up until now, so fingers crossed that this latest flare up dies down in a hurry. But enough of my rambling, on to the images.
Diarsia
District 105
Đá Số Tới
Kaali
Taiyoken
Jaigon Orchestra
Moshin’, Stage Dives, and other Shenanigans
Moving forward I’ll try to include the flyer for posterity, so we’ll start here. Check out the cool work by Vui Qá
Northern Exposure: Ha Giang to Cao Bang. Part 1
What a ridiculous year this has been. Along with every other travel photographer, a good chunk of my travel assignments evaporated in a hurry with covid’s unwelcome arrival. With Vietnam’s borders, by all intents and purposes still shut, international travel is not an option. But, thankfully, I live in a country with so many incredible destinations, many of which I’ve never been. So, a couple of weeks ago, I hit the road with good friend and fellow photographer, Quinn Mattingly for an epic road trip. After flying into Hanoi, we headed north and grabbed motorbikes in Ha Giang city. Over the following 8 days we headed all the way to the Chinese Border and back down to Cao Bang city during the best time of the year - the rice harvest. This area has been at the top of my list for years and with the lack of tourists, it proved to be an incredibly unique time to explore one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.
What a ridiculous year this has been. Along with every other travel photographer, a good chunk of my travel assignments evaporated in a hurry with covid’s unwelcome arrival. With Vietnam’s borders, by all intents and purposes still shut, international travel is not an option. But, thankfully, I live in a country with so many incredible destinations, many of which I’ve never been. So, a couple of weeks ago, I hit the road with good friend and fellow photographer, Quinn Mattingly for an epic road trip. After flying into Hanoi, we headed north and grabbed motorbikes in Ha Giang city. Over the following 8 days we headed all the way to the Chinese Border and back down to Cao Bang city during the best time of the year - the rice harvest. This area has been at the top of my list for years and with the lack of tourists, it proved to be an incredibly unique time to explore one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.
From epic high mountain passes to the biggest waterfall in Asia, these 500 kilometers were one jaw dropping vista after the other. Pair that with nearly perfect weather and great company, and we had ear to ear smiles the entire journey. Well almost the entire time… The moment where Quinn’s drone decided it wanted to live permanently in the jungle treetops of Ha Giang was a bit of a bummer, but it was nothing a bit of rice wine couldn’t remedy!
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The Light at the End of the Tunnel - Quarantine Cuisine: Part 3
As things are starting to reopen here in Vietnam, it looks like we’ll be shooting more and creating some new campaigns in the near future. YES! So for the last chapter (hopefully) in this series, here are some of the things we’ve been enjoying at home the past couple of weeks. Big thanks to the wonderful F&B outlets here in Saigon and high fives to all the restaurants who adapted, refocused and weathered the storm. We’re not out of it yet, but it looks like we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll link down below to all the venues featured in this article.
As things are starting to reopen here in Vietnam, it looks like we’ll be shooting more and creating some new campaigns in the near future. YES! So for the last chapter (hopefully) in this series, here are some of the things we’ve been enjoying at home the past couple of weeks. Big thanks to the wonderful F&B outlets here in Saigon and high fives to all the restaurants who adapted, refocused and weathered the storm. We’re not out of it yet, but it looks like we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll link down below to all the venues featured in this article.
If you have a restaurant or venue, mention this article, let’s create something awesome, and I’ll knock 15% off the total and donate 5% to the charity of your choice. Much love and let’s get break bread once again!
Restaurants and businesses featured in this post:
Full Transparency: I’ve not been paid or received anything in return for any of this.
Keeping Creative in Uncertain Times - Quarantine Cuisine: Part 2
As we’ve settled into this new “normal”, we’ve been confronted with some stark realizations - some of us need to learn to cook and restaurants will have to adapt in order to survive these tumultuous times. That said, my kitchen has become familiar again, my love for cooking has had a resurgence, and restaurants have adapted with new delivery concepts popping up and a higher focus on hospitality. While the current situation is a million miles from good, silver linings are what we have and staying positive and supporting each other is always good. This push to give better value, service and support from restaurants and patrons alike is a wonderful thing to witness, and I hope this bolsters the industry not only here in Saigon, but throughout the global F&B industry.
As we’ve settled into this new “normal”, we’ve been confronted with some stark realizations - some of us need to learn to cook and restaurants will have to adapt in order to survive these tumultuous times. That said, my kitchen has become familiar again, my love for cooking has had a resurgence, and restaurants have adapted with new delivery concepts popping up and a higher focus on hospitality. While the current situation is a million miles from good, silver linings are what we have and staying positive and supporting each other is always good. This push to give better value, service and support from restaurants and patrons alike is a wonderful thing to witness, and I hope this bolsters the industry not only here in Saigon, but throughout the global F&B industry. I hope this communal focus rather than a transactional relationship sticks around and really gives us, both as hospitalitarians and guests, the time to reflect on what makes dining out and food so amazing. I want to use this post to give shine to some of the restaurants (alongside some of my own home-cooked food) here in Saigon that have stepped up and done some thoughtful moves into this brave new world. At the bottom of this post, look out for links to some of these fine establishments featured in this post as well as the last post. This is the time we all lean on each other. If you haven’t had the chance, go check out Part 1 here.
Restaurants and businesses featured in this post:
Full Transparency: I’ve not been paid or received anything in return for any of this.