CHIAROSCURO

How to Shoot Moody

Food Photography

GASTROSTORIA.COM
 CHIAROSCURO - HOW TO SHOOT MOODY FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

About Moody Food

SHADOWS AND LIGHT

Trends come and go in the world of food photography, but in the last few years
dark and moody photography has become a “thing” and it shows no sign of dying
out.

This style is sometimes referred to as Mystic Light, or Chiaroscuro. The latter is

an Italian term borrowed from the art world to describe a technique that
emphasises the contrast between shadow and light in an image.

Think of the paintings of Vermeer or Caravaggio, for example.

The parts of the image that are cloaked in shadow help guide the viewer’s eye to
the brightest part of the frame. In food photography, this is usually where we
position our subject.

Every photographer has their own style and given a choice, is either more drawn
to bright and airy images, or to a darker style. However, being adept at shooting
both has it advantages, especially when shooting commissioned work.

Clients expect you to be able to produce whatever look and mood they
envision.

Photographers who are used to shooting lighter images, or shooting in natural

light sometimes struggle with the Mystic Light approach, but it need not be
complicated. It takes a few simple adjustments to your workflow.

Let’s take a closer look at how to approach dark and moody food photography.

DARINA KOPCOK PHOTOGRAPHY I GASTROSTORIA.COM

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LIGHTING

When lighting for dark photos, you don’t need as much light on your set as
you do with bright and airy images.

If you’re shooting with natural light, experiment with moving away from your
window. When you move further away from a light source, you reduce its
power and how quickly it falls off.

Also try angling your set-up to the window instead of placing it

perpendicular. For example, if you imagine the face of a clock, have your
light hitting your scene at 10:00.

This side backlighting technique will not only add dimension to your light,
but also bring out the texture of the food.

If you’re using artificial light, a one-light set-up is all you need for dark food
photography.

When it comes to dark photography, I skip the softbox and use a monohead
with a dish reflector and a honeycomb grid. I use a large diffuser and
position my light a distance away. Thus, the diffuser becomes my light
source–not my monohead.

This lighting technique is great for creating eye-catching contrast with long
shadows and beautiful highlights.

Of course, you can use the versatile softbox, too. The important thing is that
you shape the light.

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LIGHTING CONT.

In the image of the chestnuts below, I positioned my light behind my set. I

added two black fill cards to either side. Lighting from the back emphasised
the texture of the chestnuts and ensured that they were well lit with
adequate highlights and shadows. 

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LIGHTING CONT.

Here is a diagram of my lighting set up. 

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SCULPTING THE LIGHT

Your fill cards, diffusion, and bounce all play an important role in helping
you get the best shots.

When producing darker images, you need to carve and shape the light to
create shadow and lead the viewer’s eye to your subject.

Use small black fill cards, like black cardboard or poster board cut into
squares, to kick in shadows where you want them.

Place them around your set depending on where you want to cut down the
light.

A trick for blocking the light is to roll up large pieces of black poster or
construction paper and staple the ends together. These rolls can stand on
their own and can be placed around your set to more easily fine tune your
light. 

You can also use them to block light from hitting surfaces that are reflective
and shiny, like glass or cutlery.

I recommend diffusing the light when working with artificial light. Depending
on the intensity of your natural light source, you may not need to diffuse it.
It will depend on the image and the look you are trying to create. Although
the goal in food photography is often a soft, diffused look, sometimes we
want to use harder light. 

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SCULPTING THE LIGHT CONT.

One great technique is to create a tunnel of light to hit your set. This will give the
sense that light is coming in from a window, as in the images below.

You can achieve this by positioning a couple of your black boards in such a way
that you allow some light to pass between them. In these images, I had a board
at the back and the front of my sidelighting set-up, thereby allowing the light to
pass through the middle. 

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PROPS AND BACKGROUNDS

Your food background and surface should be dark.  The props should
also be dark or muted, so as not to detract the viewer’s attention from the
main subject.

The background needs to be in shadow and not compete with your subjects.
White or light dishes and props also create too much contrast and can be
distracting. It can also be difficult to correctly expose images with such stark
contrasts.

Matte dishes are also less reflective, and are best in darker, neutral tones.
Reflections can be hard to manage in food photography.

Look for vintage utensils and props with a patina. They look interesting and
won’t reflect the light as much as new ones.

Good places to find vintage items are thrift shops and flea markets where
they can be bought inexpensively.

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PROPS AND BACKGROUNDS CONT.

When it comes to your backgrounds, get creative. Slate makes a stunning

background, as do old and mottled cookie sheets. Just make sure that
whichever background you use doesn’t have a shine to it.

Wood is also a great material to utilize, both in backgrounds and props. It is

easy to work with and lends a rustic feel. You can use weathered items such
as an old cabinet door or tabletop, or make a faux picnic table with planks of
2×4.

Ideal colours for your paint are dark blues, dark grey, black, and deep
espresso tones.

One of the best ways to add interest to your photographs is with texture. It
adds contrast and detail and is great for enhancing food.

Texture occurs naturally in our food subjects, but can also be used
effectively in our backgrounds, props and linens.

For the image on the next page, I bought a piece of pine wood at a hardware
store and painted it black. I used a sea sponge to dab on navy and royal blue
paint to create texture. Sometimes plain black can look dull or too flat.

Creating subtle texture is the way to go. 

I finished it off with a matte coat of clear sealer to protect it from spills and
scratches. 

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PROPS AND BACKGROUNDS CONT.

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COMPOSITION

With dark food photography, the main subject should be placed in the
brightest part of the frame, which attracts the eye first.

A great approach to composition is one main subject and a couple of

supporting elements. These objects should be dissimilar in size, so that they
counter-balance each other. This follows the rule-of-odds.

Place your focal point on one of the intersecting lines on the rule-of-thirds
grid. This is a term used by visual artists to refer to a specific area of visual
emphasis that falls on, or close to, one of the intersecting lines of the rule-
of-thirds grid, which divides an image into nine equal parts, like a tic-tac-toe
grid.

This composition technique helps you create images that are balanced and
pleasing to the eye. 

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COMPOSITION
You can have two or three focal points, but one must be more dominant.
Focal points can be created with light, color, isolation, or contrast.

Be careful to not overstate a focal point, as the eye will not be compelled to
move around and explore the rest of the image. Also, as much of your image
may be in shadow, you don’t want to clutter your frame.

This means your image will probably have a decent amount of negative
space. Positive space is the space taken up by the main subject. Negative
space is the area where the eyes can rest.

It provides balance, a bit of breathing room, and emphasizes the subject.

And it brings attention to the details in the food.

In the images of the Brussels sprouts below, the cut up pieces are in the
focal point. The focal point need not be precise. In the general area of one of
those intersecting points will do.

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EXPOSURE

When shooting dark food photography, it’s a good idea to underexpose

slightly in camera.

Chiaroscuro can have very bright treatment of food with very deep
shadows, or the image can be low key with not a lot of contrast.  Either way,
make sure the highlights are not blown out and the shadows are not too
black with no detail.

The focus should be on the main subject, and the image needs to be
exposed for the concept, mood, and story.

It is best to work with a tripod, especially if you’re shooting in natural light in

less than ideal conditions. Instead of boosting ISO and risking a high amount
of noise, you can increase the exposure time or work with your shutter
speed. 

As long as you have some light, long exposure allows you to take a properly
exposed picture. Using a tripod will free up your hands to style the camera
and will allow you to see how the shadows are falling on your scene.

Using the timer on the camera or a remote shutter trigger will prevent
camera shake and an image that’s not as sharp as it should be.

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EDITING DARK AND MOODY IMAGES

Post-processing is where you’ll get the most out of your dark and moody
food pictures.

Focus on colour treatment and really enhancing the food. Even if you
underexpose in camera, your final image should not look evenly dark
throughout in the end result.

This has been a trend on some blogs and Instagram, but it doesn’t look
good. It just looks underexposed. The food should be relatively bright to
enhance its best qualities.

Use global and local adjustments to do this, instead of bumping up the

exposure of the whole image, which can cause your shadows to fall flat.

Use the luminance sliders in Lightroom or Camera RAW to brighten colours

individually, rather than the saturation sliders, which demand a very subtle
hand.

Since you won’t be using white dishes, white balance and tint can be more
creatively. You can also use split-toning to great effect, as long as you do it
with subtlety, with a saturation of maximum +10. A balance of warm and
cool tones will give your images a three-dimensional feel.

Finally, I recommend always adding a bit of a vignette to increase the

shadows and draw the eye to the food.

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EDITING DARK AND MOODY IMAGES CONT.

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CONCLUSION

Dark and moody food photography can be challenging, especially if you

usually shoot bright and bold images, but the results can be exquisite, with a
painterly quality that evokes the emotions and stirs the senses.

Try some dark photography and you just might find that it becomes a
signature of your food photography style.

DARINA KOPCOK PHOTOGRAPHY | GASTROSTORIA.COM |

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ABOUT ME

I am a professional food and still life photographer, writer, career coach and
photographer mentor. I write the food photography blog gastrostoria.com.

To see my photography portfolio, go to darinakopcokphotography.com

You can email me at darina@darinakopcokphotography.com 

To join my food photography Facebook group, go to: 

facebook.com/groups/1432454916898575/

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