found your "Porcelana" behind the scenes video on an old harddrive and it brought me here 14 years later. Now I'm a professional food Photographer, I have worked with many master chefs and its crazy to go back this far and see what inspired me in the first place. Thank you for this video. It was one of the things that started my career :)
I dig the chef, he is to the point and his ideas are sensible given the equipment at hand - he knows what he wants and he can described it verbally and he also knows what he does not want and can also describe it verbally. The job of the photographer in this setting is to give the client what the client asks for so clear communication is key. To those of you who are complaining: if you cannot learn anything from this video then you have the wrong attitude or are on the wrong level of advancement in the art of photography or to be more precise the job of photography. Sometimes you fuck around with a large format technical camera and obsess about that one bit of dust on the front element of your prize prime lens and sometimes you just shine a light this way and shoot a small frame camera with a varifocal lens, shine light that way and shoot some more and then just pick the one shot you dig and pretend afterwards that it was a one hit kill The Deer Hunter style. Someone wanting to do fine art photography exclusively can still learn a lot of good things from this video: Tips on how to do DIY "makeup" of food without hiring an expert for that job and that whoever is making the food is also qualified to have an artistic opinion about their own food and will probably appreciate it if that opinion is not ignored. What kind of gear is enough to achieve the example results, in this case very sensibly priced stuff; That even doing it this way you still benefit from an assistant; That choosing a single lens beforehand and a minimalist tripod and light setup can afford you more time to mess around which is also important for fine art photography since you will most likely be on someones else turf and they are bound to get impatient if you mess about for half an hour setting up your wooden tripod and scratching their expensive flooring. This is how one guy got it done - you have to be perceptive to learn stuff from it so just pay attention instead of complaining! Move on and see how another guy did it, that is how you learn beside experience and personal mental work.
Borys Pomianek You're right. It's my bad actually. I have this condition that when I find a whiny, naggy, comment, I roll my eyes and zone out. I'll try to pay more attention, sir! hahaa
Video is titled how to shoot food photography - the only thing I learned is the main light is the back light... Learned more about running a steak house! Video doesn't teach anything..
As a Charleston resident and photographer I love these shots. I eat at the Oak on occasion and that is exactly how the food looks when it hits the table. As you know it tastes as good as it looks. Great tips man, keep 'em comin'. Thanks Y'all.
So far the best video I've encountered on this subject. All of the other shit videos I've watched failed to show actual light setups, camera settings, and lens choice, etc. Thank you!
***** what a well-done video. I love the owner's point of view, especially at 1:32 where he says "moist, shiny and delicious" are most important for food photos and your breakdown of the lighting at 2:06. I had the pleasure of working with a local restaurant, and I know the food photos and videos were key in getting them noticed, eventally leading to a National Restaurant Association Award and Zagat Review. I cannot stress enough how important food photos are for restaurants - you've got to make them want to sink their teeth into your shots! Great stuff.
I like the angled shots with the drinks, food, and even the chair. Straight down just looked like a budget - not your fault ... just the angle - takeaway menu shot.
This video might have just helped me. I'm learning Photography at College and i've been asked to shoot some images of some good food. Looking forward to this :)
Model video. Great production. It helps to have a clue and I would definitely work for this chef. Was not particularly impressed with the photos produced but they do work. Again, great video.
@dragonfire121 The f-stop number is the focal length divided by the effective aperture diameter. Basically describes how much light is passed through the aperture or 'iris' of the lens. ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation - initially in French which is why the letters are the wrong way around), relates to the sensitivity of the sensor (digital) or film to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive the sensor/film is to light. Hope that helps :)
Everyone complaining about why he is shooting at ISO 400 and not at ISO 100 obviously don't have a clue. First of all, he might not have wanted a longer shutter speed to cut down on the ambient light as it would affect the controlled lighting. Second, he probably wanted his aperture set to F4 so his DOF wouldn't be too shallow. The ISO was the variable with the least importance. Besides, shooting at a high ISO is not a a bad thing. You just have to expose the photo correctly before post.
Absolutely Devin... a complete lack of professionalism... Those who would be impressed, are not necessarily those you would wan to. Good observation. At least the photographer conducted himself with class.
Hey chef, the photographer doesn't come into your kitchen and tell you how to cook the steak and you don't have to come on his set and tell him how to photograph it.
Cannot stand egotistical chef's like that. Saying you're the only person that can drop fuck at a table does not make you a great chef nor does it give you a 'cool' reputation either. Informative of the photography side of things how ever. thanks!
I guess lens choice is rather subjective. Most videos have photogs using the 70-200mm. Most of my glass is a wide to long focal length of primes. So my question does anyone use prime lens and how about macro?
Hi, why would you use ISO 400 when you can use ISO 100? Isn't the logic the lower the ISO the lesser the noise? Please reply to help me and everyone reading this. Thank you in advance :)
Nice video but the title is misleading. This was not much at all about HOW to take the food. More about the guy and his restaurant which was interesting to hear how he thinks about photos of food but still, not a lot of how to do it.
How come you didn't tether to at least a laptop even a monitor? If a client is there I wouldn't have him look into a tiny camera back you can't see the details. You might get back to your studio and realize you missed something. Just a thought.
What in god's name are you wearing guys?? Those pents are freaking old school. I know it's been 8 years but I mean get a stylist :D ;) Cool video. Helpful.
Only 70-200 not enough for this job. You have to use wide lens too at least 24- 35 mm even cheap 28-105 ( has half size macro too works perfect almost no distortion.) other wise ucan put dishes on the floor . Also how u can get hero shot if customer ask . U have C stand have to add camera .If u shoot in my restaurant i dont let you touch my tablecloth or chair with your shoes . You can bring your foldable low legs table (30-40 cm high ) too for 90 degree or hero shots. Your backdrops too. in busy restaurants u can use 1 light setup. better idea ,U must not disturb people . if customers in the restaurant They must not feel like they are on Holiywood studios. with 1 light u can do evething in a small table at the corner. Restaruant owner will tell you what he needbefore u came to shoot. ,he can send you example photos what he likes . Then he will not give idea while you are shooting untill job done. These are waht i saw .
That trumpet sound is a bit annoying sounded like the start of Monsters Inc and that potty mouth chef should be seen and not heard, not sure why you would use ISO 400?
I agree with the question, why ISO 400 and why modeling lights? It seems to compromise you immediately. Unless the idea was to challenge you. But the results were good so I guess I can't knock it too much. Also, this restaurant owner thinks he's cool for walking to tables and dropping "f bombs?" I don't think so. I won't be taking my family to his restaurant any time soon.
I’m not one to be negative but damn the pictures really fall short they look so lifeless . Get the steak on the pan w the fire and shoot that. The dishes are too informational they need emotion and interest in the negative space
This photographer used thousands of dollars of equipment and produced shitty photos and terribly composed. Natural light would have done a better job...
Patrick/Lee: Great video. Did you guys shoot the video of Brett cooking the veal scallopini with asparagus, too? Found that video while looking for a veal recipe years ago. I've watched it every time I've cooked veal since just to get warmed up for the experience. I've never been to the bottom of your page until today. Saw Brett's picture and said, Hey, that's my veal guy!" Keep'em coming.
@@FStoppers Absolutely good. Has a touch of New Orleans to it. Course I don't have Brett's grill but the process works just the same. Bet it's even better in person at the Oaks. I just automatically thought you guys had made that and another video of his but you guys took it to another level with this video. I haven't made that dish in a while. Good veal seems harder to come by, especially since the pandemic. Longtime subscriber to FStoppers and love all your videos. BTW, my son is named Patrick, too! Best regards.
found your "Porcelana" behind the scenes video on an old harddrive and it brought me here 14 years later. Now I'm a professional food Photographer, I have worked with many master chefs and its crazy to go back this far and see what inspired me in the first place. Thank you for this video. It was one of the things that started my career :)
I always like it when people realize that they are on RUclips and can talk any way they like.
I dig the chef, he is to the point and his ideas are sensible given the equipment at hand - he knows what he wants and he can described it verbally and he also knows what he does not want and can also describe it verbally. The job of the photographer in this setting is to give the client what the client asks for so clear communication is key.
To those of you who are complaining: if you cannot learn anything from this video then you have the wrong attitude or are on the wrong level of advancement in the art of photography or to be more precise the job of photography.
Sometimes you fuck around with a large format technical camera and obsess about that one bit of dust on the front element of your prize prime lens and sometimes you just shine a light this way and shoot a small frame camera with a varifocal lens, shine light that way and shoot some more and then just pick the one shot you dig and pretend afterwards that it was a one hit kill The Deer Hunter style.
Someone wanting to do fine art photography exclusively can still learn a lot of good things from this video:
Tips on how to do DIY "makeup" of food without hiring an expert for that job and that whoever is making the food is also qualified to have an artistic opinion about their own food and will probably appreciate it if that opinion is not ignored.
What kind of gear is enough to achieve the example results, in this case very sensibly priced stuff;
That even doing it this way you still benefit from an assistant;
That choosing a single lens beforehand and a minimalist tripod and light setup can afford you more time to mess around which is also important for fine art photography since you will most likely be on someones else turf and they are bound to get impatient if you mess about for half an hour setting up your wooden tripod and scratching their expensive flooring.
This is how one guy got it done - you have to be perceptive to learn stuff from it so just pay attention instead of complaining!
Move on and see how another guy did it, that is how you learn beside experience and personal mental work.
+Borys Pomianek What on earth are you talking about?
carsiotto Have you tried working on your reading comprehension lately? I've heard it helps.
Borys Pomianek You're right. It's my bad actually. I have this condition that when I find a whiny, naggy, comment, I roll my eyes and zone out. I'll try to pay more attention, sir! hahaa
carsiotto No one cares - you have nothing to offer.
Borys Pomianek My point exactly. hahaa
Video is titled how to shoot food photography - the only thing I learned is the main light is the back light... Learned more about running a steak house!
Video doesn't teach anything..
I loved your 1 light setup much more than the first 3 light. Much more dramatic and appetizing.
As a Charleston resident and photographer I love these shots. I eat at the Oak on occasion and that is exactly how the food looks when it hits the table. As you know it tastes as good as it looks. Great tips man, keep 'em comin'. Thanks Y'all.
So far the best video I've encountered on this subject.
All of the other shit videos I've watched failed to show actual light setups, camera settings, and lens choice, etc.
Thank you!
***** what a well-done video. I love the owner's point of view, especially at 1:32 where he says "moist, shiny and delicious" are most important for food photos and your breakdown of the lighting at 2:06. I had the pleasure of working with a local restaurant, and I know the food photos and videos were key in getting them noticed, eventally leading to a National Restaurant Association Award and Zagat Review. I cannot stress enough how important food photos are for restaurants - you've got to make them want to sink their teeth into your shots! Great stuff.
Thanks Lee! This is great! makes me want to learn shooting food and also .. those look delicious and makes me want to eat!!!
Wow that food looks delicious. Great shots!
I like the angled shots with the drinks, food, and even the chair. Straight down just looked like a budget - not your fault ... just the angle - takeaway menu shot.
This video might have just helped me.
I'm learning Photography at College and i've been asked to shoot some images of some good food. Looking forward to this :)
Great these photos made me super hungry!!!
Great Food photography and inspiring restaurant owner
I guess the chef thinks swearing a lot makes him seem badass. Actually, it just makes him seem uncouth.
Completely agree.
boycompass I think that's the Ramsay trend
+boycompass I agree with you
fukin A
He's a chef. You obviously never worked for a real chef.
Thank you for the informative post. That was very helpful.
Very cool video awesome place
Model video. Great production. It helps to have a clue and I would definitely work for this chef. Was not particularly impressed with the photos produced but they do work. Again, great video.
You should have let the video guys light it, they're pros... and i concur on the chef being a serious tool.
I get great results with a speedlight into an umbrella and a tight grid on a kicker speedlight. Work just fine for me.
@dragonfire121 The f-stop number is the focal length divided by the effective aperture diameter. Basically describes how much light is passed through the aperture or 'iris' of the lens. ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation - initially in French which is why the letters are the wrong way around), relates to the sensitivity of the sensor (digital) or film to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive the sensor/film is to light. Hope that helps :)
wow, amazing, great job you gys
nice production!
Everyone complaining about why he is shooting at ISO 400 and not at ISO 100 obviously don't have a clue. First of all, he might not have wanted a longer shutter speed to cut down on the ambient light as it would affect the controlled lighting. Second, he probably wanted his aperture set to F4 so his DOF wouldn't be too shallow. The ISO was the variable with the least importance. Besides, shooting at a high ISO is not a a bad thing. You just have to expose the photo correctly before post.
Absolutely Devin... a complete lack of professionalism...
Those who would be impressed, are not necessarily those you would wan to.
Good observation.
At least the photographer conducted himself with class.
@geonlansis we did :)
Hey chef, the photographer doesn't come into your kitchen and tell you how to cook the steak and you don't have to come on his set and tell him how to photograph it.
Nice to see he took his shoes off when standing where we're sitting ;)
Great Video, Awesome quality.. just one thing... the music is over powering the content a little...
@skywarp got it :)
good channel thank you
@itubeutude used to get that all the time, now I get some crappy football player...
Having the chef at the photo shoot must of been a nightmare for the photographer, i hope you could actually do what you wanted to.
Lee, did you get to eat the food after the shots?
@dstamatoiu Charleston SC
just curious, what is wrong with him using those lights? What other options did he have? Thanks
I wanna know where he got that watch?!
Cannot stand egotistical chef's like that. Saying you're the only person that can drop fuck at a table does not make you a great chef nor does it give you a 'cool' reputation either. Informative of the photography side of things how ever. thanks!
***** what tripod and head are you using in this video?
Who is the photographer? haha That chef had you by the balls. I bet he paid well though.
@cafemum because he is using modeling lights i guess...i understand your concerns though
true..but what did client say that he wanted?
what tripod is that?
Lee how do I start finding places to offer my photographer services
I guess lens choice is rather subjective. Most videos have photogs using the 70-200mm. Most of my glass is a wide to long focal length of primes. So my question does anyone use prime lens and how about macro?
Hi, why would you use ISO 400 when you can use ISO 100? Isn't the logic the lower the ISO the lesser the noise? Please reply to help me and everyone reading this. Thank you in advance :)
Which DSLR?
how much did you charge for this shoot?
I still don't know what F-stop or ISO means... :(
help?
Nice video but the title is misleading. This was not much at all about HOW to take the food. More about the guy and his restaurant which was interesting to hear how he thinks about photos of food but still, not a lot of how to do it.
bellisimo!
FOOT PHOTOGRAPHY LEE ;)
Just did it using desk lamps and tin foil :D The pics didn't turn out too good though :(
why use the modeling lights?
How come you didn't tether to at least a laptop even a monitor? If a client is there I wouldn't have him look into a tiny camera back you can't see the details. You might get back to your studio and realize you missed something. Just a thought.
I couldn't do this photo shoot with that chef there, he ought to stick to cooking.
totally agree!
What in god's name are you wearing guys?? Those pents are freaking old school. I know it's been 8 years but I mean get a stylist :D ;) Cool video. Helpful.
I'm so hungry now...
did he just say fucking weeblo?
Anybody think that lee looks a little like ashton kutcher. Something about the eyes.
Very annoying jazz music! AGRH!
yes that is possible i just wanted to say my opinion
I use the 50 prime
Only 70-200 not enough for this job. You have to use wide lens too at least 24- 35 mm even cheap 28-105 ( has half size macro too works perfect almost no distortion.) other wise ucan put dishes on the floor . Also how u can get hero shot if customer ask . U have C stand have to add camera .If u shoot in my restaurant i dont let you touch my tablecloth or chair with your shoes . You can bring your foldable low legs table (30-40 cm high ) too for 90 degree or hero shots. Your backdrops too. in busy restaurants u can use 1 light setup. better idea ,U must not disturb people . if customers in the restaurant They must not feel like they are on Holiywood studios. with 1 light u can do evething in a small table at the corner. Restaruant owner will tell you what he needbefore u came to shoot. ,he can send you example photos what he likes . Then he will not give idea while you are shooting untill job done. These are waht i saw .
I dont like the last shoot because the ligth dont lokk so nice over the objects
I agree.
That trumpet sound is a bit annoying sounded like the start of Monsters Inc and that potty mouth chef should be seen and not heard, not sure why you would use ISO 400?
ı didn't like the shadows and light using,there are a lots of light deviation on the plate
That fucking guy is fuckin funny as fuck
Mucha foto, muchos tips pero bien desenfocado el bato
@1:15- how the chef ended up bald.
Totally agree. Lee was great, the chef was arrogant and obnoxious. I ended up skipping over his parts.
I agree with the question, why ISO 400 and why modeling lights? It seems to compromise you immediately. Unless the idea was to challenge you. But the results were good so I guess I can't knock it too much.
Also, this restaurant owner thinks he's cool for walking to tables and dropping "f bombs?" I don't think so. I won't be taking my family to his restaurant any time soon.
I remember when I was a little fuckin Weeblo. Lol
Stopped watching after one minute and five seconds. :/ I can learn things without the profanity and be great.
2021
2022 and I just watched this for the first time in…14 years. Wild stuff -P
You guys need to re-do food photography. So outdated
I’m not one to be negative but damn the pictures really fall short they look so lifeless . Get the steak on the pan w the fire and shoot that. The dishes are too informational they need emotion and interest in the negative space
Could you not find anything more proper to photograph?
Go to work at 7 leave at 12 no life
He just killed the steak ... burned with flames ... and he called himself a chef? just a wannabe!
That Chef...
Showoff & Annoying!
This photographer used thousands of dollars of equipment and produced shitty photos and terribly composed. Natural light would have done a better job...
funny chef, horrible photos
Patrick/Lee:
Great video. Did you guys shoot the video of Brett cooking the veal scallopini with asparagus, too? Found that video while looking for a veal recipe years ago. I've watched it every time I've cooked veal since just to get warmed up for the experience. I've never been to the bottom of your page until today. Saw Brett's picture and said, Hey, that's my veal guy!" Keep'em coming.
Ha just seeing this. No clue if I’ve ever had Brett’s veal dish. Was it that good? We can just ask him on Facebook. -P
@@FStoppers Absolutely good. Has a touch of New Orleans to it. Course I don't have Brett's grill but the process works just the same. Bet it's even better in person at the Oaks. I just automatically thought you guys had made that and another video of his but you guys took it to another level with this video. I haven't made that dish in a while. Good veal seems harder to come by, especially since the pandemic. Longtime subscriber to FStoppers and love all your videos. BTW, my son is named Patrick, too! Best regards.
I remember when I was a little fuckin Weeblo. Lol
I agree.