Duo Boards: Morning Breakfast Scene Lighting | Hudi Greenberger
Today, we get to join world-renowned food and product photographer Hudi Greenberger in the studio as he shows us how to transform a simple breakfast setup into a beautiful, well-lit scene that radiates the warmth of a sunny morning. In this demonstration, Hudi walks through his process for creating picture-perfect breakfast scene lighting, using one light, a Duo Board, a tabletop V-Flat, and some clever tricks. With his Nikon D780 and a 50mm Sigma Art lens, Hudi shares the ins and outs of achieving a natural, inviting look for food photography.
Crafting the Breakfast Scene Lighting
Hudi sets up his camera with an f/11 aperture, allowing him to work around the video lights in the studio. His key focus here is the light – specifically, how to manipulate it to create the feeling of morning sunlight streaming through a window. He starts with a softbox, explaining how different configurations of baffles change the light's softness and intensity.
With the baffles on, the light looks soft and pleasant, but it’s not quite the look he’s after. He wants to replicate that crisp morning light that casts multiple shadows and adds depth to the scene. To do this, he removes the inner baffle from the softbox, which adds a harder edge to the light. This creates the effect of sunlight bouncing around the room, producing those dynamic shadows you see on bright, sunny mornings.
Using V-Flats to Balance Shadows
One challenge with hard light is managing the deep shadows it can create. To soften those shadows and make the scene look more natural, Hudi introduces one of V-Flat World's tabletop V-Flats. This reflects light back into the scene, reducing the harshness of the shadows without losing the overall effect of the scraping light.
As he adjusts the V-Flat's position, Hudi explains that even small changes can have a big impact. By moving the V-Flat slightly closer, he softens the shadows further, making them look more like the natural bounce of sunlight. He continues to tweak the light’s angle and intensity until everything looks balanced and just right.
Adding Life to the Scene with a Simple Spritz
To enhance the realism of the shot, Hudi pulls out a small spritz bottle filled with a mix of vegetable glycerin and water. This simple technique adds tiny droplets to the surface of the blueberries, making them look fresh and dewy. The glycerin keeps the droplets in place for a long time, ensuring the food stays photogenic throughout the shoot.
When the light hits those droplets, it adds a whole new dimension to the shot. The highlights on the water give the scene a bright, fresh appearance, perfect for capturing the essence of a breakfast morning.
Fine-Tuning the Details
As the shoot progresses, Hudi notices a slight mismatch between his perspective and that of his stylist. He quickly adjusts the positioning of the Duo Board, showing how easy it is to rotate the entire set to match his vision. This flexibility is key in a fast-paced studio environment, allowing him to make quick adjustments without disrupting the flow.
Hudi also demonstrates how important it is to consider texture in food photography. By adjusting the direction of the light, he ensures that it runs perpendicular to the lines on the objects in the scene, like the bowl and napkin. This lighting angle brings out the textures, adding depth and making the image feel more tactile.
The Final Shot
In the final stages of the shoot, Hudi focuses on the small details that elevate the scene. He adds bubbles to the coffee for an authentic, just-poured look, and makes slight adjustments to the napkin to perfect the composition. These small tweaks might seem minor, but they bring the whole image together, adding to the realism and charm of the final shot.
V-Flat World Products Used in Video
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3 comments
I noticed another shot with hard shadows at the end of the video. Did you switch to a different modifier?
Alina
Well composed image, Nice lighting, A stylist really makes a difference.
Stan
Great details. Thank you for the share.
Adam Grimm
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