How to Create Warm, Sunlit Food Photography with Duo Boards

Natural sunlight brings out warmth, texture, and mood in food photography — but it isn’t always available when you need it. Cloudy weather, indoor locations, or evening shoots can make relying on the sun a gamble.

In this tutorial, photographer Julian Lallo walks through how to mimic golden sunlight using just one light and a Duo Board backdrop. Follow these steps to recreate the same look in your own shoots.

Step 1: Choose Your Backdrop

For this setup, Julian used the Terracotta Blush Duo Board.

The warm, earthy tones instantly add a sun-kissed vibe.
The realistic, 300-dpi texture keeps the scene from looking artificial.
Duo Boards are stain-resistant, double-sided, and lightweight — making them easy to use indoors or outdoors.

👉 Pro Tip: Pick a Duo Board finish that matches the mood of your food. Terracotta works beautifully for rustic dishes, while marble or concrete boards add a modern, clean feel.

Step 2: Set Up Your Light Source

Julian’s gear of choice was the Neewer ML300 strobe, but any strobe or flash with enough power will do.

Place the light at an angle where sunlight would naturally fall — slightly off to the side and above your subject.
Keep your light bare or use a reflector/diffuser depending on how soft you want the “sun” to appear.
Adjust the height and tilt until you see directional shadows forming, mimicking late-afternoon sunlight.

👉 Pro Tip: Don’t overcomplicate the gear. This setup works with almost any strobe, as long as it can overpower ambient light when necessary.

Step 3: Work with Ambient Light

Julian shot this in his backyard on an overcast day with plenty of natural ambient light. That’s okay! The key is:

Use your strobe as the main sun.
Let ambient light act as natural fill — softening the shadows without washing out the drama.
If shooting indoors, place the strobe outside a window to create the illusion of sunlight streaming in.

Step 4: Position Your Subject

Place your food scene on the Duo Board so the light hits it just as the sun would. For best results:

Angle plates and props toward the light to catch highlights.
Use shadows to add depth and drama — especially across textured foods like bread, pasta, or cocktails.
Keep the Duo Board visible in frame for that realistic surface and background.

Step 5: Fine-Tune the Look

Exposure: Balance your strobe and ambient light so the scene doesn’t look “lit.” It should feel natural.
Angles: Move your light slightly forward or back to change the length of shadows.
Mood: Swap Duo Boards to instantly shift from rustic warmth (Terracotta) to fresh minimalism (White Marble).

The Result

With just one light and a Duo Board, Julian recreated the warm, sun-drenched feeling of summer dining. The final images look natural, inviting, and full of life — exactly what a restaurant client would want for their menu or social media.