Natural Light Food Photography (Online)
Taught by Diana Kuan
Diana Kuan is a food writer and photographer based in Brooklyn. She is the author of Red Hot Kitchen, on cooking with Asian hot sauces, and The Chinese Takeout Cookbook, on Chinese food and culture in America. Her work has also appeared in Food & Wine, Time Out New York, and The Boston Globe, among other publications. In addition to writing and photography, Diana has taught cooking classes for the past 10 years in both Beijing and New York. Her favorite foods are dumplings, ramen, and tacos, usually with hot sauce on the side.
Join me in this fun hands-on workshop on how to use natural light to get the most out of your food photos. The quality of natural light can vary widely depending on the season, time of day, weather, and a number of other factors that can make it tricky to get photos to turn out well consistently. Whether you’re a blogger, chef, or anyone else seeking to improve your food photography skills, this class will give the confidence to tackle a variety of natural light conditions with ease.
We will discuss:
- How to utilize the different temperatures of light depending on the season, weather, and time of day
- How to use basic household objects (and easy-to-find craft supplies) to control both hard and soft light
- How to reduce unwanted shadows or add shadows for effect
- Basics on composition and styling with props
- How and when to vary up your angles and positions
If you'd like to follow along for the hands-on portion, you'll need:
- A position by a window in your home
- Camera - DSLR or mirrorless cameras are recommended, although phones are also okay.
- Some food you'd like to shoot. For this class I highly recommend whole fruits, vegetables, herbs, or breads, pastries, and other baked goods, anything that can sit out for a while.
- Various plates, bowls, utensils, and kitchen towels that complement your food(s). If you're shooting baked goods, you can also have on hand some ingredients that go into making them.
