12 tales from behind the lens, day 3, Chipotle Chilli
It’s day 3 and I’m returning to food photography in a delicious way. One of my favourite dinners we make is chilli. As a matter of fact, we had it today. This Chipotle Chilli we shot for Wilde Orchard was extra tasty and a wee bit sassy. The lighting had to join in the fun, and I also tried out a new editing style on this dish.
The chilli in a skillet gave plenty of colour and texture contrast, complemented by the Sytch Farm Studio cutting board. I especially love the charred sweet corn kernels, makes you want to grab a fork and tuck in.
I controlled the light using a black card to create a narrower beam of light coming from camera right. Then in Lightroom, I used the Radial Tool to darken the surrounding areas to enhance the limited light beam I created in camera. I also cooled off the colour temperature which is why you can see a nice cobalt blue on the black skillet. This was something I hadn’t really done much of before, but since, the radial tool is one of the most impressive tools in Lightroom.
One of the pictures from this shoot was entered into a live photo critique, on an online photography show. It was really interesting to hear their views but I was surprised that they didn’t pick up on what I’d done during editing. They preferred to neutralise the blue thinking it was coming from the light source, instead of a deliberate effect. I made creative choices and it can be lost on some. Don’t fret it, not everyone has to like it, do what you like. Everybody else’s opinion is none of your business.
Camera settings
- Canon EOS 6D
- EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM
- f3.5, 0.3 sec, ISO 100
See you tomorrow for #4 of 12 tales from behind the lens