Food photography shoot in Kent – by the sea in Whitstable
Never give them names. This is the advice I should have followed whilst photographing lobsters as part of a food photography shoot in Kent. By the time I’d decided that “Boris” looked like a Boris, it had become complicated. Especially when the first cooked lobster came back from the kitchen.
I’d set up a table top shooting area in the East Quay by a window overlooking the beach. The East Quay forms one of several venues owned and operated by the Oyster Fishery Company. The food shoot was just one of a whole range of projects I’ve been working on for them through their web design company, Realising Designs. I’ve been shooting craft beers, clothing, restaurants and beachside accommodation in Whitstable.
Although window light can be very flattering for food photography, I needed to give it a kick by placing an artificial light behind the plates in order to drop some highlights in (and create some stronger shadows). I had a second set on the floor for Boris (as he was mobile) which was simply a light bounced of a huge piece of card (to simulate window light).
At the end of this post you’ll also see some branded clothing that I shot outdoors using a beach hut as a backdrop. The weather was dull and overcast conditions, so this required a portable studio light to simulate where the sun should have been.
