Wedding Cakes

[happysmileylady]

My sister does wedding cakes for a living. She's asked me to start shooting her cakes prior to her delivering them so that she gets the best image for display. What's the best way to do this? I have never done product photography and I am guessing that this is similar to that.

[ChatKat]

It's similar but you have to look at a variety of things.

Light/lighting
Your equipment/ lenses for detail - Macro - close up
White Balance will be important on white cakes

What kind of equipment do you have?

[jeffreaux2]

Kathy has already started to give you some great advice......I ll throw this out there though....


The light HAS GOT to come frome some direction other than the camera. Side lighting with an off camera light source will REALLY bring out the details.

OKay...

Carry on ladies!!!:D

[i_worship_the_King]

White foam board can make a cheap product-shot setup if you've got flashes already. If not you can look around Strobist or google and find a ton of ways to get it done with all kinds of lighting.

I personally jury-rigged a shot with 2 white sheets and 3 shop lights. It wasn't perfect or pretty, but it got the job done.

Once you've got a handle on basic lighting principles and techniques piecing together stuff for a shot gets easier and easier.

[Swartzy]

Ok...depening on the shot you want...do you want a magazine shot? Do you want something current, that displays her work in a new light (forgive the pun). Jeff is a firm believer of "off camera flash". I on the other hand use both....it's simply a matter of knowing "how" to do it. Allow me to provide two examples:

On camera or off?

http://swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/313899927_kxa7m-XL.jpg

#2

on camera or off?

http://swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/411091457_Pm8KK-XL.jpg

Shooting products is a similar exercise as one would shoot say macro, flowers, bugs or butterflies. You will have to determine just how much DOF you want, what the main focus of the subject should be, and how much light to illuminate it as well as where the light should come from. Remember...the more you fill your frame with the cake (subject) the less DOF there will be....so, a close up of a cupcake....if you want the whole thing in focus..stop down quite a bit...like f/11. (all is dependend on the focal length and distance to subject as well). The lighting though can be as creative as you would like, unless you're going for no shadows, perfect magazine type...then softboxes, reflectors, scrims and flags are required.

[ChatKat]

Sometimes you need some flash...yes, this cake also encompasses a photo I did for the party invitation...The photo was edible too...

http://www.flashfrozenphotography.com/photos/237712312_6CgFX-S-2.jpg

Sometimes you just need some window and ambient light and a bit of Depth of Field:

http://chatkat.smugmug.com/photos/322390862_fqMm9-S-2.jpg

And Sunshine alone diffused can work magic - this is under a tent at a wedding:

http://chatkat.smugmug.com/photos/363943253_7QN6x-S-2.jpg

All of these were taken with the 24-105 and a 5d

[sherijohnson]

My sister does wedding cakes for a living. She's asked me to start shooting her cakes prior to her delivering them so that she gets the best image for display. What's the best way to do this? I have never done product photography and I am guessing that this is similar to that.

if the cakes will not be assembled and embellished before delivery, the best method would be taking pictures of them at the venue. wedding cakes look great in their final destination and if flowers or cake tops are going to be added, the pictures look best when they are completely decorated.

natural lighting is best, it shows more depth (3D)

[Llywellyn]

And something specific from Strobist that may help give you some ideas: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/05/on-assignment-spring-desserts.html

[jeffreaux2]

My comments weren't neccessarily advocating off camera flash......but rather directional light. Windowlight....bounced flash.....off camera flash.....whatever gets the details.

http://jkmann.smugmug.com/photos/181830958_7RJNR-S-4.jpghttp://jkmann.smugmug.com/photos/356389198_YFCXp-S-3.jpghttp://jkmann.smugmug.com/photos/293008302_ErZNt-S-1.jpg

[Scott_Quier]

And something specific from Strobist that may help give you some ideas: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/05/on-assignment-spring-desserts.html
I was going to refer to that page as well - you beat me to it!:wink

There's not much more I can add to what's already been said.