Onions And Making Juicy Photos

I remember so vividly the answer a photography instructor gave when asked, “What lighting did you use?”, because the answer was, no pun intended, enlightening. “Look at the shadows, and if it’s a person, look also in the reflection in their eyes.” You can obviously see exactly where my  light was for this photo because of the shadow. You can tell there’s only one because of the dramatic shadow and how dark it is everywhere else. And, you can tell that this light was not diffused, such as using a soft box, because of how strong it is. I used one Dyna-lite strobe head with a spot grid. If there had been more available light, or another softer light added—the knife, fingers and droplets of juice would not have popped as much. And speaking of juice, and making your photos look juicy, I’ve learned that back lighting is essential. A light coming from behind the subject that is stronger then any other light falling on the subject. Here’s another example of that.