[SG] Food photography with Nikon Df | Part II – Surviving dim lighting
Thursday, October 30, 2014
It was one of those lazy days where we woke up late and
decided to tuck ourselves into a hearty brunch. Having heard much about the new
wave of cafes and coffee movement created at the quaint estate of Everton Park,
we decided to make a trip down!
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| 1/125s, f/2.8, ISO 1000, 25 mm |
We stepped into a cosy-looking café which has a fair share
of dark spots. While it may not be the best for food photographers, it
certainly set the mood for a relaxing brunch affair!
When our food and latte was served, they looked too delicious to reject a shot and I conveniently took out my smartphone to snap a quick shot, though it was overwhelmed by the café’s dim lighting. With my Nikon Df in my camera bag, I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised by how crisp and clear the images turned out!
When our food and latte was served, they looked too delicious to reject a shot and I conveniently took out my smartphone to snap a quick shot, though it was overwhelmed by the café’s dim lighting. With my Nikon Df in my camera bag, I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised by how crisp and clear the images turned out!
 |
| 1/60s, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 45 mm |
I started with a relatively high ISO of 2000 to see if the
high light sensitivity setting could help capture the beautiful colours on the
plate. I maintained a minimum shutter speed of 1/60s to eliminate any potential
issues with handshakes and the composition set at a focal length of 45 mm. With
these settings, I struck an optimal shot with the right exposure compensation
as guided by the gauge in the camera’s viewfinder. With pockets of spotlight
cast at the walls, I was really surprised at how rich and vibrant the colours
turned out for my shot!
 |
| 1/125s, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 50 mm |
Nobody resists snapping a shot of a beautifully illustrated
latte art and we are no exception. With a focus on capturing the latte art, I
zoomed in sufficiently to 50 mm and maintained a bokeh effect with a chosen
aperture of f/2.8 while maintaining
my ISO at 2000. Similar settings were applied for the following shot on the
waffles with sliced bananas and chocolate sauce.
 |
| 1/125s, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 40 mm |
While most
photographers would be particular about the image
noise (inaudible image variations such as film grains) that becomes quite
apparent with high ISO settings, I decided to push it further by adjusting to
ISO 2500 for my next shot to see if the Nikon Df can still support the harsher
conditions.
 |
1/125s, f/2.8, ISO 2500, 50 mm
|
Despite a higher ISO setting of 2500, the image noise was hardly visible and this
made it perfect for shooting under such dim lighting without creating excessive
distraction to the food.
How is it like to shoot food pictures outdoors? Stay tuned for our final part of food photography in our next post!
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