Much like most people, I set myself some new years resolutions to mark the start of 2020. Exercise more, take more time out to relax, read more books, stop stressing over the little things etc, all that normal stuff that countless other people have also promised themselves to do!
When it comes to my photography I also had some resolutions, including writing more blogs (to be honest I've been telling myself to do this for a good couple of years but hey ho, a girl can dream) as well as sharing more about the shoots, the equipment I use and some general behind the scenes. I'm pretty appalled with myself that it has taken until March to actually write one!
So to kick off the first of, hopefully, many blog posts for 2020 this one is all about a recent food photography shoot I did for https://boddingtonsberries.co.uk/.
If you follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/abigailhobbsphotography/) then you may have seen I made my own backdrop out of white filler and a wooden board. I was inspired by "The Bite Shot" on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiipb1EuyVg&t=537s).
The past couple of years I've purchased backdrops but they are so expensive and if you mark them then it is a lot of money to replace. Especially if they are paper and can't be wiped clean.
It was super easy to make and I've had so many compliments on how effective it looks so I would 100% recommend making a backdrop if you have the time and space! This one was particularly inexpensive (pictured in use below).
In the days leading up to the shoot, and the days following, the weather was pretty decent. When it came to the actual shoot day, typically, the weather was horrendous! Just imagine high winds, rain, and a dark, gloomy sky. I was thankful for the fact we weren't getting soaked, however, as we were shooting in an open garage, it did become a bit of a wind trap.
We, luckily, had the option of shooting completely inside and then in the garage so depending on the type of image we wanted and the lighting set-up we wanted, we had the option to change locations accordingly.
I found that I really enjoyed photographing the flay-lays. I felt like we could get a bit more creative with the image and so I definitely want to do more of those in the future. I also think they look brilliant on a social media feed which is great for businesses wanting to up their game when it comes to the imagery on social media.
To photograph the flay-lays I set up my tripod (it feels like the heaviest thing in the world and trying to control all the legs is a nightmare but once it is up and in place, I trust it completely to hold my gear, even when the wind is blowing into the garage).
In terms of the lighting, I pretty much relied on the natural light coming on from the right and my Godox V860iiN (https://amzn.to/38q33Jc)* which is my best friend when it comes to my kit. It is well worth the investment - which is extremely reasonable compared to an actual Nikon flash.
I would go into more detail about the other bits of a kit I used however I am going to do a blog post dedicated entirely to that subject so for those of you interested in that, keep an eye out!
For now, I am going to end this blog here before it gets even longer!
Abi x
Food created by Lewis Brown
Styling & Assistance by Ellie Wait
* DISCLAIMER: This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click on the link and choose to purchase the item, I will earn a small commission however it does NOT affect the price you pay. :)
© all rights reserved. Abigail Hobbs Photography.
