This week I collaborated with 2 of my favorite Berlin-based food stylists - Stefan Dangeleit & Martin Kühnel to envision the perfect bite. They have years of experience behind them and a wealth of knowledge so it was a real pleasure getting together to make this shoot come together.

Shoots like this are very complex. Working with food can be tricky and look extremely messy, so it is especially important to have the support of a good team to get it done right.

So let's get started. With the set up I used:
3 Siros 800 S
Scoro 1600 S
3 Picolites
A variety of Modifiers

I wanted a hard linear light on the background, almost cutting through the background and highlighting the food. For this, I used a Picolite with a projector attachment. The metal templates of this attachment are ideal to cover the parts that do not require illumination and create a linear light on the background. Also, it allows you to focus or defocus the edges of the light.

Then to brighten and create a light gradient on the background, I used a Siros 800S with an L40 Standard Reflector and a medium honey grid.

The second Picolite with a honeycomb attachment was placed above the food. As I wanted the light to be very precise and only highlight the food on the fork, I added a Ø 50 mm aperture mask to the attachment.

With the third Picolite, I used the Picobox, which I positioned on the left side of the food. I decided to use the Picobox, as it creates a very even light without hotspots, especially on reflective surfaces.

The Siros 800S with a standard reflector and a medium honeycomb is positioned at the back. As the fork was still dark, I positioned a diffusion panel with a hole through it for the lens to fit into. I added another Siros 800S with a P70 reflector and a honeycomb grid. This filled the shadows and added reflection to the fork. Instead of going for a regular honeycomb grid, I decided to use the 5:1 Strip Grid, as, unlike standard Grids, the 5:1 Strip Grid is constructed rectangular and does not create a center-orientated illumination.

With the setup complete I could hardly wait for the food to be plated (or forked). It is an amazingly hard ask to make food look beautifully presented and appetizing. Luckily with this team, we came out with a great selection of photos.

Hope you enjoyed the post. To see more of my work just head to my website: NWStudio.de or follow me on Instagram: @nilswilbertphotography to see the work of the food stylists I worked with for this shoot follow them on:

Martin Kühnel @foodstylingkuehnel
Stefan Dangeleit @miet_mein_messer

Thanks and till next time!