Look ma, no light tent
Author
Discussion

UKBob

Original Poster:

16,277 posts

295 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
My first shot without a light tent, (over processed as always, with stock in mind).

Took a bit of twiddling to get the lights how I wated them, but I must say, it really is an improvement on the 'flat' shots that came out of the light tent. I suddenly feel like the worlds my oyster, and all that cobblers

Ive got highlights too which means I can abandon future plans to use wood varnish on my food

bounce


No noise at all bowtie

Comments?

Edited by UKBob on Sunday 5th November 19:24

Furyous

25,754 posts

251 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
Looks heaps better than the dried up burgers Bob.



edited coz I cant shpell

Edited by Furyous on Sunday 5th November 19:48

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
So, what did it taste like and would the wood varnish be an improvement?

egomeister

7,603 posts

293 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
It's making me hungry

UKBob

Original Poster:

16,277 posts

295 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
Furyous said:
Looks heaps better than the dried up burgers Bob.
Thanks.

LongQ said:
So, what did it taste like and would the wood varnish be an improvement?
Fresh oregano leaves give meat an extraordinarily good flavour, it actually tasted as good as it looked although I had to cut the steak in half and cook it some more before eating - I prefer mine well done paperbag

miniman

30,150 posts

292 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
UKBob said:
I prefer mine well done paperbag

yikes Heathen!

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
UKBob said:
LongQ said:
So, what did it taste like and would the wood varnish be an improvement?
Fresh oregano leaves give meat an extraordinarily good flavour, it actually tasted as good as it looked although I had to cut the steak in half and cook it some more before eating - I prefer mine well done paperbag


And the wood varnish?

UKBob

Original Poster:

16,277 posts

295 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
miniman said:
UKBob said:
I prefer mine well done paperbag

yikes Heathen!
Caveman hehe



LongQ said:
UKBob said:
LongQ said:
So, what did it taste like and would the wood varnish be an improvement?
Fresh oregano leaves give meat an extraordinarily good flavour, it actually tasted as good as it looked although I had to cut the steak in half and cook it some more before eating - I prefer mine well done paperbag


And the wood varnish?
scratchchin I wont be needing it outside of a light tent, but if I ever get the urge to have a few swigs with a mouthful of steak, I'll let you know what its like.

dfen5

2,398 posts

242 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
Me again, no flames this time!

I take it you're not a chef Bob? Herein lies the problem. If someone served me up a steak with chips and an oil drenched salad it would go back unless I'd chosen to dine at a Brewers Fayre, then I'd be very grateful for something that looked as good as your creation.

I like this beauty..

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/classic-steak-au-poivre,1005,RC.html



UKBob

Original Poster:

16,277 posts

295 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
dfen5 said:
Me again, no flames this time!

I take it you're not a chef Bob? Herein lies the problem. If someone served me up a steak with chips and an oil drenched salad it would go back unless I'd chosen to dine at a Brewers Fayre, then I'd be very grateful for something that looked as good as your creation.

I like this beauty..

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/classic-steak-au-poivre,1005,RC.html

hehe Nope, Im not a chef. As if it wasnt obvious

There is no sald, just fresh herbs chucked in at the last minute (and 2 veg).
No chips either, thats parsnip.

Youve got a good point though. I noticed on the little chef site their dishes were, where possible, minimalist. I suppose mine does look a bit like like a dogs breakfast compared.

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
dfen5 said:
Me again, no flames this time!

I take it you're not a chef Bob? Herein lies the problem. If someone served me up a steak with chips and an oil drenched salad it would go back unless I'd chosen to dine at a Brewers Fayre, then I'd be very grateful for something that looked as good as your creation.

I like this beauty..



Hmm.

When I first started cooking steak that was pretty much the exact approach I used, but without the red wine to augment the sauce.

Results varied with the quality of meat, though in theory the meat we bought was always the same quality.

Then I moved away from cooking steaks or even eating them for some years.

Have tried a couple recently but swmbo decided that they were not to her current taste and always demands that the kitchen be replaced (it never is) it anything even hints at hissing and spitting fat.

To be quite honest I think I prefer Bob's photo and possibly recipe (though the lack of wood varnish may be thought of as disappointing for anyone seeking and 'edgy' meal ...). The other looks like it might have been taken in some form of light tent illuminated by a nightlight. There is less interpretable than there would be in a dimly lit restaurant with something to hide. Maybe it was done as a universal 'meat' image available for a number of recipes in order to cut costs?

Ok, so which of you shot it? Come on, own up!

dfen5

2,398 posts

242 months

Monday 6th November 2006
quotequote all
I'd like to go into one of the top restaurants where the guys cooking are really "cooking", y'know, flames (as ever), pans flinging food up into the air, ingredients being chucked in with only the style a chef can do. Would make for some great shots, I think.

Maybe the comp' one month could be "cooking".

spitfire-ian

4,244 posts

258 months

Monday 6th November 2006
quotequote all
dfen5 said:
Me again, no flames this time!

I take it you're not a chef Bob? Herein lies the problem. If someone served me up a steak with chips and an oil drenched salad it would go back unless I'd chosen to dine at a Brewers Fayre, then I'd be very grateful for something that looked as good as your creation.

I like this beauty..

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/classic-steak-au-poivre,1005,RC.html


That's my tea sorted for tomorrow then

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

280 months

Monday 6th November 2006
quotequote all
Bob, what was the data on that shot; aperture, shutter speed, and focal length? (there's no exif data left in the shot). Interested to know what lens you're using for this stuff, too!

Thanks

UKBob

Original Poster:

16,277 posts

295 months

Monday 6th November 2006
quotequote all
TonyHetherington said:
Bob, what was the data on that shot; aperture, shutter speed, and focal length? (there's no exif data left in the shot). Interested to know what lens you're using for this stuff, too!

Thanks
Hey Tony.
It was shot in the pan, manual 250ths (flash) at F/11 (iso 100 of course) at 54mm.
Taken with (my one and only lens) the 24-70 L.

poah

2,142 posts

258 months

Tuesday 7th November 2006
quotequote all
consider bouncing your flash bob to get rid of all the flash highlights.

UKBob

Original Poster:

16,277 posts

295 months

Tuesday 7th November 2006
quotequote all
poah said:
consider bouncing your flash bob to get rid of all the flash highlights.
But I thought highlights were good confused

I was feverently brushing the meat down with oil, trying to get as many highlights as possible.

My softbox/umbrella are at roughly 45 degrees to each side of the subject, am I using them as I should be, roughly?

poah

2,142 posts

258 months

Tuesday 7th November 2006
quotequote all
use them to get the lighting effect you want. too high and you'll get shadows, too low and not enough ligh to top. one light should be used as the main, key, light the other for fill in. I would use the soft box as the main light and the brolly for fill. you could also bounce the brolly light off the ceiling. if highlights like that are the way to go then its fine, I just find them distracting. the meat looks shiny though