A Handy Dandy Photography Tip
Today, I wanted to share a quick photography tip. Please note, I’m not a professional. I’m learning as I go, just like many of you. Some things work. And some just don’t. But the little handy dandy tip I’m about to share works like a charm for me, time and time again.
Recently I shot a series of photos for a post for Tasty Kitchen on How to Open A Pomegranate. Maybe you noticed them? Fruit and veggies are always one of my favorite foods to photograph. The colors and shapes are rich and alluring on their own, which make it easier to create a great image. Even so, sometimes, even with the most perfect subject, the lighting sometimes needs a bit of help.
Plus, I have to admit, my kitchen is bathed in natural light, which for the most part, is mighty nifty. Yet, there are those times when the light is so harsh, it’s difficult to manage. Below shows my setup for the pomegranate photos.
(Please overlook the messiness. You’ll also notice the heart pine surface my husband made for me. Man, I love that man.)
It’s a pretty typical set-up I use for quick food shots. Notice the window? That’s handy dandy inexpensive white tissue paper taped to the window.
(Just how many times can one cram the words “handy” and “dandy” in one post?)
I have a wall of windows that offer light at just about any given point of the day. But as I said, it can be harsh, and also leave strips of shadows across the subject due to the grille/muntin bars from the window.
A simple fix is the tissue paper.
Handy.
Dandy.
Taped to each window, or just certain ones, I can control the light and create one huge light box in my kitchen. Here it shows tissue on only one window which in this setup is diffusing the back light, with the side light not being diffused. I could have easily diffused both directions of light for a different look as well. Other times, I’ll have all four windows taped up with tissue paper. It really does create a lovely diffused light.
And it’s cheap.
And it’s handy. And dandy.
Not-to-mention, it travels well.
Maybe you just cruised through a local drive-thru only to have the bestest cheeseburger ever? Want to catch a shot of it before it disappears? Grab your handy dandy tissue and tape to create a light box in your own car. Or maybe you’re traveling, and room service delivered one fine omelet that is looking a tad bit blown out in that early morning hotel light. You’re in luck! Grab that tissue and tape up what you need to capture the most perfect omelet shot ever.
It’s handy like that.
Try it out sometime and let me know how it works for you.
Have any simple photography tips to pass along? I’d love to hear em. I’m learning something new every day.
I’m SO glad you shared this, Amy. I actually have some tissue paper lying around from the holidays; now I don’t have to wait for an excuse to wrap a present to use it. I was wondering how on earth you captured such beautiful shots! 😉
I’m a very amateur photographer, so I’m definitely not one to hand out tips yet. I’m still amazed by the wonders of natural light!
Very helpful! It has been so cloudy here this winter, I am really struggling to get a decent picture. Summertime is just the opposite, I struggle with the harsh light so I will be using your tip. Thanks for sharing!
Well, that certainly IS handy. And dandy. 😉
You my friend are indeed handy and dandy! Love ya! And I wish I had that light in my kitchen. Bleh! Not mine. Plenty of windows, but extra deep porches. 🙂 Great for rocking and visiting a spell, but not great for photographing stuff.
your kitchen is gorgeous!
I have a teeny tiny galley kitchen and virtually no windows.
I love this tip!!!
ok…your post was awesome. informative and funny and handy dandy! thanks for making me giggle!
Heck, I know to buy you a ton of tissue paper next Christmas! THANK YOU for sharing this tip!!!
I am so jealous of your kitchen…it is beautiful!! And what a great tip!!!
I love all the windows you have. Your kitchen is gorgeous!
Good tip for kitchens with a lot of light!
Also. I have serious kitchen envy.
Fabulous idea. I have used tissue paper in my homemade lightbox but never thought to use it on my windows!
AND your kitchen is GORGEOUS, I LOVE all those windows!
i love the way you are diffusing the light! so creative, thrifty, and the results are perfect!
I think you are a pro! Your photos are always stunning! Great tip!
Now I’m not the only one to know of your fabulous tip! And let’s talk about that wall of windows for a moment shall we? I mean WOW! Gorgeous!
Thanks for sharing my sweet friend!
this IS helpful! Thanks! I will try it.
You have a beautiful kitchen.
I now see why your pics have such AMAZING light!! WOW Amy you have a foodie dream kitchen!! thanks for the tips!!
You are SO, SO smart! I love this tip, Amy! Going to put some tissue paper in my glove compartment right now! 😉
so funny! I do the exact same thing, but with white napkins that are unfolded so they’re nice and thin. My husband came home from work one day and said why in the world are there napkins taped all over the window?? It works great! That’s what I used to create the pictures on my blog post I posted today! 🙂
actually, now that I think of it, maybe we learned this at food blog forum in atlanta? ha, maybe that’s why we do it the exact same way!
Hey Megan!
I’ve actually been using this tip for years. Not really sure where I heard it from or if I started doing it out of necessity. But it sure works well. I’ll have to remember the napkin thing if I’m ever out and about without my tissue paper.
~ Amy
Very Handy. And Dandy! I have a lovely southern-facing window in my dining room. When it’s too bright, I tape two white napkins over the lower half. These are napkins that my parents-in-law bought us. It works like a charm!
Thanks for the handy dandy insights!! My kitchen is shadowed all the way around by porches, but this might help my lighting problem.
Wow, that is truly a handy dandy tip! I love it and am going to try it myself (especially since I don’t know enough about how to use my camera yet to make the proper adjustments there!).
handy dandy is right! What a great idea! Now if only I could figure out how to make pictures taken in my no-natural-light-at-all kitchen look good…
I saw your post on Tasty Kitchen and definitely admired the photos. Thanks for sharing your secret, love it!
Hey there Amy. Wonderful tip on the tissue diffusion technique. I never would have thought to do that. I usually just switch between different mediums of light/shadows. And I just got to ask, what camera do you use? Because you pictures come out in such clarity. Really wonderful ^_^
Hey Kassi!
I upgraded a year ago from the Nikon D50 to the D300s, and most of the time use a 50mm 1.4 lens.
~ Amy
Great tip. Sounds much easier than the white poster board I’ve been using because the kids are less likely to steal the tissue paper for school projects. 🙂
Found you on PW.
Happy New Year!
-Jami
You’re so luck to have so many windows in your kitchen!!
awesome tip! I’ll try & think of my favorite one & pass it along! Super fab blog, too!!! Just DANDY!
I’m learning all the time, too. And I believe I’ve cranked myself up from poor to better-than-mediocre! Shooting a picture (or “making a photograph,” as one snobby shutterbug once told me) is definitely better in natural daylight, and using tissue paper to diffuse it is indeed one handy-dandy tip. I will try it. Maybe even later today.
One day I will get a better camera but, you know what, taking the time to read the manual for my five year old Pentax Optio30 has helped immensely.
Brilliant tip! Isn’t it amazing how many solutions there really are without spending a fortune on professional equipment? I actually build a light box recently from a website description with a total cost of about $15. It really helps at this time of year and with the light sources in my house OR when not able to shoot during the day. Totally love your kitchen and view too!
Love the tip!!
I am always in need of a few pointers….your pictures are just beautiful!!
This is wonderful! I’m interested in photography as well.
I’m always trying to learn more about photography. This is very helpful.
Thanks!
Nisrine
Thanks so much for these tips, Amy. What a clever technique for daytime photography.
Do you have any suggestions for night-time photos? I work full time and blog/photograph at night. It’s such a challenge to get good natural looking shots in an artificially lit kitchen…
Any suggestions? I’ve resolved to get better at food photos this year and I really need some help!
Wow, wish I had that gorgeous light in my kitchen too!! That tip really is handy dandy and I too use it. It would really be helpful for people. thanks for sharing!
I want your kitchen. That’s all!
Great tip, by the way. Amazing how such an inexpensive thing can do such handy dandy things 🙂
What a great idea! Also, I’m totally in love with your kitchen… and the view thru the windows is amazing! When can I move in?
First let me say that your kitchen is beautiful. How lucky you are to be able to look out those incredible windows! The tip is great- if only we had light. If you come up with any ideas for taking pictures inside of a dark Victorian in New England, during winter-let me know ;>) In the meantime, I’ll dream about your kitchen…and the pomegranate!
Ok, I’ve been looking. Begging. Wishing for photography tips on food. Thank you so much for sharing! Very clever!
Jess : )
PS- Beautiful kitchen!
Such a handy dandy blog post! My goal for 2011 is to make friends with my husband’s camera. I appreciate your assistance.
Great tip! I’m so going to do this all over one of my windows, what an awesome idea! Currently I am having my husband hold up white sheets or place mats to diffuse light, but SO smart with the tissue paper window!
For the moment my simple tip is to study photos religiously – good ones and bad ones, to evaluate what makes them rock or look bleggh. I just started a series about tricks I’ve come across for food photography, definitely going to your tissue paper idea out and see how it goes!
Wow! What a fabulous tip…thank you so much! Look forward to more of your posts. (I’m here via Jenn Cuisine’s Twitter post.)
Messy? You haven’t seen messy until you’ve seen my kitchen!
Beautiful and inexpensive. I love it!
Great tips! Your kitchen looks absolutely gorgeous. I only have little window…sigh.
Thanks for the Handy Dany tip. The diffused light came out beautiful.
Great photographs. I love your kitchen it looks very beautiful and all of the windows are great. This is a pretty simple tip I think I can actually manage to follow. Thanks.
oh…good idea! I will have to try this!
My kitchen gets great morning light, but usually I am wanting to take pictures in the afternoon. Its always a bit tricky. But I take my food all around the house to get the best shot. I have even had a cake perched on a chair in my bedroom. My husband came home and he didn’t know what to think.
Ps. I was looking for the messiness you mentioned…your kitchen looks pretty clean to me!
Thanks for the photo tip. I am learning as I go. I’ll take any hints anyone can give me!
Hi! I found you via Reluctant Entertainer–you know, through one of those handy-dandy links in the Comments section. It’s so nice to meet you!
Your lighting tip is a great one! Thank you very much for sharing that.
I hope to meet you at BlissDom next week!
Wow, so lucky with natural light in your kitchen!!! I am always running all over my house trying to find a little light! Luv the tip with the tissue paper…So simple and so perfect! Really enjoyed looking around your blog!
Great idea. Thanks for sharing it. I definitely need to work on my pictures. I have a hard time with the pictures I take at night in my kitchen. They often have a yellow tone. Any secrets for night time shots in the kitchen?
Kris — I’m not Amy, but have wrestled with color temperature, too. : ) If your camera has the option to change your white balance, playing around with that might help.
~Lynne
We have a white kitchen now, that is bathed in sunlight in the mornings; I got some really shear white curtains that work perfectly to diffuse light. Also, a tip I learned from Danielle Tsi during a photography workshop; she uses this light gray felt when the sun is really bright. I loved that idea, not only can you block light but you can iron your props right on it as well.
Tissue paper! Ha love the simplicity. In the car even better. I’m sure I’ll be stashing tissue paper in all sorts of handy dandy (couldn’t help myself)
places.
thanks for sharing this tip … Stumbled 2.11.11
Oh what a great trick – I was just (today!) thinking of what would be the best option to temper some of my bright natural light for photo shoots. Thank you so much, this is the least pain in the hinder to put together.
Cute Amy, but you didn’t finish your post with : Handy
&
Dandy
You are one lucky girl to have such a beauty of a kitchen! Thank you for sharing one of your secrets. That is awesome. You do shoot lovely photographs also.
AmyRuth
Great tip!
Very clever. You are a genius. 🙂
Great idea, and so handy … and dandy. I try to take my photos about one foot below my dining room window. Afternoon sunlight just streams into that window but like yours it can be a touch harsh. To compensate I use my low lying coffee table to balance the plate/fruit/veggies/kid hand and enough light cascades down without washing it out. Also, my coffee table is solid wood and gorgeous so I don’t have to much with a cloth. Unless the kid hand had something gross on it.
Hey Amy! Haven’t been by here in awhile — catching up on all your nifty posts. One thing I have found helpful is to have a way to bounce light into an area that’s in shade/shadow. I use this outdoors (since my neighbors would probably not be happy with me relocating their plantings) but it could apply indoors, too. My dad gave me a Lite Disc he got at a photo workshop. It’s a lot like those rectangular car windshield shades that you can twist & collapse into neat little circles. It has one side that’s a diffused gold color (warmer), & the other is a diffused silver (cooler). There’s probably a way to figure out a homemade solution, maybe with handy dandy tissue paper. Or sheets. Or napkins. ; )
I am moving in with you as I need that kitchen. It is handy and dandy
Great tip – but i have to say i LOVE your kitchen! Fabulous kitchen!!!
wow thanks for the simple tip. I have just purchased my first camera in 10 years and I’m having a great time learning to use it. I purchased it to take with me on a holiday to Italy. This little tip is fabulous because I can fold a square of tissue into the pocket of my camera bag and take my light box with me everywhere. there’s going to be so many great things to photograph in Italy, I just can’t wait to get going.
best wishes
Helen
Hi
I just read Lynne A’s (may 8) suggestion about the Lite disc. I wonder if sheets of foil gift wrap in gold and silver would work? I might have to give it a try, I’m sure to have some in my gift wrap box.
Amy your photographic surface is a great idea, I could use this idea to create a selection of surfaces that are flat and portable for photographing around my home and neighborhood.
thanks for the tip ladies, now I’m itching to get home so I can try these ideas out.
best wishes
HI Amy, I love your photos and the tissue paper is a great tip. What lovely diffused light it brings. Your photos are so sharp, I was wondering what camera you use? and do you use lightroom?
I’d also love to know the camera and photo software you use!
I love this tip! And now I’ve gotten to wondering what the effect would be if you tried colored tissue…I love photography but my main thing is using different angles, lighting and editing to change things up a bit. Thanks for the idea–I’ll have to try it with different colors to see if I like what I get from it!
I love your photography and now also your kitchen. It’s so beautiful! Thank you for sharing this tip, I shall try it out tomorrow itself.
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for the tips…I’m always looking to improve my food photography and lighting is key! I just moved into a new home and I now have more lighting, so now I know what to do with it!
Great tip! I use that too and find it great. Although shooting food in your kitchen is handy ( dandy), a northern-faced window is ideal when using natural light.
And I have to say that I’m absolutely IN LOVE with you kitchen!! Oh man, I wish I had a similar one!!
Have a great day!
P.s National Cinnamon bun day in Sweden today.. far away but gives you a reason for baking; recipe on my blog if you want to have a peek 😉