Lighting is one of the most important aspects of food photography. While natural light is often considered the ‘holy grail’ when it comes to food photography, it is unpredictable. You can’t control the weather, the clouds, or the sunlight, so while natural light produces some beautiful photos, reliable natural light for the length of your shoot can be hard to come by.
Artificial lighting gives you flexibility, control, and consistency that you just can’t get when you’re working with and relying on… the sun! Particularly if you are photographing in the winter, on nights and weekends, live in a cloudy or rainy climate, or live someplace without many windows, artificial lighting is a necessity when it comes to food photography.
One of the biggest barriers to getting started with artificial lighting is the equipment. Which artificial lights are the best? Are there any affordable options? What other materials do you need? Curious to answer these questions and learn more about choosing the best artificial lights for food photography? We’re breaking it all down below!
