Mick Cookson shows how it’s possible to produce stunning indoor still life images through improvisation (and use of the kitchen table!)

The great thing about DSLR cameras is that they hand you the ability to experiment with composition, lighting and exposure, with the results being viewable almost instantly on the camera’s screen. Through initial experimentation with my Fuji S3 Pro camera I have developed my own style of food photography, and I now regularly shoot images for stock libraries using both the S3 and a Nikon D200.

These tulip shots were shot using daylight plus reflectors, on both overcast and sunny days...

Ingredients

Although the pictures I produce are full of quality, it might be of interest to note that my lens of choice is an old 55mm AI Nikkor macro lens, which I bought used for £60. It’s a simple, classic lens – very sharp, with a good old fashioned aperture ring to turn! When I used it on the Fuji, I had to use a fully manual exposure mode anyway, which was something that didn’t bother me since I much prefer to work in manual in any case, even with the D200. This allows me to control everything without the camera trying its best to correct me. I always find myself mumbling under my breath how much I know better ….or at least I like to think so.

You may have a dedicated macro lens in your arsenal already, although most modern lenses offer a macro facility with which you should be able to get close enough. I have standardised on the 55mm since the lens is very small and light, even though I have macro facility on a couple of my other lenses.
When looking for subjects I gravitate towards small items, with clean simple shapes and colours. For my food images I get very close on the smaller items, looking for a more abstract feel, whereas for the larger items I find myself examining form, texture and colour.