Jeff Kauck is an American photographer who specializes in photographing food and still life. Over the past 20 years, his work has appeared in national advertisements, magazines, recipes and packaging. He originally studied watercolor painting. After engaging in photography, he reflected the expression of watercolor in his lighting style and composition. Preparing for a Jeff Kauck shoot depends on which industry you're shooting for: magazines or advertising. If you are shooting for a magazine, first talk to the chef about the recipe, dishes, and familiarity with the tableware used and all possible background materials. Then after the chef finishes the dishes, plate the food and you can start shooting. If you are shooting for the advertising industry, it is generally similar, but there are some differences. Prepare a recipe and layout sheet in advance, and then conduct a pre-shoot, which is a rehearsal. This allows you to adjust the location of the food and scenery to ensure that it is accurate to meet the client's requirements. Then you can enter the final refinement stage to present the perfect photo. I always use natural light when shooting for magazines or cookbooks. The goal is to make the scene look real and intimate. In advertising, the food must be consistent in color from beginning to end. Obviously natural light does not have this function, so you need the help of flash. My inspiration for light comes from nature. Learning to paint has benefited me a lot because I studied gouache and never used a whiteboard, so I had to learn to color with mid-tones to highlight the key points. This is how I take in the light. Generally, people tend to choose shooting locations near windows. But you can control the light by filling in reflectors or changing the distance of the light source. By changing the size of the window, you can control the size of the area where light is projected. In addition, you can also use cardboard to act as a reflector to allow the light to reach your requirements. Works by Jeff Kauck When photographing atmosphere, I prefer to choose the first ray of light or the last light. Because the first ray of light is more transparent. If I want to take pictures of food and don’t have enough time, I will choose a location by the window. The light is best in the north, usually between two and three o’clock in the afternoon. For me in the Chicago area, the light in the northern hemisphere is great. One piece. Nature is the best light source. We only have one sun and share the same sky.