In September 2024, I had the privilege of participating in Tess Fluit's food photography retreat in Ibiza, an experience that not only enriched me creatively, but also made me enjoy the beauty of food in a whole new way. Imagine a beautiful villa tucked away in the hilly landscape of Ibiza, surrounded by olive trees and cacti. There we were, with a group of enthusiastic photographers, ready for an inspiring and challenging shoot with the best Spanish delicacies.
The sun was shining brightly - really hard. Mid-September in Ibiza means working in almost unrelenting heat, and that day was no exception. We had the perfect setup by the pool, a table full of colorful dishes: fresh-cut jamón ibérico, shiny olives, manchego, grapes just glistening in the sunlight and crusty sandwiches. Everything was laid out as if straight out of a Mediterranean dream.
It wasn't just the sun that played rock hard that day, the strobes were also put to full use. In such circumstances natural light is beautiful, but to really capture that intensity of the products, we went for a 'rock hard flash'. The contrast between the soft, natural light of Ibiza and the sharp flashes made for insane results. Every shot had that "oomph" you're looking for as a food photographer: the colors jumped off your screen and the textures came out true to life. A Spanish wet dream if you ask me. And the rock-hard plates didn't lie.
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