A SUMMER SCENE İNDOORS
How to capture the feeling of summer sunshine in the studio using light, colour, and bokeh
Summer is the season of vivid sensations: warmth, saturated colours, and a carefree sense of enjoyment. In food photography, translating that feeling visually isn’t always easy, especially when you’re not shooting on location or don’t have access to a garden or terrace. That’s why the challenge was to create a scene that visually conveys a summer atmosphere, entirely within the studio.
This time, my inspiration came from a strawberry sorbet with milk kefir and basil, generously topped with melted dark chocolate. It’s a light, refreshing dessert with only natures sugar, perfect for hot days. I broke the frozen sorbet into rough crystal pieces and served it in tall glasses. The chocolate topping began to harden as soon as it touched the cold surface, adding visual contrast and texture to the frame.
Although the basil is not visible, completely blended into the sorbet, its subtle aroma adds depth, while the strawberries take centre stage. The contrast between red and green, both naturally present in the ingredients, gives the image a strong visual identity. In food photography, this colour combination often carries emotional weight, freshness, vitality, and seasonality. Sometimes, the best choice is simply to lean into what nature already provides.
Since I don’t have access to a garden or outdoor space, I built the scene in my studio, aiming to recreate the feeling of a sun-drenched afternoon. I used direct light through a snoot, combined with a gobo featuring floral cutouts, to create dappled shadows that mimic the effect of sunlight filtering through tree branches or a pergola. These types of shadows are part of the story.
elements, glass, sorbet texture, and chocolate drizzle, crisp and defined. This focal length is particularly helpful when you want to gently separate your subject from the background and achieve a soft yet precise bokeh.
I enhanced the scene further with artificial foliage, carefully placed in the background. When using faux elements, it’s essential they don’t dominate the frame. Kept out of focus and subtly arranged, they can work just as convincingly as real props, without stealing attention from the hero of the shot.
By combining colour, texture, light, and thoughtfully selected props, it’s entirely possible to evoke a summer mood without leaving the studio. The key is knowing the emotion or experience you want the photo to convey; freshness, indulgence, seasonality, and using all available tools to bring that story to life.
And of course, we should never forget the most essential part: even the most beautiful photo can’t replace taste. The dessert we photograph has to taste as good as it looks, because if someone decides to try the recipe, it’s the flavour that will stay with them.
Camera – Canon R8
Lens – Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
Lights – Godox FV 150
Optical conical snoot with floral Gobo
f/2.8 1/30 sec ISO 100
VEDRANA ORLOVINC
CROATIA
@kefirolicious