This Photographer Used a McDonald’s Big Mac Box to Light Portraits

French photographer Philippe Echaroux recently decided to challenge himself in the area of shooting portraits of strangers. Instead of using high-end camera equipment, he decided to use an iPhone and light his subjects using a McDonald’s Big Mac box.

“I like to challenge myself,” Echaroux tells PetaPixel. His lighting rig consisted of a flashlight, a drinking straw, and a Big Mac box:

Here’s what it looks like when fully assembled and operational (for extra light reflection, Echaroux recommends rubbing oil from the fries onto the inside of the box):

Echaroux then took the makeshift light out and began photographing people:

Here are the portraits Echaroux managed to capture using this unusual setup:

Not bad, eh? Here’s the 2-minute video in which you can see how this project was done:

Last year, we shared another series of portraits Echaroux shot by setting up a makeshift studio into a building hallway. You can also find more of his work on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.


Image credits: Video and photos by Philippe Echaroux and used with permission

Discussion