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Judging from the hundreds of food photos regularly posted in social media and photo sharing sites, a lot of people think that photographing dishes is easy. As long as you have a camera and you know how to use it, you’re bound to come up with fascinating photos of your favorite dishes. This is not what normally happens, though. Most of the time, the picture does not turn out the way you want it to. This is not to say, however, that only professional photographers are capable of coming up with good food photos.
Whether you take food photos in restaurants, at home or inside a studio, there are important elements that you need to consider if you want to create visually enticing and delectable images of food.
Tips and Tricks for Food Photography
1. Tempting. Mouthwatering. These are some of the words you use to describe good food. These are how your food photo should appear. Make sure that the dish you are featuring looks beautiful. Make it look good by arranging, rearranging and placing it properly on the plate or the table. This will help you find the effect you desire to create.
If you’re using a plate that’s not aesthetically attractive, find a way to make it appealing. Clean the plate by wiping it, or position it in such a way that its best angle is focused. Find the angle that makes the plate look good.
2. Use natural light, but don’t be afraid to experiment with other interesting lighting options. Sometimes, direct sunlight can be too bright. Pay attention to windows or any similar source of light. Don’t hesitate to adjust and move the dish to an area with better natural lighting. Find the spot that shows the food at its best.
For SLR photographers, it is important to know the ISO setting of your camera. This will help you determine how sensitive your camera sensor is to light. Remember that with a higher ISO, you will be able to shoot in dark areas even without a flash. There’s a drawback to this, though, as using a higher ISO may result to grainy images. You can use flash to solve this problem, although it’s not something that professional photographers will advise you to do.
As much as possible, you should avoid using your camera’s flash – and it doesn’t matter whether you use a digital DSLR or a point-and-shoot. A flashy photo often appears too bright and lacking in dimension. Camera flash can also wash off some natural colors. If you really want to use flash, learn how to adjust its intensity.
The only time it is advisable to use your camera’s flash is when you are shooting outdoors and the sun is up high. Using flash will help you get rid of shadows that can ruin the effect of your photo.
3. Use colors to add life to your food photo. The plate you use plays an important role in creating an image rich not only in taste, but also in color.
If you are featuring a colorful dish, use simple white plates and light colored linen. If you plan to use colored, printed or patterned plates, be sure that the colors do not clash with the hues of the dish/dishes. Avoid using too colorful plates as this might take the spotlight away from the food.
Use linen that complements the hues of your main dish. And when photographing traditional dishes, go for the rustic look.
4. Close ups are best for food photography. There may be times when you would want to take wide shots that capture the whole table or restaurant scene, but if your main subject is just one dish, go for the macro.
If you’re using a point-and-shoot digital camera, all that you have to do is look for the button with the flower icon. This button will allow you to take macro shots – shots that are very close to your subject. Close up shots will allow you to show the details of the dish.
5. Style and set up the shot. After arranging the dish, add some elements in the background. Find something that will give your photo a story. When featuring Chinese food, for example, show a pair of chopsticks in the background. Or add some herbs on the side of a plate of pasta and creatively position a bottle of Olive Oil and your favorite spice in the background.
Do a visual experiment. Try staking or piling chocolate chip cookies the way you would do with pancakes. This will add texture to your photo.
Cutting a slice off a pie or taking one small bite out of a cupcake is another way of creating a scene or of telling a story. Use an overhead for shots like this to achieve maximum effect.
6. Avoid taking blurry photos. Check your camera’s shutter speed. If it has slow shutter speed, your photos are bound to come out blurry. Shaky hands can result to this effect, too. To solve this problem, use a tripod. This will minimize both the shaking and the blur. If you do not have a tripod – or cannot afford to buy one – look for something that can be used as one. A flat surface like a tabletop is a good option. Use your creativity in looking for an alternative tripod. Maybe you’ll find a stool chair somewhere; or perhaps you can use the top of a small box.
7. Experiment with angles. Try to create your photo from different perspectives. Take a shot from the side or from up above. Choose shots that clearly define the shape and size of the dish.
Coupled with determination and regular practice, these tips will help turn your food photos into stories that satisfy the palate. But your pictures will come out even more stunning if you have genuine interest and passion for what you do. If you’re shooting food just because you need to, or because you want to show off, this will show in your photos. It’s pretty much the same ideology when cooking or baking. Your emotions show in your creations.
