Happy Wednesday everybody! So I have been blogging about 3 months now…. crazy I know and I have had a lot of people ask me about food photography. I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about just that… FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. This is very much an art in itself. I consider myself very much an amateur at this but I really enjoy it.
I have spoken to numerous photographers getting tips as well as reading manuals and articles on how to take amazing food photography.
For all the people out there like myself, I have put together a list of top tips on what I do to try and take great pictures. I hope these help you the next time you flip open the lens and take a shot of your meal.
Food Photography Tips
- Stabilize your camera. Use a tripod, or prop your camera on a high-back chair to help reduce the photo’s blurriness. This will eliminate the camera shake, you can also use a timer on the camera to be sure.
- Try to cut foods in somewhat geometric shapes for a more professional presentation. I also like to use the stacking technique depending on the dish.
- Arrange items on plate in a manner that showcases the strengths of a dish and its high-value ingredients. I get this from obsessively watching the food network.
- Garnish the dish to enhance the color. Adding chopped parsley or chives gives spaghetti green specks that bring out the red color of the sauce. Adding a lemon wedge to a piece of fish kicks it up and gives it some zest. Or, consider ladling a sauce on the plate underneath the food, or over the items on the plate.
- Place your dish in a setting which will enhance the dish’s overall appearance. Place the dish on a flat-colored background, such as a uni-colored table cloth or table surface. I myself like to use a white background and a white table cloth and normally my white square plate. If taking a picture from a side-angle, make sure the picture’s background will not distort the food in the foreground.
- Use as much natural light as possible. A camera flash will actually distort food pictures more often than it will enhance them. Try moving your dish into a well-lit area and have a portable lamp close at hand to prop above the dish. Old school zesty has a five bulb light overhead shining 300 watts of crisp light. My photographer friend said that food can never really have too much lighting just be careful of shadows.
- Carefully choose the best angle for taking the picture. Examine the shape and features of your dish, to determine whether it looks best from overhead or from a side angle. Often, taking straight on shots of a dish doesn’t highlight the dish’s more appealing features.
- Zoom in so the dish fills as much of the picture as possible. Because I am an amateur I also like to use he macro setting for close ups as opposed to the manual focus.
- Work Quickly: food only looks really appealing for a short period of time. Ice cream melts. Veggies droop. Lettuce wilts. So you need to work fast. Even with the best-case scenario, you won’t have more than 10-15 minutes from the moment the food exits the pan or fridge to get your shot. Being well prepared really helps, and having a helper there to plate and dress is invaluable. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles, settings, and garnishes nonetheless.
- Remember: practice makes perfect.
Here are some food sites that focus on amazing food pictures:
I hope everyone found these tips useful and will try some of them out in the future. I would like to ask everyone, what is their best technique they found when taking pictures. Share your techniques and we can add to the list.
Keep smiling and have a great Wednesday!
zesty
Related posts:
- Zesty Buys a New Camera Plus Updates
- Zesty’s Photoshoot Results
- An Amazing Cheese Puff!
- Food Demo Recap and a Chocolate Turtle
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Whether it is about recipes, food techniques, food tips, or meal suggestions in a rush - this is your one stop food shop. When I was sitting at home - I always wanted to write a blog and help people in everyday life come up with innovative and different approaches to food. So here it is - released for all to see - I hope you enjoy!
Great information, honey pie! Thanks a bunch.
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
These are great tips, Zesty! Your photos are always excellent. I love taking food photos but with a hungry family waiting for dinner, I don’t always have time for the best shots. I just checked and my camera does have a space to attach a tripod.
I can’t believe you’ve only been blogging for three months!!!
Wow, I’m thrilled to find these tips. I actually signed up for a food photography workshop, and it was waaaaaay over my head. He was all rigged up with professional props and lights, with live video feed. It was amazing but I was thinking, somebody needs to do a workshop for food bloggers. Ya know, point and shoot.
Thanks!
http://danazia.wordpress.com/
I guess I should stop using my iPhone for pictures.
Great tips…I could definitely use a tip or two in food photography. But I think I also just don’t have the right camera.
I am very happy that you posted this. I never use a tripod with my human models, but it makes perfect sense to use one with food that is sitting perfectly still. Thanks!!
Hi! thanks for the Foodbuzz add! Great post on food pictures…I’m pretty amateur myself and I loved reading your tips!! Thanks!
Thanks for this post Zesty! I’ve been trying to make my pictures by an a window during the day, and the natural light really helps. My problem is nighttime pics. I guess I just need to stand by a really good lamp or other source of natural looking light.
Hi- thanks for the tips, your article is excellent!
I’m wondering if a regular digital camera can do the trick (or do I need a more professional camera to snap the pics?)
Do you usually have someone help you with your food photography or do you do it on your own? I find I often wish I had someone to help but Im usually home on my own wishing I had 4 arms! lol
Awesome tips. One problem is there are no windows in my kitchen. It’s so hard to get enough natural light in my apartment
Dear Zesty
what kind of lens usually use in food photo taking?
is it micro lens,because i am helping Hotel taking some food photo.
@David – I use a point and shoot Canon A720 with a lot of natural and artificial light.
what kind of photo editor do you recommend?
@em – I strongly recommend Adobe Photoshop.
Until yesterday, I was attempting to photograph food for my blog using the “photobooth” on my mac. Needless to say, I was having trouble producing good-looking photos! Now that I finally have an actual camera to work with, I’m beginning to appreciate just how many considerations there are when taking pictures of food. I’ll be using your tips for sure.
Thks for the great tips.
I usually cook or bake late in the evening or night, so not enough natural light.