Photographing Food

The options for photographing food are endless; it’s an incredibly visual subject. One thing to remember when starting out is that food photography is just like any other photography—the same principles of light, color, and composition apply.

Tips:

• When thinking about food photography, don’t just consider the finished product on the plate or the people eating it. Look at the ingredients—perhaps there’s a beautiful photograph waiting to be made.
• Consider how people relate to food and what connects them to it. Trust me, some of the most interesting photographs come out of this relationship.
• Food that’s extra saucy and messy can look great on camera, but keep in mind that you should be able to identify it. Try replating the dish and even adding more of one of its ingredients if it needs a boost of color. If it has a lime, for instance, ask for an extra, squeeze it on the food, then place it on the plate before photographing. Remember that you want people’s mouths to water. If your mouth doesn’t water when looking at the food, no one else’s will either.
  
• Food scenes, or landscapes, are images with multiple elements that give viewers the feeling of sitting at a table. Landscapes are fun to make. They take time and thought, but they can really add to the storytelling power of a food photograph. When making a food landscape, think about how to tell a story with food: Use messy spoons to convey movement, add drips and crumbs for emotion, and give the scene tension with compositionally placed ingredients.
  
• The three main angles used in food photography are three-quarter, side view, and overhead. Look at still life compositions with the idea of exploring each of these angles, and always remember that you’re looking for the best possible way to show the food. A mistake that many beginner food photographers make is taking shots that look down on a plate from directly above. While this can work in some circumstances – in most cases you’ll get a better shot by shooting from down close to plate level (or slightly above it).

• Whatever elements you add to a food photograph should make sense. When exploring different angles, try to keep the featured food the main element in the image. Be careful of adding any elements that may compete with or distract from your primary subject.

• Treat the food you’re photographing as you would any other still life subject and ensure that it is well lit.  One of the best places to photograph food is by a window where there is plenty of natural light – perhaps supported with flash bounced off a ceiling or wall to give more balanced lighting that cuts out the shadows. This daylight helps to keep the food looking much more natural.
• Food doesn’t keep it’s appetizing looks for long so as a photographer you’ll need to be well prepared and able to shoot quickly after it’s been cooked before it melts, collapses, wilts and/or changes color. This means being prepared and knowing what you want to achieve before the food arrives.
• The way food is set out on the plate is as important as the way you photograph it. Pay attention to the balance of food in a shot (color, shapes etc) and leave a way into the shot (using leading lines and the rule of thirds to help guide your viewer’s eye into the dish). One of the best ways to learn is to get a good cook book and see how the pros do it.
• Have some vegetable oil on hand and to brush it over food to make it glisten in your shots. This will help keep your subject looking fresh while you work on your photograph.
• Try shooting macro. Really focusing in upon just one part of the dish can be an effective way of highlighting the different elements of it.

I hope these tips get you started in the right direction for photographing food. If you need more ideas or help – just let me know!

Good luck!