To help my photography students understand the basic techniques behind food photography.

1. Food Photography
theory into practice
#1
The pictures below have been put together solely to help my photography students
understand the basic techniques behind food photography.
They may only be used in relation to the food photography syllabus. Any other use would be
in breach of UK law. By reading these slides you agree that any dispute regarding the
presentation and images within it is judged under UK law. For more on English copyright,
Fair Use and related issues please check the pages tagged ‘about copyright’ on my blog
dancetog.com.

2. • Was this shot taken with ambient light?
• Why?
• What metering mode do you think was
used?

3. • What can you say about the
lighting in this shot?
• What about the aperture?
• Does the picture look as if it was
taken at high ISO?
• What does this mean happened
with the shutter speed?

4. • What sort of lens do you think was used for this shot?
• Why?

5. • By looking at what is sharp and
what is less sharp what can you tell
about the camera’s aperture in this
photograph?
• How might you change the shot
and therefore the story it conveys?

6. • Was this shot naturally lit?
• Where is the light coming from?

7. • What aperture has the photographer used here?

8. • What can you say about the camera’s aperture in
this shot?
• How was it lit?

9. • Do you think this shot is naturally lit, lit
with a flash, with other lighting or with a
reflector?
• Why?

10. • What can you say about
the lighting used in this
shot?
• Do you think the
composition would have
worked as well if the
detail at the bottom
wasn’t there?
• Why?

11. • What are the differences in the
ways that these were lit?

12. • Do you think a light box was used for
this shot?
• Why?
• What sort of aperture has been
used?

13. • What do you think caused the blue
outline?
• Why?

14. • Where is the focal point in this
shot?
• What do you think it says about
the story conveyed?
• What sort of aperture has been
used?
• Where does the light come from?

15. • What sort of lighting was used?
• What do you think the aperture was?
• Do you think this shot would make a good hero image?
• Why?

16. • Do you think this shot was naturally lit?
• Why?
• What metering mode
do you think was used?

17. • What can you say about the aperture
and focal point of this shot?
• How might you change it?

18. • What metering mode do you think was used for
this shot?
• Why?

19. • What can you say about the settings in
this shot?
• What can you say about the lighting?

20. • What metering mode might have helped
with the dark parts of this shot?
• What was the probable reason that the
photographer didn’t use it?

21. • What can you say about how this shot
was set up?
• What sort of metering mode do you
think was used?

22. • Where is the focal point in this
shot?
• Where is the sharpest part of the
image?
• Can you say what the consequence
is?

23. • What can you say about the lighting in this
shot?
• What can you say about the composition?
• Do you think it makes a good hero image?
Why?

24. • Under what conditions do you think this
was shot?
• What can you say about the lighting?
• Do you think it makes a good hero image?
• Why?

25. • What can you say about the lens used in this shot?
• What about the aperture?

26. • What can you say about the settings in
this shot?
• How might you change the story?

27. • What can you say about the white
balance in this shot?
• What about the exposure?

28. • What can you say about the lighting in this shot?
• Do you think it makes a good hero image?
• How could you change the story without moving
any of the props?

29. • What can you say about the settings
in this shot?
• How might you change the story?

30. • What aperture was used in
this shot?
• What sort of lighting was
used?
• Why?

31. • How might you change the settings of the
camera to improve the exposure in this
shot?
• What can you say about
the white balance?
• What can you say about
the focal point of the shot?

32. • What can you say about the aperture
used in this shot?
• How might changing the aperture
change the story?
• What can you say about the light?
• How do you think the perspective
was achieved?

33. • What is the focal point of this shot?
• How was it achieved?

34. Created by Carole Edrich
Practice for the introduction to food photography and lifestyle
photography syllabi
dancetog.com