Food photography tips

1. Food Photography Tips
Jo Lowes

2. Shoot in Natural Light
 Light is the key to creating beautiful still life photos.
Always shoot your food pictures in natural daylight rather
than under artificial lighting.
 If you illuminate your food with an artificial light such as
a lamp, it’s likely to create an ugly orange or yellow color
cast in your photo.
 Color is extremely important in food photography as you
want the colors of the food, plates and background
elements to appear accurate. You don’t want your white
rice, white plates, or white table cloth to look orange.
 However, in most cases you should avoid shooting in
bright sun as it can cause exposure problems and cast
harsh shadows on your subject.
 Overcast days are perfect for food photography because
the clouds act like a giant diffuser, creating a soft light
with more subtle shadows.

3. Take Control of Shadows
 Shadows are very important in photography, and they can
make or break an image. Sometimes shadows enhance a
photo, adding depth and visual interest, but other times
they can ruin it by dominating too much of the picture.
 The intensity of shadows depends on the type of light
you’re shooting in. Strong directional sunlight will cast
hard, dark shadows, whereas an overcast day creates a
more diffused light, making the shadows much softer.
 The photo above was taken in bright sunlight. Notice the
harsh shadows being cast by the objects in the scene.
Sometimes strong shadows will enhance the image,
especially when they create interesting shapes that add
to the composition.
 But in most cases you should try to avoid harsh shadows
in still life and food photography. Soft shadows are much
more flattering to the subject, creating subtle depth and
dimension without dominating the scene.

4.  If you’re shooting outdoors on a
sunny day and you don’t have the
option to shoot in shade, try using a
reflector to fill in the shadows with
light. You can use a professional
photography reflector or a simple
white piece of paper will do.
 Position your reflector on the side
where the shadows are, so that the
reflector is facing the sun. The light
from the sun will hit the reflector
and bounce back onto the subject,
brightening up the shadows.

6. Use a Neutral Background
 When shooting a food photo, the background is very
important. If the background is too messy or colorful, the
viewer’s attention will be drawn away from the food.
 Using a fairly neutral background allows you to place
maximum emphasis on the food in the scene. A neutral
background doesn’t mean that it has to be completely
plain, but it should complement the subject rather than
suppress it.
 There are three main types of background that work
really well for food photography: light backgrounds, dark
backgrounds and wooden (brown) backgrounds.
 Dark food usually looks good on a dark background, and
light colored food looks good on a light background.
 Wooden backgrounds, such as tables and chopping
boards, tend to look great with almost any kind of food.

10. Think About Colour
 The great thing about food
photography is that it gives you the
chance to play around with color.
Colors have a big impact on your
composition and they can affect
the overall feel of the image.
 Using contrasting colors in your
composition tends to have the
opposite effect. It creates a
vibrant, dynamic and exciting
image that stimulates the viewer’s
emotions in a different way.

11. Shoot From the Best Angle
 When taking photos of food, always think about which
angle to shoot from to make the most of the subject.
Shooting from above is often the best choice, especially
when the food is arranged on a plate or bowl.
 Shooting from above has several benefits. It allows you to
include all the details of the food and the background,
and it emphasizes the bold shapes of the dishes, cutlery
and other objects within the scene.
 It’s also much easier to create a strong and balanced
composition, allowing you to arrange the elements on the
surface you’re shooting on.
 Finally, it’s great for eliminating any distracting
backgrounds in a busy room, or at an outdoor location.
 However, if your subject is a drink in a glass or a cake
that has some interesting layers, consider shooting from
one side.

14. Breathing Space
 When composing your food photos,
consider leaving some breathing
space around the plate so that it
doesn’t fill the entire frame.
 While some close-up food shots can
look great, leaving some empty
negative space will often create a
more pleasing composition and
place more emphasis on the shapes
of your subjects.

15. Decorate the Scene
 The food and the background are
both vital elements, but to make
your photos more interesting you
should also consider decorating the
scene with some other smaller items.
 A great option is to include some of
the dry ingredients that you used
when cooking the food. As well as
adding interest to the composition,
this can also help to create a “visual
recipe” for your food photo.
 You could also find non-food items to
decorate the scene. Cutlery and
cooking utensils work well because
they have strong shapes and lines
which you can use to build your
composition.