Food Photography – Tips for Creating Mouth-Watering Reactions
Food Photography
One area where many photographers seem to struggle is with food photography. It isn’t that this type of imaging is necessarily difficult, but simply the lighting is always wrong, or the presentation of the food just didn’t give the right effect.
Your goal, when photographing food, should always be to instil hunger. If you pay attention to the details, this needn’t be difficult at all. With that said, let’s get on with a few ideas that will help you create mouth-watering reactions.
The Equipment
When food is your subject all you will really need is your DSLR, a fairly fast 50mm lens, and the capability of setting your camera to ISO 1600 or slower. Since many good food photos are taken under low-light settings, the white balance function of your camera is also important for creating exceptional images.
Whenever possible, try to use a diffused natural light (such as the sun shining through a curtain). This will help you to take images where the food doesn’t look greasy or wet.
Food Photography: The Presentation
The next thing to consider is the presentation of the food itself. There are a few simple things you can do to present your food, the right way:
1. Use Geometry: If you plan to plate the food, ensure that everything is cut into a geometric shape. This will give a more professional presentation.
2. Consider the Details: Plan the image, and use your props accordingly. For example, a white plate on a white table cloth may not give the effect you were looking for. Plan out how everything will contrast and then setup accordingly.
3. Highlight Key Ingredients: Try to highlight key ingredients. As an example if you were shooting a shrimp & pasta salad – having all of the shrimp buried below the pasta wouldn’t let viewers know what they were looking at.
4. Add Some Color: Simple garnishes can add color to your photo. Green parsley will bring out the red of the sauce on that spaghetti dish for example.
Now that your image is mostly setup, you’re almost ready to shoot. Before you do though, one last thing needs to be considered.
Food Photography Backgrounds
The last thing to consider is the background of the image. A mouth watering image doesn’t always have to be a plate on a table cloth. Choosing a different angle, that includes other elements in the photo, may work as well. Look at the area you are photographing in, and find a background that suits.
As an example, a lower angle that includes the cook in the background can sometimes work well. When you focus on the food in the foreground, and then shoot with a fast lens and high ISO settings, it will leave the background slightly out of focus. This is a simple way to further highlight the dish in front of you.
The most important element to getting good with food photography is simple practice. Keep your camera around when you or your spouse are cooking. Try taking an image of different types of food with different setups. Soon you’ll find yourself creating photographs that leave even you drooling, and hungry!
