Tips for Photographing Food
Food is as much visual as it is visceral. After all, don’t our eyes tell our stomachs something will be delicious because it looks like it? The old saying “you eyes are bigger than your stomach” goes to show that what we see directly influences what we want to eat, and how much of it we think we can handle. Pick up any cookbook, check out a cooking blog (even just a DIY home chef) and you’ll find unbelievably appetizing photos. The finished product has to look delicious, even when the viewer can’t smell or taste it. It’s the job of the photographer to make that happen.
Here are a few tips for when you’re photographing food:
Be careful with your lighting
Think of the food as the subject of a portrait. You have to light it in just the right way to capture the best aspects. Sometimes your best bet is natural lighting. Harsh, studio lights can make the food look waxy or fake, like what you’d see on a laminated fast food menu. Bright flashes can affect the color of the food or create off shadows. Well reflected daylight makes the food look much more natural and appetizing.
Shoot fast
Food only looks fresh for so long. Fresh vegetables and fruits start to brown and wither, especially if they’ve been peeled and sliced. Meats start to look grey and sauces congeal as they get cold. If you aren’t prepared for the shoot BEFORE the food is, you’ll waste precious time and soon you’ll be photographing leftovers.
Change up the point of view
You don’t always have to shoot food by looking down at it. Shoot as if you were the diner, ready to dig into that plate of pasta or carve into the cake. This perspective is more realistic and keeps the plate from looking flat. It also helps you show of the textures of the ingredients.
Keep the background clean
A beautiful fillet is fish is going to get lost on a red and purple stripped plate, which is sitting on top of blue polka dot table cloth, with an orange wall in the background. The food has to be the star of the frame. Most food photography has the food on a white plate or in front of a simple pattern background. Don’t let the food get lost in the props.
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