Whether you’re a professional food blogger or just someone who loves to cook on a regular basis, the chances are that you’re constantly looking for ways to improve your food photography. Even if you love cooking, it is likely that most of your friends and family members aren’t as enthusiastic about trying out your new recipes as you are.
After all, they don’t have access to the same resources and fresh ingredients that you can easily purchase from any local grocery store. But don’t worry — there is no shortage of delicious recipes out there that anyone could enjoy!
What makes a great food photo?
As with any other type of photography, your food photos will only be as good as your pictures. To make sure that you get the most from your food photography sessions, it is crucial that you focus on a few key aspects that will distinguish a great food shot from a subpar one.
Here are some of the key food photography aspects that you need to ensure are present in every shot:
Lighting: The most important aspect of any food photography session is the lighting! You would be surprised how many food shots out there are ruined by the lighting. The lights that you use during your food photography sessions should reflect the same colors and tones that are found in the food that you’re trying to take a picture of. This not only adds to the overall aesthetic appeal of your pictures but also gives an accurate depiction of the actual food that you’re showing.
Focus: While the lighting aspect of your food photography session is important, it is also equally important that you get the focus correct. If your food photos are blurry, your images will look amateurish and unprofessional.
Portion Control: No matter how good a photographer you are, you can’t take a decent photo of a bowl of cereal if the bowl is the size of a rugby ball. Similarly, a picture of a bowl of soup or a leaflet of pastries won’t look half as good if you eat in it! That is why when you are taking food photos, make sure that you don’t stuff your mouth with the food.
Don’t just take pictures — be a photographer too!
No matter how much effort you put into improving your food photography skills, if the food that you’re trying to take pictures of doesn’t turn out to be the best example of said food, it will be of little use to anyone else. Luckily, this problem is easily solved.
All you have to do is to work with a chef or a friend who has fresh and delicious ingredients at the ready. You can even try setting up a dinner date with someone and ask them to cook for you. This not only gives you a chance to taste all kinds of delicious dishes, but it also gives you the chance to ask your date questions about the ingredients that he/she has used to prepare them.
Check your lighting and your white balance before you start shooting.
There are a million and one tutorials on the internet that tell you how to take great food photos, but there is only a handful that will tell you how to fix the lighting and the color balance issues that you might have. If you’re shooting indoors, make sure that you check that the lighting is perfect. If you’re shooting outdoors, make sure that the light that you’re using is correctly reflected in the food that you’re trying to take a picture of.
Tips For Taking The Perfect Bokeh Shot
Bokeh is a trendy, artistic photography term that is used to describe the “blurring” effect that is produced when the lens focuses on a subject much farther away from the camera than it is in real life. If you have good bokeh shots, people will be envious and will long to have such things in their own homes too! The trick to perfecting great bokeh shots is to focus on a few key aspects that will help you get the best results.
Here are a few things to keep in mind while shooting bokeh food photos:
- Find a background that complements your food. If the color of your food complements the colour of the background, then the bokeh effect that you get will be quite pleasing to the eye.
- Try to focus on small details of your food while it is still in the process of cooking. The best food bokeh shots are those that focus on the crumbs that have fallen on the plate or the sauce that has dropped from the spoon.
Steps To Take For A Professional Food Photography Stand-Alone Shot
If you’re serving a dish that would be a bit too complicated to take to a friend’s house for a round of dinner, you can always take advantage of the fact that you have your own kitchen and home to recreate it at home.
Here are a few food photography tips that you can use to take your food to the next level:
- Make sure that you are well-fed before you start taking food photos. This will help you keep your focus and maintain your energy levels while you are shooting.
- Make sure that your kitchen is well-lit and well-ventilated. This will help you keep the temperature of your kitchen under control while you are shooting.
- If possible, make sure that you use natural light instead of using artificial lighting. This will help you make your food shots look more natural and authentic.
- Select fresh ingredients that are of the finest quality. This will help you make your food shots look more appealing and appetizing.
Step Guide To Create An Awesome Action Shot
If the dish that you’re trying to take pictures of is one that is a bit too complicated to replicate at home, you can always try taking it to a restaurant for a professional photo shoot. Nowadays, most restaurants are more than willing to help you make your food photos even better by helping you create an awesome action shot.
Here are a few food photography tips that you can try out when you take your dish to a restaurant:
- Make sure that you are well bundled up before you head out. This will help you keep your hands warm and your fingers from getting stiff during the photo shoot.
- Make sure that you are using the right lighting for the type of food that you’re shooting. This will help you avoid creating an image that looks artificial and fake.
- Make sure that the food in the dish is piping hot when you take it to the restaurant. This will help you avoid creating an image that looks stale and dry.
Conclusion
The most important food photography tip that you can ever learn is to always keep practicing your photography. With time and practice, even the most amateur photographers will be able to create stunning food photos. So get your camera out and start clicking away!
