When you are photographing food, you need to make those watching your images eager to taste and enjoy it with all their hearts.
To shoot beautiful food photos, you need to find the right props, a distinctive style, and, most of all, inspiration. Here are some tips that will put you on the right track:
1) Know Your Camera
Read the manual carefully and practice a lot. In the end, you will choose the photo in which the food looks the most delicious. Try to use the manual mode, so you can have full control of the camera settings. Shoot in RAW as much as possible, even if you need a larger memory card, as the compression of JPG files may not retain all the details in your photos.
2) Stabilize Your Camera
Use a tripod whenever it’s possible or any other sturdy surface that could stabilize the camera. Shooting handheld may result in blurred images. If you still prefer to shoot handheld, you may need to lean your arms or elbows on the edge of the table. When the light is weak, your camera needs to be stable.
3) Follow the Rule of Thirds
Divide your display in 9 equal parts - 3 rows on 3 columns, and place the subject along those imaginary lines.
4) Use Natural Light Properly
You will get the best results by shooting under natural light, but try to avoid direct sunlight. Find a big window where the curtains can provide the diffusion. Or you can even use a semi-transparent shower curtain. If you want to use studio lights or any other artificial light, you should place them on the opposite side of the subject. Usually, home lighting can alter the white balance, giving you unnatural shades of yellow or red.
The cloudy days preference when you can shoot even outside, as the clouds provide a great diffusion.
5) Use a Neutral Background
Choose a neutral background to place your plate on, so the focus would be on the actual food and not on its surroundings.
6) Stage the Scene
Try to place some other elements around your plate to complete the decor, arranging them as visually appealing as possible. You can place ingredients from the recipe around the plate; this way, you will create a story in a single photo. If you used herbs, chocolate flakes, or fruits in the recipe, let the ingredients be part of the props. The color of the props must match the prepared plate, and the contrasting colors work best. Move the props around the food until you get a frame in which you have the perfect scene.
If you have a laptop in the frame, the viewer will understand how much you enjoy the muffin or coffee while working. A cookbook would show that you are eager for new experiences in the kitchen.
7) Food Must Have Life and Texture
To obtain the texture, you can sprinkle spices on the food. Coarse salt, pepper, various herbs or even bread crumbs would be perfect.
The vessel in which you place the food can provide volume. Don’t hesitate to overlap the food if necessary. You can add drops of water, bites, which would create the idea that someone just did it. The viewer will be eager to have a bite as well.
8) Photograph Cooked Food Quickly
Cooked food should be photographed as soon as it has been removed from the fire, while it is still hot and fresh, with vibrant colors.
9) Find the Perfect Angle
Flat foods (like pizza) are best photographed from above, while layered food (burgers, for example) can be taken from the side and drinks from an angle of 45 degrees or any other angle which will highlight their height.
10) Consider Orientation
Vertical photos are easier to crop and attract more attention. They are perfect for Instagram and Pinterest, and the horizontal ones are ideal for Facebook or banners.
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