I teamed up with my friends at Adorama again to share with you my expertise on food photography. This time we’re going to cover my essential tips for food photography, including props and lighting, because at the end of the day, props and lighting are really what makes or breaks your food photo.
1. Choose your angle
Many food photographs use the overhead perspective. While the overhead angle may be trendy, it’s not the only option available. Chefs generally design plating for the diner’s perspective, so it’s a good idea to photograph the dish from an angle similar to what you would see when seated at a restaurant. Of course, you can also photograph each dish from multiple angles to see which one will work best.
2. Surround your object
An important part of successful food photography is designing the space around the food itself. A plate in the middle of an empty table is often distractingly minimalistic, and a single item in the middle of an empty plate is just as boring. Chefs often use garnishes, side dishes, sauces, and drizzles to add a level of artistry to
3. Use Fun Photography Props
Props can really take a photo of food to the next level. Without props you’ll just have a lone dish of food on a table, and that doesn’t sound very fun, visually appealing, or provide any texture to the photo. Props can take your food photo from amateur to professional real quick.
Where do you start? Here are some of my must have prop tips that I think every food photography pro, or aspiring food photographer should have available to them to mix and match, and create the best set.
1-2 rustic, fun cutting boards
I like using them to add depth, shape and character to the photos. They are great too if you are using a white backdrop and white ceramics. They create contrasts and break the shot up a bit!
Vintage/non-shine cutlery, chopsticks, and unique knives and ramekins
These help tell your story. I find when there is cutlery and extra fun bits in the shot, the viewer can really imagine themselves making and eating the dish.
Backdrops
I used Toile Blanche – I have an array of colors but if you ask me, all you need is something dark, something rustic (like wood) and something light like white or grey. Essentially when you’re on Instagram you want to have a really well-balanced feed. So choose your colors and use them alternatively to create that aesthetically pleasing feed. People eat with their eyes first so make sure you pull them in with your choice of colors and balance!
Rustic, imperfect, grey ceramic bowls
These are a great baseline, versatile, and don’t take away from the image. They are basically used in most shoots so you create a consistency in your photography. Once you become more comfortable then you can start using different colors and shapes with your dishes. You should never buy ceramics or plates/bowls with shine. They will make it hard for you to take a good photo so ensure you only purchase matte dishes, finished and worn.
Plain matte white plates
I mean, do I really need to say more about this? Everyone needs classic, white plates, and like I said, make sure they are matte for the best photos. Places like A Question of Eagles, Nom Living, FarmHouse Pottery and Zamaa Ceramica carry some great dishes that’ll help you create the best photos!
Linens, newspapers & anything with texture
I’ve covered the hard pieces above but what about the soft pieces in your photos? This is where texture and color comes into play, plus, by adding textiles to your images, you’ll create a sense of place, time, and/or emotion for your audience. Use a checkered cloth to create the sense of being at a picnic, use a slightly-used dish towel to show that you made the food by hand, in your own kitchen. I personally like to keep my linens neutral, but it’s really up to the look you’re trying to produce.
Plants and flowers
Add more life to your photos and earthiness by using plants and flowers in your pictures. Not only do plants and flowers smell good while you’re doing your shoot, but they also look amazing in photos. Plus, this can also help you with learning how to shoot other things on top of food.
Little bottles, pouring glasses, mixers, etc.
Different sizes of bottles, pouring glasses, mixers, clear glasses, and lightly color tinted wine glasses are great for adding action, a sense of clarity, transparency and honesty, plus if people can see it, they believe it. For example, when you look at a photo of coffee versus iced coffee, you’ll naturally be drawn towards the ice coffee because it’s usually in a clear glass, with that swirling milk and suckles of the sweetener. It just looks more real in a photo than a cup of brown stuff. Also, I like to add hands to shots with glasses. They can pour for you, or mix, and it really adds a more realistic feel and look to your image!
4. Create the Perfect Lighting
Lighting can be a complicated beast to tackle, especially when you’re relatively new to photography. I’m going to breakdown some of the most common lighting props and what they help with in your photography to give you an idea of what’s out there.
Deflectors: Deflectors give photographers the ability to modify the hardness and softness of their light in a shoot. Deflectors can eliminate, soften or tone sharp shadow edges.
Diffusers: One of the most common flash accessories, a diffuser is a device that is designed to fit onto your flash on your camera. This helps with achieving good lighting, especially in scenarios or places that you may not have the ability (or time) to really perfect the light. A diffuser scatters the light and diffuses the harshness of the light. A.k.a. it makes the light more flattering for your subject!
5. Consider these types of light
Lets chat about my tips light and what each type of light is good for in food photography and shooting the best food photos!
Indirect light
Indirect light refers to being in a sunny spot but the light isn’t directly hitting your set/subject matter. Shooting in natural light like this can be a massive game changer to your photos, so if you can shoot during daylight, use the indirect light to your advantage. The best times of day are during peak or golden hour and when the clouds have slightly covered the sun so it’s bright but not too bright.
Harsh direct light
This is a more advance method, but once you’ve mastered it, it’s worth it. Use shadows, slight glare and colors to really create a story. This is my favorite way to shoot, but it’s always tricky because the perfect light isn’t always available.
Side light
Side light is when you have light peaking in from the front or back or the side of your set. This is a really fun light to work with because you can sort of control it and you can add some fun edits to it in Lightroom. This type of light is when you know you are improving and becoming more comfortable with your camera, props, and lighting.
6. Use a natural background
For a unique environmental take on food photography, one of my top tips is to consider photographing your plate on an outdoor table in a natural setting. Courtyards, backyards, and picnics are all great settings for food photography that provide a compelling atmosphere and tell more of a story.
If your natural background is too distracting, use a wider aperture to create a shallower depth of field. Viewers will get the sense of the location without getting lost in its details.
7. Think about color
Because food photography is often limited to a single place setting or a single table, you may overwhelm the viewer by including lots of bright colors. Try to minimize distracting colors in the table cloth or place setting. A white plate often provides more impact than a colorful one and it allows the food to truly take center stage. As you shoot, pay careful attention to white balance. Food photography is most appetizing when the colors look natural and accurate.
This might seem like a lot of information to help you get the best food photos, however, just like anything, photography takes hard work, and lots of practice and experimenting. Never stop learning new tips about new ways you can improve your food photography. Take pictures and don’t be afraid to try new things when it comes to the props you’re using, and switching up the lighting for a brand new look.
