Photographing food - how to ensure delicious snaps

Whether it's in a cookbook, restaurant menu, billboard or magazine article, the way that food is presented to the eyes through photography is powerful.

What is the purpose of food? From a nutritional and nourishment perspective, food is one of the key elements of life. However, it's safe to say that food means more to us than simply surviving. Food draws emotions, gives us unbelievable memories and allows us to enjoy simple ingredients prepared well.

Of course, one of the ways that food appeals to our senses is through the lens of a camera. Whether it's in a cookbook, restaurant menu, billboard or magazine article, the way that food is presented to the eyes through photography is powerful - engaging people to feel hungry and want what they can see.

To photograph food with precision, it is important to understand the best effects and techniques. Read on to find out how to make your next food photo shoot delicious!

Less is more

Capture the true essence of the food.

When you look at a picture of food - what do you often see first? The sweet stack of pancakes or the plate? It's an obvious answer, but a common error when it comes to food photography.

The cuisine is the star of the show and anything unnecessary in the frame will just take away from the aesthetic of the final shot. This means that elements such as the plate, tablecloth, utensils and cutlery all need to add to the mood or style - if not, they are just creating more clutter.

Experiment with angles

Unlike school and wedding photography, there are very few standard food camera angles - the idea is to analyse the situation and take shoots from different perspectives. For example, a rustic layout of herbs and spices might work from a high angle, while a close up on canapes will show off any intricate details.

Respect the ingredients and cooking process, highlighting what will engage with the audience.

Simple lighting

Experiment with different angles.

Lighting around food photography is also extremely important. While for portraits and car photos, light manipulation is needed to create the perfect shadow, it's the opposite for food - a single, diffused source will suffice.

In fact, natural light is ideal for this type of photography. The soft morning or afternoon sunlight can make food pop, and showcase the beauty of the plate. Anything extra just removes the focus away from the delicious meal!

Don't waste time!

When you are presented with a scrumptious dish at a restaurant, the chef expects you to start as soon as possible. The steak is looking juicy and tender, while the herbs and salad leaves are crisp and plump. However, as you already know, leaving the dish sitting for a period of time will see it become tired and unappetizing - not the dish that was first produced.

This same principle applies when photographing dishes of food - the faster you get the job done, the better it will look. While you can use oil to make food appear fresh, this will only work for so long so get snappy and don't let the food go to waste! 

Use detail to your advantage!

Ugly doesn't mean unappealing

It's a simple fact that not all food is beautiful to photograph like a stack of waffles or a freshly-baked cake. As such, photographers will need to be creative to get the best shot of something that isn't that great to look at.

For example, by using a narrow depth of field you can showcases texture and detail - rather than the wider context. It's the same with showing pouring liquid over a dish if the final plating is quite sloppy. The more creative you get, the better the finish - regardless of how ugly the food is! 

To learn more about food photography and producing high quality images, contact the team at PhotoKing today.