Customer service will be closed for the Easter long weekend. We wish all our customers a happy Easter.

10 tips for taking fantastic photos of food.

OCTOBER 20TH, 2013

 

Want to make a Recipe Book? Obviously the first step is to create and cook some delicious meals worthy of your book. But the next step is to take amazing photos of them. So how do you ensure your food photos look as good as your recipes taste?

Here are some great tips for ensuring you take fantastic food photos, which do your recipes justice:

1. Use Natural Light

 

Ever noticed that it's really hard to get a good shot of your food at night, even with the flash on? That's because flashes and artificial light make for shadowy, unnatural looking food. If you can, do your shoot during that day, and set up your scene next to the window. Your shot will look bright and natural. Just watch the shadows - especially your own!

2. Set Up A Lightbox

 

If you can't use natural light, or need to do your shoots in the evenings, you can set up a homemade lightbox to give your shots more light. It's pretty easy. Anne Weil from flaxandtwine.com shows you how to do it, step-by-step.

http://www.flaxandtwine.com/2013/02/diy-photo-light-box-finish-fifty-project.html

3. Garnish

 

A lot of dishes are dull colours (eg. cream or brown) or are just flat, like soup. Adding a garnish, like herbs, or even toast on the side give the meal more depth, colour and context. And make it look even tastier.

4. White Balance

 

This is a photographic term, but it basically means getting the colour balance in your shot right, ie. ensuring it is not too yellow or blue. A lot of point and shoot cameras have automatic white balance settings for certain room types/lightings. But if you want to set your own white balance here are some tips from LearnMyShot.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY5dS1z0WuE

5. Selective Focus

 

Selective Focus is another photographic trick used to feature a certain element of a dish, and to make the image look more interesting. Different cameras will focus in different ways (an iPhone by tapping the screen, a DSLR by winding the lens) so just do a bit of research online, play around and use the focusing abilities of your camera to your advantage.

6. Get Closer.

 

Don't zoom. You will lose picture quality, and you can always crop the image later if you need to. The best thing to do if you want to get closer to the image is to physically get closer. Try a few different depths. It might look fantastic to get super close to your delicious meal, or it might be better to take in the whole dinner setting.

7. Playful Angles.

 

Try different, interesting angles. Would your meal look better from overhead, or with the window behind it? Would a steaming plate look great from side on, with the steam rising off it? Once you have set up your shot, make sure you take the scene from lots of angles to ensure you get the perfect, most captivating shot.

8. Set the Scene

 

It's not just about the food. Use a beautiful plate that will contrast with the colour of the dish. Set a place around it, using decor that brings out the mood of the meal. Is it brunch? Will a glass of orange juice and some flowers set the scene? Is it a sumptuous dinner main? How about some candlesticks and silverware? Colourful napkins and placemats are another great way to add life to the shot.

9. Use people.

 

Not all shots need to be just of food. Fun foods like cupcakes or icecream sundaes would look great being enjoyed by your kids. Interactive food like Mexican could look more lively if you shoot the whole table of friends diving in. Be creative.

10. Take a bite.

 

Static shots may not be the best way to capture the moment. Stick a spoon in it, create motion. Raise a twirled fork of spaghetti. Pull out a slice and see the melted cheese stretching in mouthwatering strands. Break open the pastry and show the goodness inside. Think about your dish's "wow moment" and capture it.

Going that extra mile for your food photos will make them look that much more delicious, and your book even more beautiful.

After all, like the friends and the family you love to cook for, your recipes deserve the best.

Want to make your own Recipe Book?

Photo credits:

Selective Focus

Garnish

Playful Angle