How to Take Beautiful Pictures of Food
Food photography has taken off in the last few years thanks to the proliferation of camera phones. But how do you take the best shots of your favourite food? Bags of Love has complied a few tips to help you take delicious photos.
1) Lighting & Props
Light is key in all photography – and taking quality pictures of food requires plenty of light. One of the best places to take shots is by windows – the natural light can be supported by a flash to give more balanced lighting. Natural light helps keep the food looking natural, where as artificial light can create permutations in the colours. Do not clutter the photo with a full table shot, but consider adding one or two elements (like a glass, flower, or serviette). These elements create more interest in the shot without distracting from the main event – THE FOOD.
2) Be Fast & Style it
Food needs to be photographed fresh, otherwise it will look tired in the shot. Be prepared when your meal is! Have your props ready, and you can even prepare your exposure by using a blank plate before hand. When the food arrives, pay attention to the balance of food in a shot (colour, shapes, etc.) and the composition. Check out cook books or food blogs to see how they construct the lines, proportions, and balance.
3) Enhance it & Get down low
One trick is to brush oil over food to make it glisten. Other ideas are to add lighting filters, like those used by Instagram, to enhance certain hues and to create a specific mood. Try our a few different techniques to see what works best with the specific food you are shooting. Many amateur food shots are taken directly from above – this is difficult to do properly. A better idea is to shoot at plate level or slightly above. By shooting at this level you can focus on specific parts of the dish – highlighting elements of the dish.
Once you have taken these tips on board, go out and get snapping! After you have a collection of delicious shots, why not put them onto a personalised photo apron or create your own reciepe book? Bags of Love offers a wide variety of products you can add your images to. Get creative! You are only limited by your imagination.
Images:
flickr.com/photos/nicktakespics/3748516440; flickr.com/photos/nicktakespics/3659079478; flickr.com/photos/gpeters/3462048736; flickr.com/photos/adforce1/4006883441; flickr.com/photos/epsos/3402851924