Food in Focus: How to Take Really Great Food Photos
The advent of Instagram put food photography in sharp focus. The trend that started with snapping a pic of a gorgeously presented restaurant meal to share on social media has developed a new, far more authentic off-shoot. These days, foodie Instagramming is all about exploring and expressing your own creativity through gorgeous images of delicious, heart-felt home cooking and presenting even the simplest homemade dish with mouthwatering creative flair.
However, even the best cooks are not always excellent photographers, so we asked three of SA’s most popular food bloggers to share their quick-and-easy top tips for food photography success.
LIGHT FANTASTIC
Sarah Graham first rose to fame when she invited everyone into her kitchen through her gorgeous blog, A Foodie Lives Here. Her food images have a fresh simplicity that is really appealing and down-to-earth. Her advice to us is:
As far as possible, always use natural light.
Don’t shoot in full sunlight – rather make use of indirect light.
Photograph food that has been freshly made or properly reheated.
Use simple garnishes like fresh herbs to add colour and bring the food to life.
Keep the styling simple and clean.
Aerial photos of food work best.
SERENE & COMPOSED
Sam Linsell, the professional food stylist, recipe developer and food photographer behind Drizzle & Dip, likes to hunt down the delicious things in life. While the colour-saturated, beautifully composed images on her blog are clearly the work of a professional, there is no better way to learn than from the experts. Follow her recommendations to really improve your food shots.
Compose the subject matter to fit the framing of the shot, and apply the rule of thirds if necessary to ensure the structure is sound.
Shoot with natural light only and sometimes less is more. Take away some light in order to accentuate your subject matter and create more of a textured feel.
BE PLAYFUL
Alida Ryder is the joyous spirit behind Simply Delicious, and her images are infused with her zest for life and love of cooking. It is no surprise that her advice is both practical and fun:
Just play, play, play. Have fun with your photos, experiment with everything and shoot as much as possible. The more you shoot, the more you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.
As well as scrumptious recipes, Alida has really useful food-photography advice on her blog, and she offers the following key tips:
Use small plates and bowls. This makes the plate look full and abundant.
Think about the “oooh yum!” factor of your food. Always remember that food styling is about FOOD. I always try to include at least one close up image of the texture of a crispy piece of chicken or the dripping of caramel.
Choose the mood. Most recipes will dictate the mood, for instance something wintery and comforting like a stew or curry works best with warmer, homier styling, props and lighting. In the same way, a salad or a smoothie suits a lighter, brighter set-up.
Embrace the light. Lighting is incredibly important in all photography but with food it is absolutely vital. It’s also important to remember that shadows can be a really great prop and can add a lot of depth and texture to a photo.
Choose your angle. Choosing your angle can make or break a food photo. Certain dishes just beg for a certain angle. Burgers, for instance, don’t work when shot straight down as you lose all the layers, texture and colours. It’s best to shoot it side on so that you capture every layer. A pizza or salad on the other hand works well when shot straight down so you see all the toppings. That doesn’t mean that you can’t get a killer shot from the side though.
Colour is of utmost importance in food photography. Often a dull-looking stew, curry or soup can be transformed with a sprinkle of fresh coriander or some chopped chillies. Colour can also be accentuated or mirrored in the props you choose. Familiarise yourself with the colour wheel to really make the most of using colour in your photographs.
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