1. Turn off your flash
This is the cardinal rule that you will hear again and again in food photography tutorials. It doesn’t matter if you are using a point-and-shoot, SLR or smartphone, TURN THE FLASH OFF. Using a flash makes the subject look flat or washed out and creates unflattering shadows.
2. Use natural lighting
You’ll need a good light source. Shoot near a window or consider shooting on an outdoor table. If you have harsh sunlight beaming directly onto your subject, drape a thin cotton sheet across the window as a diffuser. The idea is to use soft, ambient light. Of course, there are artificial light sources that can be used if photographing during the day is not convenient for you. Lowell Ego lights work well. Watch out for standard kitchen lighting – overhead fluorescents can be harsh, or give a yellow cast to your photos.
3. Organize
Try to plan out the elements of your shoot long before you prepare your food. This includes de-cluttering your work space as well as the camera’s field of view (look through the viewfinder for distracting objects). In addition, pick out props and choose dishes for plating. Having the scene set will help you swiftly execute your shoot, which is important because food always photographs better when it is fresh. Pay special attention to dishes with creamy sauces like alfredo or items with melted cheeses like pizza or burgers, as they quickly start to break down and look less fresh and appetizing.
4. De-Blob and clean up
Give plates and cutlery a wipe before shooting. A blob of food in the wrong spot or fingermarks on a wine glass may not be totally noticeable when you’re setting things up, but could become glaringly annoying once you view the pic on your screen.
5. Use a tripod
That food isn’t moving, so there’s NO EXCUSE for blurry food photos. Stabilize your camera for clear, usable photos every time.
6. Take lots of photos
Taking pictures from various angles will increase the chances for photos with “wow” factor. Just by shifting the camera’s perspective slightly, a frame can go from boring to spectacular. So move around your subject and play with camera angles. Save up for a large, fast memory card for your camera. It’s worth the extra few dollars, as it will give you the freedom to shoot as much as you like in a single session and capture the food quickly, while it’s at its best. Taking “mise en place” photos, some work-in-progress shots or some special ingredient photos to help tell a recipe’s story. Part of the magic of cooking is using simple elements like butter, flour and spices to create something delicious.
7. Try and capture the YUM factor
Think about what makes your subject really delicious and then aim to highlight this characteristic in your shot. This is especially important because your food photos will act as advertisements when you post them on Facebook or your website. The yummier they look, the more likely your customers will be to share them with their friends and give you the free publicity you crave!
8. Shoot from a lower angle than you think you should
Some may argue that food is usually seen from a 45% angle looking down, so why photograph food from a different angle? The truth is that photographing food from a fork’s-eye view is different, and in the world of photography, different means unusual and unusual means interesting. From a lower angle, the food’s thickness and height become much more apparent than if the shot was taken from a high angle or from above. Often, the “directly above” angle is the most boring angle. If you can’t see the sides of an object, you have no idea if the thing has any height or not. So if you shoot a 3” thick steak from directly above, it might as well be 1/4“ thick. Shoot close and from a low angle.
9. Always be on the lookout for ideas
To get inspired, browse through food magazines on the newsstand or on your tablet computer. Take note of the angles the professionals shoot from and what makes the food look best. Online food blogs are another great way to quickly browse many food photos and pick up some new visual techniques. Here are some of the best food blogs of 2012: http://bit.ly/ONPirD
10. Use depth of field
Using a low aperture setting can blur the background and soften other elements while emphasizing the dish you’re shooting. If you’re taking photos with a smartphone, you cannot control depth of field with the default camera app, but several apps make it easy to do that after you get the shot. On an iPhone, try SnapSeed or TiltShiftGenerator.
11. Use color to create dynamic compositions
Plating and presentation are a big part of culinary artistry. Make sure your plate presentations POP with contrasting colors.
12. Find a photo editing program you like
On your laptop or home computer, use Apple’s iPhoto or Adobe’s Photoshop Elements to adjust color saturation, increase clarity and make exposure adjustments.
13. Shooting food with a phone? Use filters sparingly
Popular apps like Instagram, Hipstamatic or Pixlr-o-matic apply vintage or grungy filters to your photos, but food doesn’t look great in a sepia-tone, or in the style of a 70s polaroid, unless you’re trying to recreate your grandmother’s old cookbook. Food also looks bad in black and white. Try straightforward shooting with good, natural lighting to make your food look its best.
14. Learn More
YouTube.com has many Food Photography Tips videos, or browse Amazon.com for books like Digital Food Photography by Lou Manna, Food Photography: From Snap Shots to Great Shots by Nicole Young or Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography and Styling by Helene Dujardin.
15. Backup!
You’ve spent lots of time and energy getting those perfect shots, so remember to back up your photos onto a hard drive or cloud storage service.
Tips were compiled from blog posts by Philip Tang at lonelyplanet.com, Heather Baird at pixiq.com, Malcolm Bedell at fromaway.com, Mark Crump at mac-talks.com and Jules Clancy at digital-photography-school.com.
