Beginner’s Guide to Food Photography

Food photography opens the door to so many possibilities, such as food blogging, Instagramming, writing
e-books, product photography and more! It’s also a creative outlet and a fun way to play with colour and
express your own style. As a food photographer, I’m often asked for tips about how to take great photos.
Let’s get started with this introduction to food photography!

Camera

First up, you need a camera! If you are just starting out, you may want to begin with a point-and-shoot
because of its low cost and its ease of use. You can learn the basic functions of a point-and-shoot in a few
minutes. (Like the name says, you just point and shoot.)

A DSLR is steeper both in price and in learning curve. I won’t get too technical, but DSLR stands for ‘digital
single lens reflex’. This means when you take a picture, the camera opens up its shutter, the image reflects
on to the camera’s internal mirror, and then on to the sensor. I started out using a point-and-shoot, but
switching to a DSLR made a world of difference in clarity and colour representation. DSLR also gives you
much more control in different light situations. For me, the price difference was so worth it. If you have
someone in your life who is really good at finding deals online, this may be a great way to find a lightly
used DSLR.

However, whether you are using a point-and-shoot, DSLR, or a phone, the basic principles of composition
are the same.

Creating Bright Images

Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO are the three elements that affect the brightness of your images. Let’s
talk about them in a little more detail.

Shutter Speed

The speed at which the shutter opens can be slowed down to allow more light to hit the sensor in low
light situations. I do this on dark, gloomy days or in the fall when it gets dark early. However, with the
shutter being open longer, there can be more blur and therefore you might need a tripod. As a rule of
thumb, I shoot handheld at 1/125th of a second – you may have a steadier hand than I, but below 1/100th
of a second, I use a tripod to avoid camera shake (this results in blurry images).

Aperture

Aperture refers to the width of the opening of your lens. Opening up the aperture lets in more light and
also creates a shallow depth of field, resulting in more background blur. This effect allows you to draw the
viewer’s eye to where the camera focus is. The lower the number, the wider the aperture. Thus, if you
want a sharp focus in one area with a lot of background blur, you may choose a lower number such as 3.2
or 3.5. If you want background objects to be more in focus – a wider depth of field – you may choose a
higher number, for example, 11 or 14 (remembering that this won’t let in as much light and you will need
to adjust shutter speed or ISO).
Let’s take a look at photos examples.

The photo on the left displays a shallow depth of field. The aperture I used here was 2.8 – it focused in on
the portion of the photo where the dip and the avocado are, while the herbs in the back and the surface
that the bowl is sitting on are blurred.

Compare that to the photo on the right, the aperture I used was 10.0. As you can see, everything is in
sharp focus, including everything in the bowl and the background surface.

ISO

ISO refers to your camera’s sensitivity to light. It is the element I would adjust last, after shutter speed
and aperture, because having a high ISO can affect the quality of your image, creating “noise” especially
in the darker areas of the photo. I try to keep ISO below 500, but in a dark situation, if I don’t have a tripod
and my aperture is already wide open, I will go higher.

Using Light in Food Photography

My preference is to use natural light whenever possible. Professional lights are available that can mimic
natural light; however, I would recommend getting familiar with your camera and using natural light
before making that investment.

The most important thing is to avoid, as far as lighting goes, indoor kitchen lighting as it casts a yellow
glow on your food. If, however, you have food that you want to photograph and it’s 5 pm on a rainy day
in November, and you have no choice but to use your indoor lighting, turn your white balance to the
Tungsten setting. This will add more blue to your shot and neutralize the yellow a little bit.

Another thing to consider is which direction you want the light to come from. Backlit lighting is the
technique I use most. I usually prefer to stand facing my subject on a table with a window on the other
side of the table. I find the way the light hits the subject to be the most pleasing to my eye. But try letting
the light hit from the front and the side and see what you prefer most! Depending on the weather and
the type of dish I am photographing, my preference will sometimes change.
Let’s take a look at what I mean.

Backlighting:

This photo above uses backlighting. You can see the light coming in from behind the salad bowl.

Side Lighting:
Take a look at the images below. In the photo on the left, the light is coming in from the left side. In the
photo on the right, the natural light is coming from the right side.

On a dark day, if using backlit lighting, you may need to bounce some light back at your subject to reduce
shadows on your food. You can purchase reflectors designed for this purpose from photography stores.
You could also use foam core, poster board, or anything on hand that is white. In a pinch, I have even used
napkins and a roll of paper towel!

Composition

If you were to draw two vertical lines and two horizontal lines evenly across your image, dividing it into
nine squares, then having the point of focus at one of the intersections adds compositional interest to the
photo. This is known as the rule of thirds and is why you may see this on your camera or photo editing
software.

One possibility would be to place your main subject near the front and have other blurred out subjects
behind, to lead the viewer’s eye through the photo.
Vertical or Horizontal Photos?

Try getting one good shot of each. Vertical works well for Instagram and Pinterest, while horizontal is ideal
for blogs, banners and Facebook.

Angles

There are a few common angles you can use to successfully photograph food:

A 45 degree angle shows food as if you were sitting down to eat it. This is one of my favorite angles, as it
shows so much beautiful texture. There will usually be more focus towards the front of the dish.

Shooting from top down (directly overhead) can show the entire dish in even focus (if everything is the
same height), but you lose some of the texture.

A straight on angle can be used to show height if, for example, you are showing a stacked sandwich or a
drink.
Let’s look at some examples.

Food Photography

The photo was taken at a 45 degree angle

The photo is an overhead shot

This is a straight-on, straight-ahead shot.

A crucial point to food photography is to have your food looking its best. I like to add some raw vegetables
or herbs alongside cooked foods to add more freshness to the dish, especially if the meal is brown, such
as chili. I soak herbs and microgreens in cold water for about 30 minutes before using and remove any
wilted ones. I add garnishes for colour and interest, preferably ones that show something that went into
the dish – such as a basil leaf in a pesto.

Take a look at this example, which features basil leaves, a slice of lemon and some chopped nuts as a
garnish:

These are simple additions, but they add pops of colour,

Plating

Choose your hero – the best looking part of whatever you are shooting. If you are making tempeh steaks
and one is perfectly browned and looks better than the others, put that one in front or on top and make
it your camera focus.

In food photography, full bowls are desirable. Even if your normal serving of soup only fills up half the
bowl, fill it up for the photo! I stop before it reaches the point of overflowing, although you may want to
experiment with drips – many people make that part of their style. It can be helpful to use smaller plates,
bowls and other serving pieces in food photography, as large ones can overwhelm the food and make it
more difficult to make those full bowls.

Because sauces can soak into the food while you are setting up your shot, reserve some sauce to add once
you figure out your perfect angle. I always take a few shots before adding dressing to a salad because the
leaves can start to wilt quickly from the oil and acid.
Best Food Photography Props

Use neutral props that keep the focus on the food. Avoid busy, distracting patterns on plates as the food
can become lost in the photo. My favorite dishes are grey or white and matte, so there is no glare shining
back at the camera and the food is what stands out.

Take a look at the photo on the left that is simply taken against a background, no other elements added.
Compare that to the image on the right where I added in a napkin to complement the purple hues of the
cauliflower:

It’s a simple addition, but adds a lovely layer to the photo – but doesn’t detract from the platter as a
whole.

I prefer to use clean backgrounds so the focus is entirely on my dish. However, you may want to display
some of the ingredients around the food to show part of the cooking process. Other options for adding
interest include colourful napkins, flowers or unique serving utensils. Check out secondhand shops for
some great vintage finds.

Also try using a hand model to show interaction with the food!

5 Suggested Props for Beginners

1. Wood background board or large cutting board

Do not let a lack of props or a hand-me-down camera stop you from creating. You can create amazing art
on a plate just by having fresh and colourful food displayed in your own unique style. Remember that
good food photography takes time to evolve and it’s OK if you don’t love your photos right away. Practice
as much as you can and enjoy the process!
Another Reference: https://www.photopedagogy.com/an-introduction-to-food-photography.html

Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYQpCvcf1Pg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCVFdtePiIo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR1kzFz8NSo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAiDSCLDB9c