Taking beautiful pictures of food is what we call food photography. But how do you actually do that, photographing food and drinks? With these 15 tips you can immediately start taking tasty food photos.



Taking beautiful photos of food is what we call food photography. But how do you actually do that, photographing food and drinks? How do you ensure beautifully laid out plates and what kind of lighting do you need for food photography? In this article you can read 15 useful tips to get started with food photography right away.

We've all done it, take a photo of your plate of food, but how do you take a beautiful food photo?

In this article we discuss how to photograph food and drinks beautifully and ensure that people are salivating at your photo. Culinary photography at its best.

You will learn which angles are best to use to photograph food, what kind of lighting works well and which accessories you can use for even more beautiful images. We also look at which surfaces are suitable for food photography and a number of other directly applicable tips.

In short, a complete manual with food photography tips to take the most beautiful photos of food and drinks. Let's start!

15 Tips for Photographing Food

1.Use soft daylight

Photography is writing with light. This is no different with food photography. Use good light, which determines how beautifully your food will appear in the photo.

But what is good light for photographing food?

  • Soft daylight – Soft daylight usually works best! Simple soft daylight, with the right direction, often works perfectly for taking beautiful food photos.
  • At the window – Make sure you get a table by the window. Preferably with beautiful northern lights.

If you are in a restaurant, it is usually in the evening. This means that there is little or no daylight to illuminate your sign. It is good to realize that you will immediately be in a difficult position to take beautiful photos of your food.

Does this mean you can't take photos at night? No definitely not. You can also work with candlelight, for example, but you will then experience color casts, for example.

2.Correct direction of light

The direction of light is an important element in any type of photography. It determines the depth in your image and gives a feeling of three-dimensionality or not to your photo.

What is the right direction of light when taking food photos?

The “right” direction of light is very dependent on what kind of atmosphere you want to create with your Creatvie food photography. Are you going for dark and moody food photography or do you want food photos that are bright and airy. Below are two examples (click for large format).

  1. Dark & ​​Moody food photos – If you want dark and moody, then raking light is a good choice . With raking light you can give a lot of depth to the food you photograph. This way you take food photos with a large dynamic range. This means that some parts of the photo may be completely black or white.Not every camera can handle a wide dynamic range situation equally well. By that I mean that not every camera is capable of showing detail in the shadows and light parts of a photo at the same time.

  2. Bright & Airy food photos – If you want a brighter and airy look in your food photos, you can work with frontal light. Here you fill in the shadows as much as possible, without “flattening” the image. A good option is to cast diffuse light from above onto a table. You then take a flat lay food photo .

  3. Don't flash a phone

    If you want to take a food photo of your plate in a restaurant, make sure you turn off the flash on your cell phone. The harsh light from your phone flash rarely produces a good result.

    It is often better, for example, to place a candle close to your plate if you have insufficient light. You get a dark photo , but a photo with more atmosphere, in which the parts that you want are specifically exposed.

  4. Photograph from above

    By photographing food from above, you can create beautiful overview photos. It is an ideal way to tell a story with your food photos.

    For example, you can show which ingredients were used in combination with the end result on the plate. Photographing products or subjects from above is called flat lay photography.

  5. Photograph from the front

    By photographing the food from the front rather than from above, you can play with depth of field much more. This way you can emphasize a certain element in the food photo. In the photo above you can see how 1 of the figs is clearly the main subject in the food photo.

    You can enhance your play with depth of field by using a lens with a longer focal length and a wide aperture opening. A 50mm lens is often very suitable for taking beautiful detailed photos.

    A balanced combination of photos from above and from the front ensures that your food photography tells a story.

  6. Use a plant sprayer

    A frequently used accessory during food photography is the plant sprayer. By adding a small layer of water to the food you photograph, it will look even tastier.

    Everything gets more shine and you can see that in the photo. You can also use some oil, such as olive oil.

  7. Use a simple reflection screen

    You can often take even more beautiful photos of food by using a reflection screen . By using fill light, your food photo will get that little bit of extra depth you are looking for.

    Of course, you don't always have to go out with a reflector. Thinking in possibilities is an important task for every photographer.

    For example, if you are in a restaurant, you can use a white napkin. Or you can ask the waiter for a piece of white A4 paper to bounce the light even more towards your subject.

  8. Choose a suitable surface

    The surface is a very determining factor when you take food photos. Especially with food photography from above, so-called flat lay photos, it is very important to choose a complementary surface.

    With the background you create a certain atmosphere in your photo. Bright and airy, as we discussed earlier or dark and moody.

    To choose a good background for your food photos, you can use anything. Think of things that you use in the kitchen anyway, but also different tables with different structures are very suitable.

    If you prefer to work professionally with easily portable surfaces, that is of course also possible. Then take a look at Bresser's surfaces .

  9. Work with complementary colors

    Food has all sorts of beautiful colours that you can use to make your food photos even more powerful. For example, you can use complementary colours in your photography or tone-on-tone colours.

    By consciously going in a certain direction with the colours in your photos, you will see that the result is much more powerful

  10. Give the photo something dynamic

    A food photo with just food can sometimes be a bit boring. So give it a dynamic twist by, for example, adding hands to your photo.

    In the example above you can see how a well-chosen surface in combination with just 1 ingredient and the hands that prepare it, create a fantastic photo.

  11. Arrange the plate nicely

    Photography is not the only important part of taking beautiful photos of food. It also wants something and that is why you will also need to know how to lay out plates or arrange a table.

    The plating of plates is also called dressing. In many chic restaurants this is often used to make the experience just that little bit more beautiful.

  12. Use studio lighting

    If you want consistent control over what light you use when photographing food, studio lighting is an absolute must. With studio lighting you can create exactly the setting in your food photography that you have in mind.

    The best choice is to choose studio lighting with continuous light. These are lamps that can flash, but also contain a lamp that can be on all the time. This way you can see immediately what the result will be. Handy if you still want to move the lamp a bit, without having to take a test photo first.

  13. Use a good camera

    The most important factor for beautiful photography is quality of light. However, a good camera can certainly help to increase image quality.

    By using professional cameras, you can ensure that you can print the photos in large format, for example . You can also guarantee consistent quality if you work for clients, for example.

    Do you want to know which cameras are suitable for novice food photographers? Then view one of the links below.

  14. Use the right lens

    Several elements have already been discussed in this article to take good food photos. A very important element is the choice of which lens you will use.

    Which lenses are suitable for food photography?

    • Overview photos such as flat lay – If you want to take flat lay food photos, you will be shooting from above. Usually you want to take an overview photo with multiple elements in the photo. A wide angle lens or a maximum 50mm lens is then best suited (also depending on how high above your subject you can get).
    • Detail photos – If you are going to start photographing food details, a longer focal length is best suited. You can then play with creative depth of field. Think of lenses with at least 50mm and perhaps even longer focal lengths.

  15. Use photo editing as a finishing touch

    For the finishing touch of your food photography you can use photo editing. Think of straightening a photo, editing colors, adjusting contrasts and sharpening your photo if you want to print it.

    There are of course different options to edit your food photos and it depends on the medium you shot with what you use. If you are a smartphone photographer then you use handy photo editing apps on your mobile phone .

    On the other hand, if you photograph with an SLR or system camera, you may prefer to use a photo editing program such as Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop .

    Conclusion


    Food photography, also called culinary photography , is a type of photography where the aim is to capture food in the most beautiful way possible.

    Taking beautiful food photos does not have to be difficult and can be done if you only have a mobile phone at your disposal. It is especially important to think carefully about the type of light you use and to match it well to the atmosphere you are trying to create.

    The background you use also largely determines the atmosphere in your food photo.

    You can use studio lighting if you want to get more consistency in your images. If you prefer to use natural light, choose window light, preferably facing north.

    To complete your food photos, you can choose to edit them with apps on your mobile phone or photo editing programs on the computer. This ensures that your food photography has that little bit extra.

    Good luck with your photography and if you have any questions, leave a comment below this article!