Foods are one of the best still photography subjects. It is easy for you to achieve some great shots in food photography. But food photography is beyond clicking some good snaps. You cannot just go and start taking photos of what’s on the plate.
Like all other photography genres, food photography also has some certain rules that we need to follow. Otherwise, you will surely mess it up. To get the best look of textures, colors, and shapes these are the must follow rules. Be it fashion photography, lifestyle photography, or wedding photography. In this short tutorial, you will go through these simple but effective tricks that will take your food photography to a different level.
Natural Light is The Best
Instead of shooting your food under artificial light, opt for shooting in natural light. Nature is the best source of light. Shooting under artificial light like a lamp will cause yellowish or orange color cast on the food photos. To be honest that looks extremely ugly on food.
As a customer, I will never go with food with abnormal or bad colors. I would expect the food color to be as it should. To keep the food color normal and good looking you must take photos in natural light.
Through your food photos, you are sending a message to the customers. The message is about what you are offering to them. If your white rice is looking orange and every food color looks different from real color, then your customers will reject that. To keep the natural food color, the photos should be taken under natural light.
What about the Shadow?
Shadows can make or break your photos. However, they play a significant role in every kind of photography. And when it comes to food photography, you have to have firm control of overshadows. Shadows improve a photo, adds depth, and increases visual interest. On the other hand, the same thing can destroy the look of the photo being too dominating.
Nevertheless, you can control that by using food photography tips and tricks. The major reason behind a bad shadow is uneven lighting. If the sunlight is strongly directional, then the shadow will be dark and hard. On the other hand, an overcast day creates softer shadows because of diffused light.
To take some great-looking photos, you should avoid harsh shadows. While shooting indoors beside the window using a semi-transparent curtain will be good if there is bright sunlight.
Neutral Background Looks Great
The background is an important aspect of any kind of photography. Food photography also has a vital role to play. Though some people think food photos are mostly taken from high angles, so the background is not so significant here. However, you will realize what’s the role of the background if it looks messy or too colorful. The food color and the background color get merged and create confusion for the viewer to decipher.
So, keeping a neutral background is the best idea. Because it helps the subject to be more visible. Neutral does not mean complete plain background. Rather you can choose anyone from brown, light, and dark backgrounds. If anything goes wrong even after taking enough measures, then you can adopt a background removal service from Fix the Retouch.
Color Is Crucial
Food photography will always allow you to play with colors. Color has a great impact on composition. You can easily evoke the feeling of tranquility and softness by creating a harmonious composition.
On the other hand, if you use contrasting color composition by setting different color foods together, it will create a striking feeling in viewers’ minds. There will be a dynamic, vibrant, and exciting image in front of the viewer which will stimulate him in a different manner.
So, you have so many options while playing with color while shooting food photos. You can experiment with them and reach a final decision on which one to choose and suit the situation and customer demand. However, your beautiful photo can have something unwanted in color composition which you can get fixed by color correction service from Fix the Retouch.
Keep the Angle Right
The right angle will define your photos. Because whether your subject is in focus or not largely depends on the angle of the photo. For food photos, it is best to shoot from above. By this, you can show the whole range of foods you want to show on the plate or bowl.
Moreover, you can highlight the shapes of dishes in photos. It helps the viewer to differentiate the dishes from the thing’s foods are placed on.
If you want to show the details of the foods like bread slice then it is better to shoot from one side. Above all, the angle needs to be right.
Food Arrangement
Well, this step needs to be sorted out even before you start taking photos. The foods should be well-organized in a single place. The food position should be well-thought. Otherwise, no matter how beautifully you try to take photos, this will mess up at the end.
Perhaps, the worst scene of a dining table is a messy dinner plate. You have to arrange the food table beforehand. You can create a pattern by cutting down the fruits in the same shape.
Decorate the Area
Both the subject and the surrounding area are equally important. Nobody wants a good-looking food plate to be placed on a dirty table or in a dirty room. Similarly, nobody would love to see a plate of ugly looking food in a neat and clean room. Well, people want both. So, you have to keep the surrounding place as clean as the food.
Keep Human in the Frame
People do not love to see any floating food photos. By floating I mean there should be someone who the food is served for or someone who is there to serve. A touch of humans in the food photo frame makes it more contextual and realistic. You don’t need to show a full human body, rather just show a hand serving the food on the table. That’s enough.
Not showing at least a hand besides food makes the photo unrealistic. Usually, unrealistic photos cannot attract people much.
Tell a Story
The proverb goes “a picture worth a thousand words”. What if you can create a story with the photos? Yes, you can create a story with your food photos. Add more elements and see them telling a story to the viewers.
For example, a teacup along with a book and soft lighting can create a cozy, relaxed, and warm imagery for the viewers.
Keep It Stupid Simple
Do not overdo while creating a story. If you do so, that will create a complex composition which might be a reason for getting rejected by the viewer. Keep your photos simple to comprehend so that the viewer can easily pick up what you are trying to show.
Edit Images If Needed
Clicking a near-perfect photo is what hardly happens. You need to enhance the photos by correcting colors, removing unwanted objects from photos, etc. You should get a touch-up service even if you cannot find any flaws apparently.
Final Thoughts
There is no limit to getting better at something. In food photography, that concept goes very well. You can always improve yourself by taking extraordinary photos. However, the basic things are always the same. Using natural light, keeping the subjects and surroundings clean, using relevant props, and editing are some of the few basic criteria to maintain while shooting food photography.
