Last Updated on December 10, 2022 by
First and foremost, congratulations for your decision to start a food photography business. It is one of the most popular genres of commercial photography as more and more restaurant owners are giving online food services and want to promote their brand on the internet. Interesting pics of foods from unique angles are also used in various food magazines, flyers, and menus.
If you succeed in honing the skill of taking amazing food photos, you can earn a good amount of fortune. In this article, we will look at eight tips that will help you become a pro food photographer in a very short time.
Have a look!
- Lighting Matters
Starting with natural lighting, if possible. Try taking photos of food on an overcast day or in a room with windows that face east or west. It is best to avoid direct sunlight because it will make your images look washed out and overexposed. If you are shooting indoors, use lamps instead of overhead lights. They provide softer light that won’t steal our food’s natural colour composition as well as texture. If you don’t have any other options, you can utilise reflectors to bounce light onto the topic.
- Arrange Props Properly
According to commercial photography pros, the proper arrangement of props makes your photo look professional and appealing. For instance, if you want to take pictures of fruits, attractively arrange them so that they look fresh and appetizing. On the other hand, if you are going to photograph drinks, make sure they are not too crowded on the table or countertop where they sit. You might also want to use props that go with your theme or recipe (like glasses or plates) but avoid using too many of them as this may make your photo look cluttered.
- Give Attention To Detail
Take note of every detail in your photos because it will make all the difference between a good photo and an excellent one. Focus on small details like utensils and plates so your viewers won’t miss them when they scroll through their feeds on social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.
- Crop Photo Meticulously
One of the most common mistakes in food photography is not cropping photos meticulously enough. This can be problematic if you are trying to show off a specific part of your dish, like a beautiful piece of meat. So you should crop the image to emphasize a specific part or key feature of your subject. The simplest way to do this is by cropping your image into thirds or quarters, depending on how much space you want to devote to each section of your photo.
- Choose Right Background
Choosing a busy and distracting background is the other mistake that beginners make in their photos. If there are too many colours or patterns in your background, it may distract viewers from what they are supposed to be looking at —namely, the food itself! Try using solid coloured backgrounds when possible or choosing backgrounds that complement rather than compete with what is being photographed.
- Select The Right Camera Lens
The focal length of the camera lens determines how much of the background appears in the photo. If you want to focus on a specific object in front of a busy background, use a wide-angle lens like 18mm or 24 mm on a full-frame camera or 10mm or 15mm on an APS-C sensor camera. If you want to capture an entire room while keeping everything sharp and focused, use longer lenses like 85mm or 135 mm with an f/1.8 aperture.
- Choose Right Angle
While taking a dish picture, try not to shoot it straight on. Instead, choose an angle where the dish looks like it’s placed on a table or countertop instead of in the air. As a result, more realistic outcomes will be possible.
- Surround Your Object
While photographing a single item, choose something in the background that complements its colour or shape. For example, if you are shooting red berries in front of green leaves, place them against yellow flowers or blue sky so they stand out more against their surroundings. This will make your pictures look more interesting and add depth by showing multiple layers instead of just one flat surface.
The Bottom Line-:
Food photography is a subtype of commercial photography that isn’t easy to master. However, the above tips can help you start your food photography journey in Bristol or any other city.
