Food photography is not just a bowl of cherries.

Photographing food is an art in itself. I remember a food photographer saying "there is more to food photography than just taking a photo of a bowl of cherries". How true!

Recently I was thrilled to be asked to assist the Photography Group of Bunbury with a food photography workshop.  Photography Group of Bunbury

I wrote a few notes which I hope helped the participants with a tips to help them get started. 

Natural back lighting coming through west facing window

Lighting - natural, studio, spot, lightbox.  Back lighting or side lighting can be very effective.  You can also use reflectors and white board to bounce light.

You don’t necessarily need studio lights to photograph food.  A simple home set-up or speed-light works well especially when you are starting out.

Early morning light

Different types of lighting will evoke different emotions. 

Natural light on the patio

I love natural lighting. Study the light around your house - it will change during the day. For instance I know first thing in the morning that I have fabulous lighting on my patio, then it moves to my dining room window. In the afternoon the kitchen window and down the side of the house outside has nice warm lighting. 

Different times of year produce different types of lighting. The height of summer can be too bright and “hot” and create too much contrast between light and shadow.

 Don’t be put off by a cloudy day – clouds act as a great natural diffuser and even out the light.

Raining outside and you don’t have studio lights? – try a desk lamp or lightbox. 

Equipment - Don’t forget to adjust your white balance on your camera and learn to use manual camera settings. I think my photos improved dramatically when I learnt about manual settings.

Whilst a macro lens is preferable it certainly isn’t essential. Try a magnifying filter on a standard lens.

Consider using a tripod (although I often don’t, preferring to be able to move freely with my camera).

Food and travel go together -- but sometimes a longer lens is preferable - you wouldn't want to get too close to this clay pot cooking in Singapore - those pots are hot!! You can see some more pics and learn more about clay pot cooking by clicking here - Travel food pics & clay pot cooking

Take photos for different angles and viewpoints. The overhead shot can be effective.  Make sure your salad is fresh made.

Natural light diffused by cloud

 Background - colours, patterns etc. Simple is better. Are you going to photograph on your kitchen bench or include the whole story of the food. It depends on the feel you want to convey. 

Collect a range of backdrops and table tops - ie old wooden boards make great table tops for a rustic, country feel. 

You can find some great items in salvage yards, your dad’s back shed, and second hand or antique stores.

 









 
Or go for something dramatic like a black shiny tile. 

Props - Tell the whole story by using props - if you are photographing a plate of food, you might want to include napkins, servers, cutlery, another plate of food in the background, cups or glasses (include the drink).

However don’t clutter the image or have your props overpower the food – remember simple styling is usually better. 
You could try putting yourself in the image - of course you will need a tripod and use the timer function on your camera.

  Make sure the decorations suit the style of food you are photographing - ie you might not want to photograph an upmarket classic dish in a wooden bowl. 

Although sometimes something a bit different makes for a great picture.

A bowl of cherries will look completely different photographed in an elegant dish than when photographed in a basket or wooden bowl. 

Notice the nice side lighting highlighting the cherries and the glass dish. 


 Simple white china is classic and can be used for a variety of dishes. 


Collect a variety of plates, bowls, napkins etc, hunt through your grandmother's china cabinet and cutlery drawer!

Practice makes perfect! Plan your photo shoot. Think about your props, composition and light.

Start simple by photographing fruit or vegetables etc – ie something that is not going to wilt in 10 minutes. 

Once you have mastered the basket of oranges you might want to make the cake. The bonus is that you get to eat it afterwards. 

My husband always knows when I have been photographing food, as he usually gets something different for dinner! 

This cake tastes as delicious as it looks - cooked by Denise from the Photography Group of Bunbury for the workshop - and photographed, tasted and enjoyed by everyone!  

Cooked food creates different issues. You must have your table, background etc set up and ready before you bring the cooked food into the picture. The fresh just-cooked look disappears in mere minutes. There are only so many times you can add more cheese and reheat a pizza!

 Check the small detail.  Take a range of pics and then download and check your images – amazing how a stray piece of lettuce you missed when you were taking the photo is glaringly obvious on the computer screen.
Why isn't the red wine "in" the glass?
 

My next project is to find out about “tethered shooting” where you can view your images on a computer screen as soon as you take them. 

 And lastly - experiment and have fun!

Cupcakes in Singapore

ps –I am not a pro food photographer, but I have been playing around with it for a couple of years. I know I still have lots to learn, particularly about studio lighting.  But I hope these few simple tips will help you. I am hoping one day someone will pay me to photograph food! 

 Browse through cook books or websites for inspiration. 
 

You can see some great work on Flickr food groups.

You could even check out my Flickr food page - go to page 4 when you get there to see my latest food pics -Jill's food pics on Flickr

There are lots of great food photography sites on the net. A couple of my favourite sites are - 

www.pennydelossantos.com

www.dariomilanophotography.com –  Dario is in Sydney Australia – and see Dario’s tips and critiques on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FoodPixels?hc_location=stream

www.whatkatieate.com

www.theredbistro.com

My all-time favourite is Tartelette - www.tarteletteblog.com

Helene Dujardin is a French expat, lives in USA and has written a fabulous practical handbook for newbie food photographers – From Plate to Pixel. Helene started photographing food in her lounge room and now has a team of photographers working under her and runs food photography workshops.

Thankyou for stopping by to visit - I hope I have inspired you to look at food photography in a different way. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful week.

 I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday Around the World, Foodie Tuesday, and the "What's It Wednesday" party going on over at "Ivy and Elephants". Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday
Tuesday Around the World  
Foodie Tuesday 
What's It Wednesday



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Delighting in a bowl of cherries