What is the best way to photograph food?

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 Recently, food photography has been gaining popularity in the field of photography. This is the art of photographing ready meals or the ingredients themselves. After all, when you read a recipe for a certain dish in a magazine, cookbook or blog, you want to see how it looks. And the more appetizing the dish looks, the greater the desire to cook it.

Many people know how to cook, love to cook and want to show off their culinary masterpieces in front of others. Or they post on culinary sites and magazines. And, of course, such people want their food photos to look beautiful and appetizing. But not everyone knows how to do it. This article is for those who love to cook but don't know how to properly photograph food. She introduces the basics of photography and shows how to take good photos without special equipment. Lighting. It is best to take photos in natural light. At the same time, you should forget about the flash (which is built into the camera) - it flattens the objects in the frame and kills the volume. If you are a beginner, natural light from the window is enough. Just put the plate on the windowsill and take pictures! However, the best time to shoot is between 8 and 11 am and after 4 pm, when the light is soft and diffused. It is better to avoid shooting in direct sunlight. To make the light more diffused, drape the window with tulle or cover it with light-colored fabric or paper. Technical point. Shooting is easy if you have an SLR camera. This is because SLR cameras have many features. But if you have an ordinary soap dish with a manual mode, this is not a problem. Read the instructions for your camera and find out which mode is responsible for what. It is best to shoot in M (ie manual) mode so that you can control the shutter speed and aperture yourself. You'll also need a tripod to keep your photos sharp and blur-free. Don't have a tripod? Don't worry, just place the camera on something to hold it in place. Lighting schemes There are several different lighting schemes for natural light photography. The two most common methods are described here. Sidelight. A window to the left of the subject and a reflector on the opposite side. The reflector can be white paper or foil for the oven. Back light. A window behind the subject and a reflector on the side and in front. This scheme is suitable for photographing drinks, salads and various greens. Try different schemes. Add another reflector to get the best fit. What is shown in the photo? The food you photograph should look delicious and appetizing. Everything that falls into the frame should be appropriate. Dishes. Black and white dishes are best. Plates with large drawings distract attention from the food itself. Food served on white plates looks most harmonious. However, only if the food itself is not white. Meringue is better photographed on a colored or dark plate. Strawberries, on the contrary, look good on a white plate. Background. A plain background is the best! Do not photograph food on colorful, patterned tablecloths. Cover the table with a plain towel or napkin. Or put plates of food on the table. Have you cooked 5 liters of soup or pasta for the whole family? It is not necessary to photograph everything. Put a small amount of food on a plate and take a picture of a small part of the food so that you can clearly see the texture and color of the food. Keep the focus on the subject. It should be logical. If the main object is meat, focus on the meat. Remove all excess from the shutter! Dirty pans in which food was fried, food packaging, rags used to wipe the table - all this should not be in the frame. Also, remove all food and utensils that are not related to food from the frame. Perspectives. Photograph the food from above and at a 45° angle (the angle at which you see the food while sitting at the table). Each angle has its own characteristics, and each way you can see food. Take a general picture and a close-up of the food itself. What to photograph? Pie. Take a picture of the entire cake from above so you can see how it is decorated. Take a picture of the cut cake so you can see what the inside looks like. Soup. Less liquid, thicker. Make it so that it is clear what the soup is made of. Meat. Take photos with a side dish or vegetable salad. Tea. It is best to take photos in a beautiful cup, focusing on the dishes. Add lemon to the tea, put a plate with pastries, cookies or candies next to it. The atmosphere of the tea party should be conveyed. Where will this tea be served? In the morning during breakfast? Outdoors? In a cafe? Coffee When photographing coffee, focus on the coffee foam. Chocolate. Break it open and take a close-up shot to show the texture. Cookies Stack several cookies on top of each other to form a tower. Or take pictures of the cookies on the tray right after baking. Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar.


Many people know how to cook, love to cook and want to show off their culinary masterpieces in front of others. Or they post on culinary sites and magazines. And, of course, such people want their food photos to look beautiful and appetizing. But not everyone knows how to do it.


This article is for those who love to cook but don't know how to properly photograph food. She introduces the basics of photography and shows how to take good photos without special equipment.


Lighting.


It is best to take photos in natural light. At the same time, you should forget about the flash (which is built into the camera) - it flattens the objects in the frame and kills the volume. If you are a beginner, natural light from the window is enough. Just put the plate on the windowsill and take pictures!


However, the best time to shoot is between 8 and 11 am and after 4 pm, when the light is soft and diffused. It is better to avoid shooting in direct sunlight. To make the light more diffused, drape the window with tulle or cover it with light-colored fabric or paper.


 


Technical point.


Shooting is easy if you have an SLR camera. This is because SLR cameras have many features. But if you have an ordinary soap dish with a manual mode, this is not a problem. Read the instructions for your camera and find out which mode is responsible for what. It is best to shoot in M (ie manual) mode so that you can control the shutter speed and aperture yourself. You'll also need a tripod to keep your photos sharp and blur-free. Don't have a tripod? Don't worry, just place the camera on something to hold it in place.


 


Lighting schemes


There are several different lighting schemes for natural light photography. The two most common methods are described here.


Sidelight. A window to the left of the subject and a reflector on the opposite side. The reflector can be white paper or foil for the oven.

Back light. A window behind the subject and a reflector on the side and in front. This scheme is suitable for photographing drinks, salads and various greens.

 


 


Try different schemes. Add another reflector to get the best fit.

 


What is shown in the photo?


The food you photograph should look delicious and appetizing. Everything that falls into the frame should be appropriate.


Dishes. Black and white dishes are best. Plates with large drawings distract attention from the food itself. Food served on white plates looks most harmonious. However, only if the food itself is not white. Meringue is better photographed on a colored or dark plate. Strawberries, on the contrary, look good on a white plate.

Background. A plain background is the best! Do not photograph food on colorful, patterned tablecloths. Cover the table with a plain towel or napkin. Or put plates of food on the table.

Have you cooked 5 liters of soup or pasta for the whole family? It is not necessary to photograph everything. Put a small amount of food on a plate and take a picture of a small part of the food so that you can clearly see the texture and color of the food.

Keep the focus on the subject. It should be logical. If the main object is meat, focus on the meat.

Remove all excess from the shutter! Dirty pans in which food was fried, food packaging, rags used to wipe the table - all this should not be in the frame. Also, remove all food and utensils that are not related to food from the frame.

Perspectives.


Photograph the food from above and at a 45° angle (the angle at which you see the food while sitting at the table). Each angle has its own characteristics, and each way you can see food.


Take a general picture and a close-up of the food itself.


What to photograph?


Pie. Take a picture of the entire cake from above so you can see how it is decorated. Take a picture of the cut cake so you can see what the inside looks like.


Soup. Less liquid, thicker. Make it so that it is clear what the soup is made of.


Meat. Take photos with a side dish or vegetable salad.


Tea. It is best to take photos in a beautiful cup, focusing on the dishes. Add lemon to the tea, put a plate with pastries, cookies or candies next to it. The atmosphere of the tea party should be conveyed. Where will this tea be served? In the morning during breakfast? Outdoors? In a cafe?




Coffee When photographing coffee, focus on the coffee foam.


Chocolate. Break it open and take a close-up shot to show the texture.


Cookies Stack several cookies on top of each other to form a tower. Or take pictures of the cookies on the tray right after baking. Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar.

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