Food Photography has a big role to play because we feast with our eyes first. If you are venturing into food photography, here are some basic food photography tips to get you started.
#1 Understand your camera.
Be it a Dslr, digital compact camera or your phone camera, the most important thing is to understand the different functions and how to use it. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it is not surprising to know that many people always take photos in the ‘auto’ mode. Take the effort to learn the different functions, and you will be rewarded with good photos.
#2 Visualise the picture in your mind.
Before taking the photograph, visualise how you want the photo to turn out. This will not only help to reduce the time in taking photographs, but also make you a better photographer.
#3 Know your subject well.
There are some food that look good on their own and do not require much effort to take the shots. On the other hand, certain food like soup, cheesecake and ice cream can be challenging to shoot as they are simply not photogenic. For soup, add some garnishing and scoop the ingredients with a spoon. For a plain cheesecake, you might want to add some fruits on top to make it look prettier.
In short, know the subject well. There are many different ways to play around with food.
#4 Keep things simple.
People tend to try too hard and include many objects in a shot. The important thing is to know the main focus of the shot. If the plate has many different items, focus on the main dish.
Cliche as it may sound, simplicity is beauty.
#5 Shoot in natural lighting.
The main challenge for any photographer will always be lighting. Forget about studio lighting, or Dslr external flash, natural lighting is your best bet for a good photo.
#6 Get feedback from others.
Never be afraid to exchange ideas and ask for their opinion on the shots that you took. You can learn a lot through comments and constructive criticisms from others.
#7 Always have fun.
Photography is all about having fun. Don’t be too stressed up in trying to get the perfect shot. There is no such thing as a perfect photo.
#8 Practise, practise and practise.
While going for a photography workshop/class can indeed teach you the basic photography techniques, ultimately you have to practise and take more photographs in order to improve.
#9 Hold the camera steady.
And lastly, learn to control your shaky hands. This may sound simple, but there are people who always end up taking blur shots.
Do you mind sharing what lens/external flash do you use? Some restaurants have super dim/orange lighting, but your photos always look like they’re taken under broad daylight! What is the trick to do this?
I am sorry if i sound prudent buy are u male or female?
kaiyi: I will be writing another post on my photography equipments, as well as how to take photos of food in restaurant
tq for sharing the gorgeous pics and tips. Looking forward to part 2. andy
Thanks for sharing! Def looking forward to your other photography posts.
Thank you for this,
Your blog is one of the best I know and this is brilliant thing to share with all of your fans
Hi Brad, are u a professional food photographer? Or do u have another day job? Are all of your food real food or are some of them fake? Do you use those artificial chemicals to make the food look nicer?
I ask these questions cos i am interested in food photography too and i just got a dslr and am aiming to be an amateur food photographer…
Ivy: All the food photos that you see on my blog are real food. There are some tricks to make the food nicer, I will be sharing some tips in the subsequence food photography tutorials.
Awesome stuff and those photos have made hungry!
Thanks for sharing – the light in your pictures always look lovely! Definitely looking forward to more tutorials
Btw, just wondering if you tend to use manual focusing instead of auto focusing when taking the close-up shots for food?
Janine: I shoot with auto focusing
Your pictures are always beautiful and I look forward to learning so much more from you.
I always cant seem to get the lighting right.. using a noob Nikon D60 with 18-55mm lens. Should I use A or M or S or P mode for best effect? I am still learning ^_^
thanks in advance!
Tanker: When i started, I only used the A mode. But M gives you much more control over both aperture and shutter speed. Hope this helps : )
Your food photos are incredible. Have you ever considered conducting workshops on food photography? I’d definitely be interested to join!
interesting and helpful tips, btw the food looks real tempting!
Good article. #9 is where I really need help. Even with ASR set on, I still get blur. Tripods help.
Do you have any photo editing tips for some of us that don’t regularly bring Dslr’s outside? Like for instance trying to take food pictures in very dim restaurants with a phone camera? Do you perhaps have any editing tips for lighting? xD