Guide to Great Home Food Photography

So you’ve just cooked up a masterpiece and take a photo to keep a record of your achievement. Unfortunately the picture turns your mouth watering meal, into an unappealing mess. Food photography isn’t as easy as you would think. But never fear, by following these top tips you can more easily capture the tasty look of your food. Get some food photography inspiration here.



Plan Ahead
Before you even start taking the photo, think about how you can arrange the elements of the dish to make photographing it easier and more interesting. Keep the plan simple, but make sure you have a plan.

Contrasting background
An appropriate colour contrast is important to make the food stand out. Avoid having a similar colour or shade in the food and background. Also keep the backdrop clear and simple. A patterned or cluttered background will be very distracting and detracts from the photo.

Tripod Setup
Avoid any potential motion blur by using a tripod. Since most food photography is done indoors, you can easily use a tripod and not have to constantly worry about holding the camera still.

Natural lighting
If possible, use natural sunlight to light up your food. Try taking the photo during the day and close to a window. The natural light results in soft lighting and a more professional looking image. Using the camera flash directly should be avoided at all costs. The harsh glare and shadows will ruin the photo. A reflector is a useful tool to direct the light in the direction you want.

Presentation is everything
It’s not just the food, but also what you present it in that will make a good photo. Think about all details such a using suitable cutlery, plates or bowls to add that extra spark to the photo.

Different angles
Be creative when composing shots. Don’t play it safe by just taking photo from above. Explore the various angles and heights to find interesting ways to show off your food.

Inner angles
Don’t only focus on what you see on the outside. Some foods have interesting textures and layers on the inside. Try cutting and slicing breads, cakes, pies, fruits or other types of food that could result in a great shot.

Close up
Consider all the parts that come together to create the meal. So get up close and personal, to take some macro shots of different elements on the plate. This will help show all the small details and textures in the food.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to practice. Try out different techniques and methods to perfect your home food photography shots.