Images of food are everywhere. We cannot walk down any major shopping street without being barraged by them from the windows of all the food shops. We open a magazine and there they are again hurtling their mouth watering delights at us.
If you think that food picture taking is very difficult and that you could never snap like the pros you could surprise yourself. Like most types of other photography, a lot of the results come from technique which can be learned.
Light as always with photography is King. Get it right and you create magic. Get it wrong and we all know the result! Treat the food you’re photographing as you would any other still life subject and ensure that it is well lit. Most of the bad examples of food photography you will come across would have been drastically improved with adequate lighting.
One of the best places to photograph food is by a window where there is plenty of natural light – perhaps supported with flash bounced off a ceiling or wall to give more well-balanced lighting that cuts out the shadows. This daylight helps to keep the food looking much more natural.
If you have to take a lot of food pics then invest in buying or making a light box or tent. This is simply an enclosed area that is lit externally through diffused walls in the tent/box.
Slow is great with food so use a slow shutter speed which will allow time to capture the depth of the image. Put your camera on a solid tripod to stop movement and use a shutter release cable.
The props that you use with food photography are what can bring it to life. Choose your props carefully. The props are usually what sets an amateur food photo aside from a professional food photography.
Do not skimp on your equipment if you want to do good food photography. Having a top quality SLR camera with a good lens will make all the difference. You must have full control over all the settings – shutter speed – aperture setting – zoom – to be able to create top shots. Using good quality lighting will also pay massive dividends.
Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography. This and other unique content ‘photography’ articles are available with free reprint rights.

