Photographers make some common mistakes when photographing food. This type of food photo seems easier to take, but improper photography not only makes the food photography photos ugly, but also greatly reduces the attractiveness of the food. This article It introduces some misunderstandings of photographers in taking exquisite food photos, so that you can take mouth-watering food photos.

Good food photography is all about planning and thinking through all the details beforehand. Thinking about the key aspects that make up good food photography before you pick up the camera will help you get the best results.

1. Poor lighting

As with any type of photography, light is the most important element. Without light, no special effects would occur, which is why photography is often called "light painting." Whether you use natural or artificial light, lighting methods can make or break a photo.

What usually distinguishes professional photographers from amateur photographers is a deep understanding of the physics of light and the ability to manipulate light to achieve the desired effect.

Lighting is more than just shining enough light on an object. You can get longer exposure photos as long as there is light, but good lighting is also correct lighting.

For example, a common problem when shooting in a restaurant is that the interior lighting of the restaurant can ruin the scene, causing unnecessary cast, especially in the highlights, which is difficult to fix in post-production, but can be This can be avoided by suppressing ambient light using flashes and signs at the top of the scene, thus preventing unnecessary light from entering the scene.

2. Unreasonable composition

Food itself is a form of artistic expression. Along with light, this is one of the most difficult aspects of food photography and can take years of practice to master composition, which we won’t delve into in this article, but there are some things to know for improved composition.

Start with minimalism. All that is needed is the main theme, plus some supporting items such as props or textiles. Use three to five elements in your composition. Using an odd number of elements will add more symmetry and balance to the scene than an even number, creating competition between elements and distracting the viewer.

Think about texture. Adding texture through props or surfaces or even ingredients and seasonings can really improve the appearance of even simple foods.

Another tip is to choose neutral backgrounds and surfaces. Bright colors can distract from food and create unnecessary shadows on it.

3. Wrong shooting angle

Before you start shooting, it is very important to choose the best angle for the scene. The correct choice will depend on the subject of the photo.

Layered dishes, like burgers or pancakes, look best at eye level because each element can be seen. On the other hand, flat dishes, such as pizza and cookies, are best photographed from above at a 90-degree angle, as this angle places everything on a flat surface and gives the subject a graphic look.

This is a large angle for a scene with many elements that would be difficult to fit into the frame.

Another popular angle is 45 degrees or three quarters, this angle works well with many types of food, it works well with most focal lengths and with a variety of shapes, heights and textures of the main subject .

A recommended shooting angle here is a low angle with the camera pointed slightly upward. This can sometimes be seen in burger commercials, but this angle is rarely suitable for most types of food.

4. Wrong visual focus

When preparing to shoot, you need to consider where the focus point is. Also, consider which area will be in focus, which will be affected by the aperture value chosen.

Food is rarely photographed at a wide aperture (less than f/5.6) because the area that is not large enough will be sharp. In food photography the goal is to show the best of the dish and this does not happen. Large Parts will be blurred.

After taking the photo (preferably connected to a laptop), then check the focus at 100% magnification to make sure the focus is where you want it and that the depth of field is not too shallow.

Also, calibrating the lens will ensure that focus is not lost due to technical issues.

5. Cropping errors

The charm of digital photography is that some problems that arise during shooting can be solved in post-processing. One example is cropping using tools in Lightroom and Photoshop.

A common mistake beginners make is to shoot the subject too close so that the viewer cannot understand what is being depicted in the photo or to crop too much to show the plate in its best light. ?

The spiced prawns looked much better when the scene was wider and included some other items such as bread and chutney. Close shots lack a sense of movement and direction and therefore look less engaging.

Try a few framing options when shooting and see which one works best. It's also a good trick to shoot a wider scene than you intend to finish it, and then use the crop feature in post-processing to make the composition better.