Introduction: Many photographers have been engaged in food photography for many years and have summarized their own photography skills. Let’s learn how to take wonderful food photos. Professional photographer teaches you how to take wonderful food photos

Jeff Kauck has more than 20 years of experience in taking food photos for magazines, cookbooks and advertising clients. He has a good art education background and was trained in traditional watercolor painting, which was very helpful in the formation of his photography style. Here, he shares some photography tips with us. No matter what camera you use, whether you use natural light or flash, or even Instagram, you'll get the best photos possible.

What kind of preparation process is generally required?

It depends on the purpose of my shooting: feature (magazine and cookbook) or advertising.

If it is a special shoot, I will first learn about the food from the chef, and also check the tableware that may be used for the shoot. Then the chef makes the food, sets it up and serves it, and I start shooting while the food is still hot.

If you are shooting for advertising, it is basically the same, but there will be some differences. I'll also look at the food and lay it out, but you have to do some test shots first to let the client confirm that this is what they want. Then the shooting can actually begin.

Do you usually shoot with natural or artificial light?

When shooting for magazines and cookbooks, I almost always use natural light. The goal is to make the photo look like the real scene. When shooting for commercials, the food has to look the same throughout the day, and natural light obviously can't do that, so I use flash.

Are there any techniques to make better use of natural light?

People all know to use the light from windows. But you can actually use reflectors to add fill light. By reducing the area of ??your window that lets light through, you can control the shape and size of light. You can also use cardboard to block some of the light to shape it.

When using natural light, at what time of day do you shoot?

I like to shoot at dawn or dusk. I prefer dawn because the light is so clean then. But for me, the direction of the window is actually more important than time. The best direction is north. For the Northern Hemisphere, the light is best between 2-3pm.

When shooting with flash, how many lights do you usually need?

Always only one. Natural light is the best light source in the world, and there is only one, the sun.

How do you make your flash look like natural light?

When you are shooting indoors, instead of pointing the flash at the food, point it at the wall where the window is. This results in a very soft light.

You can also take off the diffuser and use a bare light to shine against the wall or the corner of the room. Let the light reflect and mix together to create an effect similar to natural light.

How do you determine the best shooting angle? How do you tell if the angle is too high or too low?

Generally speaking, try to imitate the angle you would actually see the food from while eating. Make the audience feel like they are sitting at the table, ready to enjoy the food in front of them. This is the most comfortable angle for the audience.

But now many people tend to shoot from above their heads. You need to discuss with the art director or designer what exactly they want.

Can you talk about how to choose depth of field and focus?

Magazine photos tend to simulate what the eye actually sees, so there are many choices for focus. A few years ago, people liked to shoot at the widest aperture, such as f/1.8. But now no one does that.

For advertising photos, there is something called "visual priority". When photographing commercial assignments, highlight the product first. When lighting, consider what needs to be emphasized. These areas must be the clearest.

What is your commonly used aperture?

For magazine photos, I usually use f/8 to f/16, and for advertising photos, I usually use f/16 and f/22.

How do you decide on a photo background?

When taking magazine photos, you generally choose something that looks or feels like you are in a restaurant, or that is consistent with the feel of the article. If an article is about spring, it needs bright and vivid colors. If it’s fall, you need a feeling of abundance. All in all, it must meet the needs of the photo purpose.

What foods can beginners start with?

Foods that are durable.

Bread and butter, or bread and jam, coffee or tea, potatoes, dough, etc. are easier, but sometimes sauce can be a bit tricky. Cookies or desserts would also be nice. Obviously avoid ice cream or salad. Salads can get ugly quickly. Garden vegetables and fruits are also good? Beans, tomatoes, apples? They don’t require any preparation, just wash them and you can shoot them.

What common mistakes do novices make?

They may try foods that are too difficult at first. When you shoot a commercial, there will be a chef or food stylist on site to help you prepare it. If you want to learn to photograph food, you also have to learn to be a chef and a designer, which takes time.

I recommend that beginners start with natural light first, and then move on to flash. Flash tends to make photos look "mechanical". Putting a flash on the camera is even more of a mistake. Flash should be used off-camera under all circumstances. This is perhaps the easiest mistake to make.

There are many food photography blogs and websites on the Internet. You can read more and find your favorite style and inspiration.

Photography of food is becoming popular among ordinary people. Do you have any suggestions for users who shoot with mobile phones?

The effect of mobile phones is already very good. I always ask myself a question when shooting, will this photo make people more appetizing? Food photography can be complex or simple, it can be this or that, but the fundamental question is to make the audience have an appetite. This is the most important.