1. Good natural light
Nothing can illuminate food photography like natural light. It is ideal to shoot on a sunny day, but the weather is unpredictable.
You can simulate sunlight in the studio, just need a diffuser or a soft box. A good light source is enough for food photography. You can know which kind of light is better under these lighting conditions by shooting some Shoot.
2. Simulate good lighting.
The key to shooting high-quality food is correct lighting. However, working in direct sunlight is very tricky because it may be too harsh on bright objects. This problem can be solved by placing a diffuser between the shooting position and the window.
This technique will soften shadows and avoid bright highlights, which usually appear in bright areas with direct sunlight.
3. Use the kitchen as a shooting venue
After determining the lighting, the next important point is the choice of your shooting location. In the kitchen, you can find all kinds of textures, colors and decorations, try composition in food photography and show your creativity.
You can create complex works with kitchen utensils. For example, textiles such as towels are very suitable for background, spices can make works of art look messy, fresh vegetables can make photos more dazzling, and tableware can be used as decorations.
4. Be organized before food photography.
We know how it happens: if you can't wait to start cooking, ingredients are flying around and dishes are collected, but you don't know how you got into chaos, you can't take pictures in this situation.
Remember to keep it simple and clean. Please try to clean the kitchen before you start cooking. It is very important to make sure that you have everything you need.
Please use a tripod when shooting food.
Take a tripod, put it in the desired position, and then according to the shooting idea and lighting conditions. When shooting in low light, even the slightest camera movement or hand touch may blur the photo. Therefore, it is worthwhile to decide the position and setting of the camera in the stage of preparing composition.
If you don't have a tripod, try to find something stable and use a timer or remote control to reduce movement. Considering these details in advance can avoid many bad situations and save time.
Look for a good angle
When shooting food and products, choose one and do it reasonably. After all, the camera angle will affect the story you want to express.
In food photography, the angle will determine the subject. Try to consider it carefully, understand its uniqueness, emphasize the place of food, and thus highlight the best quality of dishes.
For example, if you are shooting a hamburger, please shoot it at eye level so that all layers are clearly visible. If you are shooting soup, you'd better choose the angle from above.
7. Tell stories with props
You can add details to the story with blanks. For example, food and the objects around it will tell you the cooking process. You can use textiles, plates and cups, and put something in the foreground or background to increase the depth and attraction of shooting.
8. Let the colors play.
A common mistake in food photography is the abuse of props, so we must remember to focus on food.
When shooting food, please use neutral props to make the food stand out. You can choose black, gray, white, brown and other tones according to the color of the subject. If you want to shoot a dessert with bright berries, please use a white background. Beige and light brown are very suitable for baking photos. In short, please pay attention to the color choice of your props.
9. Record your food preparation process.
If you want to take excellent photos, please take photos of the food while cooking. You can start with all the steps of shooting raw food and cooking, and try to explain how to set the table, decorate the kitchen and provide food.
10. Take pictures of people to show the scale.
In some food photos, it is difficult to determine the size of the displayed image. Here, people's hands can be caught, providing a suitable background for photos.
Showing handmade or chopped ingredients will give you proportions, which will also increase the appeal of your food pictures.