Images of food are everywhere. We cannot walk down any leading shopping street without being barraged by them from the windows of all the food shops. We open a magazine and there they are again thrusting their mouth watering delights at us.
If you thing that food picture taking is very hard and that you could never snap like the professionals you could surprise yourself. Like most types of other photography, a lot of the effects 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.
Natural light is great for food photography supported by flash bounced off a nearby wall to remove hard shadows can work wonders.
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 shutter speed is what you require when you are working with food photography. Mount your camera on a sturdy tripod and remember to use a shutter release cable so you do not move the camera. The slightest movement will create horrible blurring.
Choose your props very carefully to suit the end results that you are looking for. The props will make or break your photos. It’s usually the props that set an amateur pic aside from a pro shot.
Do not skimp on your equipment if you want to do good food photography. Having a top quality SLR camera with a good lense 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.
Tags: Business, food, hobbies, photography, wedding photography