7 Tips for Food Photography

Melting cheese dripping from a juicy burger; soft pancakes stacked on a plate with whipped cream, maple syrup and ripe strawberries at the top; a bowl full of salad with fresh tomatoes, avocados, crunchy cucumbers and crispy lettuce; a hot cup of cappuccino with the perfect quantity of foam at the top; and a refreshing glass of mango smoothie with ice-cream and tiny pieces of mangoes at the top.      

Food photographers are able to capture the essence of each food so efficiently that seeing just a photo can make your mouth water.

Whether you are a photographer who’s just starting out or simply someone who wants to document her culinary masterpieces, these food photography tips would help you in your journey.

Seven food photography tips for beginners—    

1. Use appropriate lighting.

The use of proper lighting is the most basic thing you can do in a photoshoot. And yet, it is a chief factor while trying to click great photos of food.

The kind of lighting you use in your food-photoshoot decides the colour accuracy, mood and appeal of the food items you are planning to photograph.

In most cases, it is best to use natural light, from a side-angle. Doing this helps in capturing the textures of the food.

It also helps in creating depth and contrast in the photographs.

The best way to use natural light is to place the food item in a way that the light source is at a 90° angle to the camera.

The result is that one side is illuminated while the other side falls under a shadow.

This photography trick works best while clicking photos of layered foods such as pancakes, burgers and tikkas.

What else?

Make sure to avoid harsh overhead lights or direct flashes while taking photos of food.

It can create glares and make the dish look flattened out. The food items in those photos can end up looking unappetizing.

You can use reflectors in order to redirect the lights being used in the photoshoot.

Doing this would help you to fill-up shadows, control the contrast and highlight the textures of the food to make them look real and uber-delectable.

2. Create a story.

Most food blog photography guides would tell you to create a story in order to make your food photos more engaging.

How can you create a story during a food photography shoot?

Set up the perfect background that goes with the items you are clicking.

While choosing the background for a food photoshoot, make sure that it does not take attention away from the items being photographed.

You also need to see if it goes with the vibe you are trying to portray.

For example, dark stained-wood is perfect for “moody shots” of food items such as luscious red wine, tasty roasted chicken or a soulful stew.

Once the background is done, choosing the props comes next.

Don’t use props just because they are easily available. Look for the props that make sense and compliment the whole set up.

If you don’t find what you need, you can try making them yourself.

You need to check if the props are in-sync with the story you are trying to narrate through the photos.

For example, while using serveware as a prop, you can use matte ceramic bowls and dishes as they look modern and hand-made, giving the food being photographed a sophisticated and homely look.

Try to avoid using shiny cutlery such as vintage silverware as it can create harsh reflections and ruin the photos.

Also, using neutral tones in the background and the props help in keeping the food items in full focus.

Professional food styling tips suggest that you can tell a story using the raw ingredients (scattered herbs, tiny bowls of spices etc.) that have been used in the dish.

Another important element that can be used to tell a story is the use of a person as a prop.

It doesn’t even have to be a whole person.

A hand holding an ice-cream cone; the face of a person with an excited expression, that same person holding a juicy burger in her hand, ready to bite in; another one sipping on a glass of fresh juice wearing a hat that covers her face; is enough to convey the message.

3. Try different angles.

One of the most common tips for food photography with phone and camera is to shoot from different angles.

When you shoot from different angles, you are able to capture different perspectives of the same food item.

When you capture different aspects of the same item, you can produce photos that look very different.

Almost every professional food photographer has a specific angle that they like to shoot in.

Though it’s important to see which angles work best for your kind of photography and to find your own style, try to not get stuck at just one angle.

Make sure that you take lots of photos from different angles. This way, you can see the varied results and choose the ones that look the best.  

Trying out different angles during a food photoshoot also helps in creating the story that needs to be told, and/or meeting the aesthetic and promotional needs of the clients.      

4. Use colours and textures.

One of the best tips for food photography for beginners is the proper utilisation of colours and textures.

A lot of professional food photographers use two or three colours while creating the whole background and foreground during a shoot.

Many use different shades of the same colour; while adding an “opposite colour” from the colour wheel, to create a scintillating contrast effect.

For example, while clicking a photo of a black currant ice cream cone, you can use a mango-flavoured (yellow colour) wafer as a topping.

The purple colour of the black currant ice cream goes beautifully against the yellow colour of the wafer, making the photo pop, and catch the viewer’s eye.

Use of texture is a key element in creating great photos of food. When it’s done right, using texture can breathe life into a photo.

While clicking photos of foods and beverages such as fruit juices, steaks, coffee, pizzas, breads and vegetables etc., texture can be shown in great detail.  

In order to show the texture of these foods, you can highlight components such as drips, crumbs, bubbles, steam, crystals and rough surfaces (of meat or grated food).

Other than showing the textures of the foods themselves, you can also use textured items as props in the background or the foreground of the photograph.

For example, vintage spoons or forks with intricate designs, crinkled pieces of parchment paper, a wrinkled linen-napkin, and plates or bowls with beautiful patterns for placing the food in.          

5. Create depth in the photograph.

A crucial tip for food photography at home or work is— create depth. Depth gives the photo a 3D look that makes the food items look very real, almost touchable!

You can use the Bokeh technique to create a shallow depth of field.

Doing this would help in eliminating any distraction in the frame and make the subject of the photos truly “pop out”.

In accordance with the Bokeh technique, use a wide aperture (low f-stop number) while clicking the photos.

This way, you can blur out the background and put the subject (a bowl of food) in focus.

Creating the perfect depth in photos takes a lot of practice. So, don’t give up hope if you don’t get the desired results at the first few tries.

Common mistakes beginners make while using the Bokeh technique—

a. Overexposure- Wide apertures tend to let in more light, creating unwanted overexposures in the photos.

You can balance out the overexposure and get the desired results by creating a balance with the correct shutter speed and ISO settings.

b. Misplaced focus- While trying to create a shallow depth of field, parts of your subject can get blurred.

So, make sure that you put focus on all the parts that you want to highlight in your photos.

Creating depth is such an indispensable factor of food photography that you can find it in almost all food photography composition guidelines.    

6. Use of aperture and ISO.

If you want to take great photos, you must learn how to use ISO and aperture.

You need to learn the relationship between ISO and aperture; learn how these two elements work together to create great photos.

Aperture (aka f-stop) is responsible for controlling the depth of field in photos.

As mentioned above, a wide aperture helps in creating a shallow focus and blurring out the background.

Doing this makes the textures of foods more apparent. It is especially useful in highlighting specific details of a dish; such as a garnish on top of pasta or bubbles in a cup of coffee.    

A narrow aperture helps in keeping the whole plate of food in sharp focus. It is usually ideal for photos shot from overhead angles that show the whole layout.

ISO is the factor that determines the camera's sensitivity to light.

While setting the ISO during a food-photoshoot, remember that it is best to use a very low ISO; which is between 100 to 200.  

Doing this would help you to reduce or remove all the graininess or noise in the photos and click photos that look almost perfect.

It would make the food in the photos look more appealing and yummy.

However, keep in mind that many restaurants have somewhat dimmed lighting to create a soothing or romantic vibe.

In such restaurants, you may have to increase the ISO values. You would also need to balance the ISO with the aperture and shutter speed properly.  

Only then can you get the desired results while shooting photos in semi-dark environments.

7. Shoot in RAW mode.

One of the most important food photography editing tips is for the shooting stage. And that tip is to shoot in RAW format.

Shooting in RAW is a total gamechanger. When you shoot in RAW, it saves all the image data that is captured by the camera’s sensor.

The photos are not compressed the way they are when you shoot in automatic mode.

Files like JPEGs lock-in properties such as contrast and white balance at a particular level (or value).

But RAW files give you the freedom to adjust those elements at the editing stage.

It is very useful while editing photographs of food that were clicked in places with tricky lighting; such as themed-restaurants and certain aesthetic kitchens.

RAW files will give you the ability to recover details even in bright highlights (sheen on a glaze) and to fix a yellow colour cast (the unwanted warm, yellowish tint seen in some photos).

Though RAW files are bigger in size, at the end, they provide better results than the photos shot in automatic.

Food Photography Tips FAQs

What is the 20-60-20 rule in photography?

The 20-60-20 rule in photography is a type of shooting strategy.

According to this strategy, a photographer is supposed to spend 20% of the shoot clicking basic photos that are considered to be safe shots.

Then, they are to use their creativity while capturing unique photos, and spend 60% of the shoot-time in doing so.

The 20% of the remaining shoot-time is usually left for experimenting and coming up with varied shots.

This is a great shooting strategy as it gives a photographer the chance to obtain the high-quality shots needed for a client, with some spare time left for her to feed the creative bug.

What tricks do food photographers use?

There are certain food photography tips restaurants and professional food photographers use while clicking photos of food.

a. Cardboard spacers are used to add height to food. It helps in elevating, stacking, and separating the layers of food.

Along with adding a few inches to the food item, it also creates more volume and better definition.

As a result, the food item could be photographed better than it would have been if it was in its previous position.

b. Toothpick is an essential element in styling the products during a food photoshoot.

They are used in elevating, stacking and stabilising various parts of dishes such as pancakes, burgers and sandwiches.

Toothpicks also help in creating a “floating” effect for artistic shots. They can be deleted while editing the photos in post-production.

c. Vegetable oil is added to fried or roasted pieces of meat to make them look juicier than they actually are.

d. Motor oil is dribbled down a stack of pancakes to make them look more appetizing. Motor oil is not absorbed by the pancakes the way honey or maple syrup is.

e. Glue is used in place of milk while photographing bowls of cereal. Glue does not make the cereal soggy.

f. Shaving cream is often used in place of whipped cream as it doesn’t melt.

g. Dish soap is used to create foam while photographing fizzy drinks, as foam created from dish soap lasts longer than the foam that is naturally created by these drinks.            

What are the 7 tips for taking good photographs?

With time and enough practice, it is possible for anyone to click good photos. And what are the tips for taking good photos?

a. The first step is to clean your camera’s lens. Always make sure that the lens is clear of dust, smudges and tiny bugs.

b. Learn the rule of thirds and use it religiously.

c. This one is obvious but needs to be said. Keep the camera stable!

d. Whenever possible, shoot in the ‘golden hour’ to make the best use of soft natural lighting.

e. Shoot from different angles to get different perspectives.

f. Simplify the background. Remove any object that does not serve any purpose in the narrative of the photograph.

g. While photographing humans or animals, keep the subject's eyes on focus.

Is food photography difficult?

Food photography might seem a bit difficult at the beginner stage.

However, with time, practice and proper guidance, you can become an expert at food photography.

One of the most important things to learn in food photography is the use of macro techniques.

Although food photography is not inherently macro photography, quite often, it uses macro techniques, gear and lenses to highlight the ingredients, its textures and other details of the subject.  

How to photograph food like a pro?

A key element of good photography is indirect daylight. The same tip can be found in any and all food photography basics as well.  

Find a semi-shaded spot on a sunny day for the perfect natural lighting conditions for photographing the subject of your choice.

Doing this would give the plate, bowl or glass of food or beverage you are clicking an even glow that can’t really be achieved with artificial indoor lighting.    

What are the 7 C's of photography?

The 7 C’s is an unofficial guideline of photojournalism.

The seven C’s stand for— composition, clarity, contrast, colour, candid, cropping and caption.  

What is the angle for food photography?

Have you been wondering, how to take better food photos? One important detail to pay attention to are the angles that you shoot from.

There are some tried and tested angles used in food photography that help in clicking some stunning photos.

Those angles are— 45° angle for showing the natural perspective of a person who’s eating the food, 90° angle for layouts showing a perspective from the top, and 0° angle for highlighting the layers of the food and showing an eye-level perspective.

The 45° angle is deemed to be the best one for food photography.