How to Ideally Capture Food in Photography

With the holidays fast approaching it’s time to relax and enjoy the change of seasons. Each holiday

brings its own culinary specialties and sometimes you just want to get a shot of what you’re eating to

show off to your friends and to have memories for later. Having your photos stand out from the rest is

important so here are some things to consider when photographing food.

Lighting is a deciding factor when it comes to the end result of your photograph. The right lighting can

make the food look incredible but the wrong lighting could ruin the shot. Direct sunlight is often too

harsh and it’s important to take advantage of diffused lighting situations. Diffused lighting means adding

something in front of the light to make it less harsh or bright. In a home you never want to allow the

sunlight to directly reach what you’re capturing.

A light curtain or sheet can be used for a sunny glow without the impact of direct sun. If you’re using a

window in the shot it’s a good idea to keep the window at the side of the food because when it’s behind

it will flatten the look of what you’re capturing.

Choosing the right angle for capturing the food is also a good place to start. As you adjust your point of

view you will notice that shadows will have an interesting affect on what you’re trying to capture. The

best thing to do is to position the food you’re shooting and for you to move around it. Moving the food

will not produce desirable results and you will still find shadow if you don’t move yourself. Getting up

close is a good idea and will ensure that the image reminds the viewer of what the food looked like right

before you started eating.

Besides having something great tasting to photograph, editing in post is also a key step in producing a

high quality food image. Light room or Photoshop can be used to edit the colors, saturation, clarity,

vibrance, and any other aspect of the photo you wish to be changed. It helps the image quite a bit and

can make it pop. It’s easy to edit too much and go overboard so when it comes to photography it’s good

to remember to keep it simple. Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer it can be quite

fun to photograph the food you’re eating and can result in some great photos and lifelong memories.

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