Food Photography Tips

Posted by | Posted on 1:39 AM

By June Smith

Images of food are all over. We cannot walk down any major shopping street without being barraged by them from the windows of all the food shops. We open a magazine and there they are again pushing up their mouth watering delights at us.

If you think 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 results 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.

Using natural light from a window can be perfect for food pics because it gives food that natural look. Support this with bounced flashlight and you can get a simple yet perfect result.

If you are going to be doing a lot of food picture taking then consider creating a food light box to make your job easier and quicker. This consists of a framed area covered in diffusion screens with lights behind on stands or attached to flexible tubes so you can move them easily into position. The food sits on a plain smooth single coloured background cover that is usually white so there is no background to remove with Photoshop later. Make sure the cover is easy to wipe in case of food splashes.

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.

Use professional equipment when you do food photography and you will see the results. Using good quality lighting and a high quality camera are the main equipment your will need. You have to use a SLR camera with food photography if you want to get the best results. You will need to be able to zoom in and control the shutter and aperture settings to capture the full depth of the image.

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