Have you ever looked at pictures and photos of food and just thought “Wow. How do they do that?” How do they manage to make that hamburger look like it’s the single best bit of food that’s ever existed in the history of the world? Well, tricks of the trade, darling. Tricks of the trade. It’s all about the secrets and techniques of food photography, one of the most important parts of the process of making food look exquisite.
So what if you could have this power, and follow in the footsteps of these talented photographers? What if their creative vision could be your creative vision? Well, there are plenty of tricks and techniques involved in the process of food photography, and we’re going to share some of them with you now. So the next time you see a picture of some truly mouth-watering food, you’re going to know exactly how it was done.
All is not what it seems
It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that all is not what it seems with many of these pictures. Closer inspection will show that there has been a lot of tweaks and modifications to get the food looking how it actually looks in the picture. Of course, when looking at a photo, you don’t see the full story. Understand that a lot of fakery goes on, and not necessarily in a bad way. For instance, champagne is often not real champagne, and the food is propped up using plastic – of course, none of this is seen in the picture, but it’s all essential for getting just the right shot.
The angle is gospel
Just like with all photographs, the angle is key to getting the desired outcome. You’ll be surprised by just what a difference is made by getting the angle of your shot right. And, you shouldn’t be afraid to play around with the angles to try to find what works best. There are a limited number of angles to use in food photography, but it’s essential to make a decision about the one you think is the best. You want to compliment the strengths of the spread by having the camera at an angle that accentuates them.
Supporting cast
Don’t forget about the supporting cast. A bowl of soup in the middle of a plain white table is going to look dull no matter how well it’s photographed. But, a huge oak table peppered with cutlery, rustic bread, and fresh ingredients, is going to look much more appealing. You see the difference? Use your supporting cast as much as you can, for they are the true stars of the photo. Remember, with a photo you are telling a story visually, and don’t be afraid to add layers to make this story as rich and exciting as possible.
Create lines to draw the eye
Another great technique to use is to create lines that will draw the eye of people looking at the photo. You can do this by making use of the aforementioned supporting cast around the food. Cutlery is an excellent way of song this, and you can also use fruit, nuts, and seeds to achieve the desired effect. Make sure you create patterns around and beside the food, so you draw the eye to it and make it as visually stimulating as possible.
Be careful with color
Now, we know color is good, right. And, when it comes to this kind of thing, color is really good. However, you have to be careful not to use too much color, because this can ruin the balance and aesthetic of the pictures. That means you need to try to be sparing with your color as much as possible. If it’s too colorful, you risk upstaging the food, and that’s the last thing you want! Be sparing and use color appropriately to get the desired impact.
There are a lot of tricks of the trade, and many great ways of improving your food photography. You have to make sure you do what you can to get the best possible photos, and these techniques are a great way of helping you achieve that. Now your photos can sizzle and sparkle, and really showcase great food in the way it’s supposed to be seen.
