Are you someone who loves to click your food before you eat at a restaurant? Or, you’ve just began experimenting in your kitchen and hope to showcase it on the gram? Whatever be the case, we know it isn’t an easy task to get results exactly like you visualised. More often than not, the pictures we click turn out to be too dull, too bright, blurry etc. We get it. Food photography is all about making even the most boring dish look like a piece of art and something you would instantly crave for. Right from a boring bowl of soup to a vibrant looking salad or smoothie to a rustic curry, no matter what your dish is, it needs to look appealing in your picture. But even if it’s the most boring dish ever, certain tips and tricks can definitely help to make it look the most amazing one.
Here are seven ways to ace your food photography game:
1. Lighting
Lighting is of prime importance, not just in food photography but in a general photography as well. For food, natural lighting works the best. It gives a relatable touch to a picture. However, if you do not have access to natural light, you need to create it artificially. In case of that, avoid direct flashlight as it can flatten the image. Another tip is to experiment lighting from different sides to make it stand out. Front lighting, backlighting, and side lighting can take the quality of the picture a notch higher.
2. Explore Different Angles
There is no one 'perfect' angle for all dishes or pictures. Different food work with different angles. Common notion is that top angle works the best for food, but that is perfect for vibrant salads and smoothie bowls but in the case of cheesy, overloaded burgers, we think a low side angle would explore it depth the best?
3. Use Fresh Ingredients
Food photography is all about the appearance of the food, and thus the look of each element in the overall dish is prime. Soggy cheese over a lasagna or bruised tomatoes can do no good in fact, it may just ruin your photo. And let’s be honest changing the angle or lighting may not work every time. So, plan ahead, be ready with the angles and lighting as soon as the complete dish is ready to avoid the dish going stale or the ingredients losing its charm. It goes without saying, never use stale ingredients while cooking too.
4. Use Food Props
Just like in fashion where one uses props to tell a story, food photography too can be amped up if it has a story around. Fun fact: Food styling is a legit thing which requires time and mind. No, we aren’t asking you to bring in random coloured plates and bowls around that can do no good instead take away the focus from your hero dish. But putting certain elements around the dish which tells the story of its origin can really work well. Pairing a glass of spiced tea with certain spices around in small bowls can really work up well for a picture!
5. Leave Negative Space
Zoomed-in pictures are all good but how about leaving some space around it just in case you want to put in a logo or some text later right before posting? And even if not that, certain pictures look aesthetically great with some breathing space.
6. Don’t Click The Dish As Is
Common photography way is to click the picture as it arrives without touching it. Haven’t we all asked our friends to not take a bite until we are finished clicking? (guilty forever!) But the truth is, certain food pictures can come out great after you’ve dug-in with certain chunks of it spilled out. Lasagna, again for instance or a top angle of pizza and even a cake can look more delicious if it has been eaten in small amounts.
7. Avoid Clutter
Last but not the least, avoid cluttering the frame with too much. If you are clicking one dish, make sure your surroundings are clean and pristine and do not use too many props. After all, food photography thrives on simplicity.
So, use these tips for your next experiment and let us know how they turn out by tagging Slurrp on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.