Julie Andrews had it right.
The beginning is a very good place to start.
I wish we could jump right to part 2 and talk photo flair. (Ribbons! Flowers! Glitter!)
In the above picture: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge.
I often skip through the first few steps while reading directions. (I’m especially notorious for skipping directions when assembling something. Does anyone else do this?)
Unfortunately, skipping directions in an attempt to save time can occasionally backfire, leaving me confused and even costing time in the long run.
So let’s start at the very beginning…
Food Photography: The Basics
Good news!
You do not need to have a fancy digital camera to take advantage of these tips. I haven’t taken any photography courses, and therefore it would be ridiculous for me to offer you technical tips on how to work your digital camera.
What I can offer are some basic photo-styling tips you can use with any camera. These tips are all ideas I’ve learned from experience; trial and error.
Photo taken with natural light: Peach Breakfast Cobbler.
Tip #1: Listen to Nelly Furtado
Turn off the lights! That goes for your camera’s flash too.
When photographing food, keep the flash off at all times. Walk around and try to find the area in your home that has the most sunlight. I take photos almost exclusively in my living room, and usually somewhere around 11-4pm, because this is where/when I’ve found the best lighting conditions. Sometimes I take photos outside, too. Overcast days are great for this; too much sunlight can cast ugly shadows and make your photos look harshly overexposed.
Photo taken in my living room: Healthy Starbucks Frappuccino.
Tip #2: Keep it Steady!
You’d be surprised at just how much havoc a tiny shake of the camera can wreak on a shot. It baffles and frustrates me they’re doing away with viewfinders in point-n-shoot cameras, because holding the camera right up to your face allows you to be much steadier than if you hold the camera way out in front of you, without anything to brace it.
If you have a tripod, use it. (Do as I say, not as I do. I have a tripod—somewhere—but am too lazy to set it up, and therefore never use one.) If you don’t have one, or if you’re lazy like me, make sure to keep the camera as steady as you absolutely positively possibly can.
Above, on a white plate: Creamy Chocolate Fudge Pops.
Tip #3: White makes Right
Also known as the KISS principle (“keep it simple, stupid”)
When I started out, I made the mistake of thinking fancy = better when it comes to dishware. In reality, if you look at the pros, they often use very basic dishware so that the food, not the plate, holds center stage.
Above, Flourless Chocolate-Chip Cookies.
Questions of the Day:
Are you interested in photography at all?
And do you ever take pictures of your food? What are your favorite things to photograph: Food? People? Nature?
Great tips Katie! I take photos for my blog but I feel like I have sooo much to learn.
It’s hard to find sunlight in Ireland!
Thanks for all the tips! Photography is really something I want to improve on, and you always take such nice photos.
Thanks so much Katie. This is really great. I love KISS! LOL.
My apartment has absolutely terrible lighting and i almost always take pictures at 9pm or later. I’m moving November 1 so top on my list of new apartment wishes are larger kitchen, real dining area (right now I eat on the floor off my coffee table), and LIGHT!
I LOVE photographing and super editing people! Since most people don’t like posing for spontaneous photo shoots that means that I normally am doing self portraits and editing them for an eerie feel (and also to crop out the hand holding the camera! 😛 )
My biggest issue for food photography is the finding a pretty background. Should I go simple and realistic or a backdrop? Should I find something that goes with the food or just a random image? I don’t know! What types of backgrounds do you normally go for?
I usually try to keep it very simple, since I end up having a very-blurred background anyway and you can’t see any of the details in the background.
Sometimes I’ll put other foods in the background (like image #1 on this post), sometimes I set a place setting (like image 2), and sometimes I just focus close-up on the food. I also have a penchant for ribbons, but I’ll get more into that in Part Two (hopefully next week!).
I used to be very “against” taking pictures 🙂 But then I went to Madrid, took a lot of pictures while being there and I realized I actually enjoyed it very much 🙂 S now I am really interested in photography and all that stuff. But I am no profi, obviously 🙂
Nice tips Katie — I think my photography is getting better but I know I have a long ways to go!
These are great tips! I’m a newbie blogger, and just started a new job, so it’s a struggle to get dinner photos in when it’s still light out… do you have any suggestions for this one? Photograph leftovers the next day? Haha!
Haha yup, that would be my suggestion! I don’t have to worry about timing because I don’t photograph my meals, though.
SUPER DUPER Tips!!
Thanks Katie, always good reminders to have. 🙂
I’ve always admired your food photographs; thank you for sharing some of your tricks and secrets. And yes, I often do photograph my food, especially around the holidays. It’s great to break up a string of Halloween or Christmas photos in my album with a photos of food memories (like my handcrafted and utterly messy/rustic caramel covered apples or a plate of reindeer shaped sugar cookies made by my son).
thanks so much for sharing your tips! My biggest problem with photos is the lighting situation, especially once the clocks go back. I work 9 hours a day and am stuck in the office during prime food photo lighting! I may look into getting a light box…
This was a greatgreat post! I loved the tips! Thanks 🙂
Thank you so much for the tips! I would love to get better at my photography and right now I can’t even begin to afford a DSLR
Ugh I know, they are so expensive! I got mine when Costco was having a huge sale… normally, the prices are crazy high!
Great tips Katie! Most of my shots are done in the early am or late pm (dang 8-5 job!) so I use my light box a lot. Your photos look spectacular. I think I new to invest in a few mote white plates. They really make the colors splash.
Awesome tips! Somtimes I find myself getting a little frustrated when it comes to taking photos of food. This definitely helps.
Thank you SO much for this!! Seriously, I NEED some photography tips- mine is not so great! 😛 Yours is AMAZING and I love all your photos!! Especially your cookie dough pie one which I know I say every time but it is my absolute favourite photo in the WORLD!! I’m considering making it into a poster to hang in my room, but I know I’d get hungry all the time! 😛
LOL oh my word you are too funny.
I have more pie pictures to post today (not the cookie pie, but a chocolate bar pie). I hope you like them!! I do… but then again, they’re chocolate so of COURSE I like them ;).
I love, love, love photography. We just got out first assignment in AP Studio Art today and I am so excited (my portfolio is probably going to be just photographs and I might do my concentration on food). I love those tips. Very simple and basic for people whether they have taken a photography class or not. 🙂