Food Photography 101 | 14 Tips to Tantalizing Food Photos

Ready to brush up on your food photography skills? Make entrees, sides, appetizers and desserts look so good you can almost taste them! There's just something amazing about capturing that savory meal or the most delectable treats on camera. Let's get started with a beginner's guide - food photography 101!

Most Important Elements of Food Photography

Focus on these important elements of food photography as you hone your craft.

• Plating & Styling - Rather than snapping random photos, create the scene with deliberately arranged food and a place setting that complements the look you're trying to achieve. Focus on making the food look nice with its colors, textures, and positioning.

• Natural Lighting - Balanced, natural lighting tends to work for the best food photography. Plan your food photo shoots in the daytime and avoid your camera's flash at all costs. Keep it light and airy!

• Framing & Composition - Pay close attention to the elements you include in your photo and how you arrange them. Adding props like fresh flowers, herbs, or other eye-catching details can make a big difference on the vibe you create. Consider different angles and frame your shots with different points of focus until you get to know your style.

• Post-Processing - Feel free to edit your photos for minor enhancements, sharpening, and finishing touches.

Food Photography Tips

Try these food photography tips to capture every delicious detail in your photos:

Plating and Styling Tips

1. Think of the plate as a canvas. Create a masterpiece that's good enough to photograph and eat!

2. Start at the center. Build your subject outward from the middle, leaving enough room to dress up the dish and add a garnish if you wish.

3. Consider the background and surface. Some food photographers purchase specialty mock surfaces designed for food photography. Others get creative with what they have. Experiment and enjoy!

4. Have fun with colors. Consider the colors of the food and choose plates and accessories that either complement or stand out rather than going full monotone.

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

Food Photography Lighting Tips

5. Use natural lighting. Avoid the camera's flash at all costs.

6. Avoid harsh lighting and dark shadows. Check the lighting throughout the day to find a time with softer lighting. A light reflector can help improve the shadows.

7. Choose soft lighting from the side. Rather than lighting from in front, supplement light from the side if necessary.

8. Remember to turn off unnecessary lighting and close window shades. Odd glares and shadows can ruin a food photoshoot!

Framing and Composition Tips

9. Consider the angle. Some food photos look amazing from directly overhead, like a charcuterie board or cookie tray. Others may look better head-on to get a clear glimpse of texture. Don't be afraid to experiment and embrace diagonals!

10. Don't forget focus and depth of field. In most cases, you'll likely want to keep the entire food subject in focus and blur the background. Sometimes, you may wish to focus in on a particular bite or area of the food and let it gradually blur outward from there.

Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash

11. Be aware of negative space (empty space). It can be useful for social media and marketing, but may be unnecessary for general food photography. Add a creative element, instead!

Post-Processing and Editing Tips

12. Sharpen photos for more pop. Use your photo editing software to sharpen the photos a bit if desired.

13. Edit out the reflections on silverware, etc. Polish your food photos to perfection by retouching little details that didn't come out as professionally as you'd hoped.

Get to Know Your Camera

14. Use manual camera settings for greater control. Settings may vary, but aim for:

a. Low ISO - Setting a lower ISO relates to the sensitivity of the camera's sensor to light. When appropriate, a lower ISO allows you to minimize noise and grain in the captured images.

b. Low f-stop - The focal-stop sets the aperture, telling the camera's lens how much light to let in. Use a lower f-stop, for example within the f/3 to f/5 range, to let more light into the lens. This also impacts depth of field, which essentially means what is in focus both in front of and behind the subject.

c. White Balance - White balance pertains to the overall color composition and how colors adjust slightly to arrive at a palette where whites in the photo appear white. Adjust white balance to be softer or brighter to avoid an unnatural effect.

Food photography explodes on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, where delicious recipes and food ideas may go viral in a matter of minutes. You can show off something you've made or something amazing that you've ordered off a menu.

Create Your Own Recipe Book

Perhaps the most fun idea of all - create your own favorite recipes cookbook featuring your best food photos. Whatever the case, enjoy snapping truly amazing food photos every time!