Food photography is a lot more difficult than it seems. Not only do we have to work to get the perfect composition but we also have to produce the light perfect too. Once these elements are combined, we then need to style the look of the food in order to make it look tasty. Food styling is always done by a food stylist. In this guide I’ll give you specialized food photography tips.
Food photography lighting tips
It’s common practice to light food in a way that displays texture. Texture is an importantpart to the gross sales of food items. Showingor enhancing texture is done through side lighting. Side lighting indicates texture sinceit brings out the brighter areasand shadowson the food making it more interestingto the viewer.
Many food shoots are done using the soft, diffused light from a window.. Window light is diffused light that works to emphasize contrast without really having to do anything overly specialized. Many food photographers use a softbox to photograph that “clean and white” look, but they never flash the front of the food. I’ll clarify more in a moment.
Why food is never lit from the front
Beautiful food photography relies upon the angle of light for contrast to create texture. Even the most smooth surfaced foods like cheese will require side lighting to create some appeal. If the food is lit front-on we lose the texture that side lighting offers. Flat lighting can cause food to appear boring and unappealing.
You can also photograph very artistic images using food. You might have seen very attention-grabbing food photos that look extremely designed and carefully crafted. Innovative food photography is done with the help of food styling. Food stylists spend their working lives thoroughly designing the food and props in such a way that is easy on the eye. They employ design principles to style the image for marketable appeal.
There are a handful of food photography techniques you can utilise. Side lighting, using soft window or softbox light is a frequent way to light food. A gobo is a go-between. It's a portion of deep black fabric or cardboard that reduces the lighting in one part of the image. I use a variety of sizes of black pieces of cardboard that cost me only a few bucks from a stationery store.
You can utilise one light and gobo's for darker images that need a country or rustic feel. Soups, bread and veggies are common players in this field. Food images of country kitchens, wooden benches and old cutlery are things that come to mind when thinking of darker, dimly lit food photos. Many wholesome food products are photographed this way.
Alternatively you can use the "bright, white" method of shooting too. You may have seen brightly lit photos of breakfast cereal like cornflakes, sweet muffins and cookies that use lots of bright, white light. This method simply uses side lighting and another light to light up the background. Softboxes, white shoot through umbrellas and reflectors are ultilised in this style of food images.
Food photography is a lot of fun but very hard work. It’s very meticulous and fastidious at the best of times. If you like still life and being attentive to finer details then food photography might be perfect for you.
