Whether you are a food enthusiast that loves taking photos of your meals for the gram, or you’re looking to earn a spot on the cover of Bon Appétit, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite food photography tips to level up your skill and help you create more thought-provoking and refined imagery.

Get Up Close & Personal

Don’t be afraid to get in closer with your lens, or phone camera, to capture all the details. This video is a great example of the power of cropping and getting close to show off the herbs, spices, cheese, and other tasty details. If you are shooting on a phone camera, you can try using portrait mode or zooming your lens in.

Use Food Photography Backdrops

One of the greatest tools you can invest in for professional food photography is an inexpensive food photography backdrop. You can make your own for a pretty low cost by buying foam board and applying contact paper on it. I’ve also seen people purchase single square tiles from home improvement stores to create a surface to shoot food on.  Some of our favorite professional quality food backdrops are Replica Surfaces. But if that isn’t in your budget I highly suggest the DIY route.

Create a Unique Perspective

This is my favorite and also the most creative trick on this list. Most captivating photographs usually have one thing in common: they showcase a unique perspective that otherwise wouldn’t be seen or created.

Do a scan of your scene to see how you can build context into your photos to create an experience in an image rather than just focusing on taking photos of food. When you pair perspective with unique and interesting angle choices, you’re more often than not going to yield a more provocative photo that is sure to make people think. You can get close to objects and use them as your foreground to create the perception that you’re seeing it from the angle of the object, like we did in this photo to simulate the idea of taking the food out of the oven.

Here are some basic food photography tips if food photography has been peaking your interest and you’ve been wanting to give it a try.

Change Angles

Make sure you vary your angles when shooting food. Even food has a good side – you’re not going to shoot cupcakes the same way you’d shoot a bowl of hot soup. Tilt your camera a bit, shoot from above, from the edge of the table, sitting at eye-level. Also, if you’re shooting for a client, they will want quite a bit of variety so have that in mind.

Learn Lighting for Food Photography

Master the use of daylight techniques for food photography.  Put that camera flash away and snap photos next to a window. Natural light will make the food look more appetizing. Your angle of light is very important as well – back-lighting will bring out all the textures, and any steam or smoke coming from the food.

Most food photography in the marketplace right now is either using or mimicking daylight. The general principle is to use or create a very large light source (i.e. the sun) then soften and shape that light to flatter your subject.

Use a Napkin to Scrim Hard Light

Seems like a pretty obvious statement, but you would be surprised how hard it is to find good light in kitchens or outdoor areas. This is a fun trick you can do pretty much anywhere and works great for when you are in need of a scrim. Grab a napkin and hold it over your food to cast a shadow and scrim the sunlight from hitting it. This creates a diffused light source that is perfect for food photos.

Know The Food You’re Photographing

If you are interested in food photography, learn about food. One of the great benefits that I have had in my career is an intimate knowledge of my subject matter.

Know Food Styling…or a Food Stylist

Partner with a stylist. It is really hard to cook, style and photograph food on your own. If you have someone to share in the creative process with you, both will progress much faster. For more information and inspiration, read our article on food styling.

Bring In The Props

Props definitely enhance food photos, making them look even more desirable. Whether they show how the food is made by the raw ingredients placed around it to the color of the napkins and bowls, try to think about what props will tell the story of the dish you’re preparing.

Understand Your Food Photography Gear

You don’t need a fancy set-up when taking shots of food, but a few basic things like a tripod and some reflectors are always good to have. A tripod will help with your stability when getting those close-up macro shots. Reflectors can add a new element, whether it’s to bounce the light back onto the plate and reduce shadows, or if you want to cast a gold or silver tone to set the mood.

Learn the camera you have. If you really want to shoot food or anything else, you need to understand your tools. If you can master whatever camera you have and learn how to get the results you want out of that camera, then you’ll always have the skills that translate to any camera. Teach a man to fish…

Know How to Edit

Either learn how to use Photoshop or partner with someone who does. You will need to shoot RAW images, and you will need post-production expertise to make those RAW files into usable images. This is an essential skill for photographers.

Collaborate

If you don’t want to cook all of the dishes yourself, that’s understandable. You can’t wear all the hats, so reach out to others and collaborate. Chefs, specialty baristas, bartenders, bakers, culinary school folks, all these people already know how to present the food in all its excellence. Not only will you get a good end product, but you can also take some shots of these people preparing the goods, which is an added bonus.

Conclusion

Food photography has been booming in the recent years with many photographers ditching portrait and wedding gigs to concentrate their whole business solely on this niche. Since food will always be a necessity, it’s something pretty secure. Of course, you do need to network just like any other specialty niche, but the possibilities are endless: there’s restaurants, bars, coffee shops, small deli’s, farms, magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc. People will always be searching for that next delicious meal, or drink, so companies seek out photographers to capture the food’s good side.

If you want to see more of these bite-size (haha, get it) tutorials make sure you follow us on TikTok where we teach unique photo concepts no matter what gear you own. You’ll find more techniques like this in our newest course, Creative Photography 101, where we used only an iPhone camera to capture all images in the course just to show you how you can train yourself to see beyond what your eye sees.

8 Reasons Why Your Photos Are Blurry

If you’ve ever wondered, “why are my pictures blurry,” then review these 8 common reasons.

Camera Shake with Slow Shutter Speed

Camera shake occurs when the photographer doesn’t hold still enough when the shutter is open and doesn’t use a high enough shutter speed for the focal length. In short, if the photographer moves when taking a picture, especially at lower shutter speeds, your images could come out blurry.  To help avoid this, use a shutter speed that is at least the reciprocal of your focal length.  So, for example, if you are using a 200mm focal length, ensure that your shutter speed is at least 1/200th. This general rule of thumb is known as the reciprocal rule.

Motion Blur

Motion blur happens when elements in the scene are moving while the picture is being taken. This can be intentional, as in showing the movement in water or traffic in creative photography. Or it can be unintentional, when the shutter speed is too low and you see movement in your subject.  The faster the subject is moving, the faster your shutter speed needs to be in order to capture it without blur.

Shallow Depth of Field

Parts of a photo can be blurry with a shallow depth of field. This effect is typically intentional, with the subject of the photo in focus and the background or foreground out of focus.

Missed Focus

Sometimes a photographer simply misses focus, which happens more often in scenes with moving subjects. Some cameras and lenses simply have bad autofocus performance. With each improvement in camera and lens technology, missed focus is less and less of a problem. However, a photographer still needs to train his or her instincts, use the right focus modes, and use the right techniques to prevent the issue.

Air Quality

On a foggy day, a polluted day, or a humid day, particles in the air can affect the sharpness of a photo.  Hazy or dusty conditions can lead to a lack of sharpness and reduced contrast in your images. This can lead to an artistic, dreamy effect if used intentionally.

Subject Too Far Away

In general, the further the subject is from the camera, the higher your chance of getting blurry photos. Chances of air particles interfering, camera shake, missed focus all increase.

Light Quality

Lighting plays a critical role in photography, and poor lighting conditions can lead to blurry photos. Understanding how to work with natural and artificial light sources, and employing techniques like using a flash or reflectors, will ensure your subjects are well-illuminated and sharp.

Misaligned Focusing System

Sometimes your camera or your lens needs to be recalibrated.  For more information, see this article on how to recalibrate your lenses.

Tips to Avoid Blurry Photos

Use the appropriate shutter speed – Though many factors go into this decision, a good rule of thumb is to stick to the reciprocal of your focal length.  This is called the reciprocal rule.  So if you’re shooting at 200mm, keep your shutter speed at 1/200th or up.

Use a Tripod – If you need to drop to lower shutter speeds, use a tripod or monopod.  In fact, you can get creative with slow shutter speeds and tripods by intentionally capturing movement.

Take Multiple Photos – Take multiple photos of the same scene or moment so that you can choose the sharpest photo later in post production.

Increase Your Aperture – For wide angle photos or photos where your subject is further away from the camera, consider increasing your aperture.

Use Blur/Focus Correction Software – If you don’t have a sharp photo of critical moment, try fixing it in post production.  There are tools in Lightroom and Photoshop that can help, like the sharpen tool.  However, you may also want to explore software dedicated to fixing blurry photos.  Click here for more information on how to unblur a picture.  You might also check out software like Topaz Photo AI.

Upgrade your camera – New camera and lens technology will generally result in better image quality and better auto focus.  Many new mirrorless cameras also have Image Stabilization built into the camera, letting you drop your shutter speeds even lower without any camera shake.  If blurry photos is consistency a problem, consider upgrading.

Conclusion

Getting blurry photos can be a frustrating aspect of photography, but hopefully these tips can help you achieve the sharpness you desire in your photos.  By understanding the various reasons behind blurry photos and implementing the appropriate solutions, you can elevate the quality of your photography to new heights. Whether it’s overcoming camera shake, improving focusing accuracy, or adapting to environmental challenges, mastering these techniques will enable you to consistently produce sharp, stunning images that capture the essence of your subjects. Embrace these tips, and watch your photography soar to new levels of excellence. If you have a blurry photo that you’d like to fix, you might also be interested in our article on Apps and Software to Fix Blurry Photos.

Holiday Food Photography Tips for Shooting like a Pro

1. Pick the Right Hero
2. Shoot with Natural Light
3. Go Easy on the Props
4. Give Your Food Photography a Gentle Holiday Feel

1. Pick the Right Hero

If you’re just starting out, you’ll want to capture dishes that are naturally photogenic. This will get you the best photos the quickest, plus you’ll be more encouraged as you’ll notice your progress quickly.

Photo by Tajda Ferko

Photo by Tajda Ferko

I highly recommend starting with desserts like cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, brownies or doughnuts. Big showstopper desserts like layered cakes, bakery-style muffins and braided bread buns are always a winner too.

These will be much easier to capture than everyday dishes like stews, savory pies, soups, or starters. To put it simply, the more impressive the dish, the easier it will be to get a great photo.

2. Shoot Holiday Food Photography with Natural Light

Unless you have access to good-quality studio lights with the right type of diffuser, natural light is the way to go. If you’re a beginner, I assume you don’t own fancy lighting equipment so here’s how you’re going to get the most out of natural light.

Photo by Tajda Ferko

Photo by Tajda Ferko

• Look for big windows – Shoot during the day near a big, bright window.
• Use distance to adjust brightness – If it’s sunny outside, the light coming onto your scene might be too strong. Move further away from the window or cover it with a sheet of parchment paper or a very light piece of curtain/linen. This will diffuse the light, giving your scenes beautiful soft shadows.
• Move around – Don’t be afraid to move around to find the right type of light. You know how you probably move around a little bit to find the best light for selfies? Same goes for food photography.

[Related Reading: 10 Pieces Of Food Photography Equipment At Any Price Level]

3. Go Easy on the Props in Your Holiday Food Photography

One of the most common mistakes beginner photographers make is overcrowding their scene with too many props.

If you’re not super familiar with food photography, it’s very unlikely you’ll be able to balance out a complex scene. This can take years of practice and still remain a challenge. Instead, you’ll want to strip it down to the very basics. Here’s how:

• Let the food be the hero – Don’t use busy patterned backgrounds and vibrant coloured plates that will overpower your dish.
• Use minimal props – For example, if you’re shooting cookies, a glass of milk, some scattered chocolate chips and a piece of linen will be just enough.
• Keep it neutral – Don’t mix too many colours – pick one or two colours and stick to that. This will also make it easier to edit your image.

4. Give Your Holiday Food Photography a Gentle Holiday Feel

The festive season can sometimes feel like a celebration of all things busy & excessive. When it comes to food photography you’ll want to do the opposite – keep things simple and balanced.

I’m all about giving my photos a gentle holiday feel. This means including a few festive props without turning the scene into something that resembles an over-the-top Christmas tree.

If you study my holiday food photography, you’ll see my photos have an immediate holiday vibe without feeling too busy or intense.

Some of my favourite festive props that instantly bring about a feel-good holiday atmosphere include the following:

• Candles – From big to small, tea lights to candlesticks, neutral or colorful, they make a fantastic prop that helps set the scene.
• A string of fairy lights – Place them somewhere in the background to ensure they don’t distract from the main dish.
• Plants – think poinsettia, amaryllis, or a small Christmas tree. Keep them out of focus, somewhere in the corner.
• Gift boxes – a couple of small gift boxes will help tell your audience the story of a happy family/friends gathering.

[Related Reading: Food Photography Backdrops – Which One Is Best For Your Shoot?]

Conclusion

That about covers it! If you find these tips helpful or have any questions, make sure to let us know in the comments section below. Or, if you have more handy tips for holiday food photography, feel free to share them too!

About the Author

Tajda Ferko is a food photographer, recipe developer and blogger originally from Slovenia but based in Manchester, UK. She’s the founder of an award-winning blog My Vegan Minimalist and runs her photography business Bloomlight Creative, helping companies all over the world elevate their brand image with scroll-stopping photography.

Social Media for Tajda Ferko:  Pinterest | Instagram | Youtube

All photos used with permission from Tajda Ferko.

Food Photography Backdrops

1. Colors for Food Photography Backdrops
2. Textures
3. Materials
4. Sizes
5. Where to Buy Food Photography Backdrops
6. DIY Solutions

Best Colors for Food Photography Backdrops

Food tends to look its freshest and most vibrant when the background colors are neutral and desaturated. Greys, whites, blacks, and browns usually work well, especially if you are using brightly colored food like fresh herbs, peppers, fruits, or veggies. Marble is a tried-and-tested favorite and comes in a variety of neutral shades.

Vibrant colors work well if you’re looking for a more punchy and contemporary vibe. It helps to have knowledge of color theory to match up the perfect color combination, but you can always use a free color wheel app to give you contrasting and complementary colors. In the example above, notice how the watermelon and beverages pop against the textured, Emerald City backdrop.

Best Textures

To add more depth and interest to your backdrop without distracting the eye from your dish, look for backdrops that have textures like wood grain, rustic tiles, speckles, etc. While rustic food photography backdrops are very popular, it’s important not to go too far and use a backdrop that you wouldn’t normally see food served on. Rusty sheets of metal or bricks spring to mind here!

[Related Reading: 4 Food Photography Tips to Spice Up Your Photos]

Wooden Food Photography Backdrops

A classic choice, wood textures stand as a perennial go-to for food photographers. Wooden food photography backdrops offer a nice rustic-yet-classy feel, and they fit with the idea of either a wooden table for prepared food or a butcher’s board to showcase ingredients.

You can get wood in different shades and grains, from plain pine through to walnut, and wood can be painted (and repainted) different colors or given a distressed finish. For a more portable solution, you can also pick up printed backdrops. One of my favorite wood texture food photography backdrops to use is the Aged Cutting/Butchers Duo Board from V-Flat World. Each board features a different hyper-realistic, UHD-printed texture on each side (giving you two textures in a single board), and they’re light enough to easily transport and switch out when needed.

Subway Tile Backdrop Textures

Many a trendy kitchen features a subway-style tiled backsplash. Their simple, sophisticated appearance, usually in black or white, provides an elegant backdrop for your food photography. If your kitchen or shoot location doesn’t have tiles but you like the look, you can pick up some portable backdrop boards that feature this design.

Marble or Stone Backdrop Textures

Nothing says clean and classy like a highly sought after calacatta (marble) or stone-textured food photography backdrop. The look is elegant and it doesn’t distract from the star of the show, the dish you’re  capturing.

Best Materials for Food Photography Backdrops

I have a range of food photography backdrops in different materials. I have flexible vinyl sheets with photographs of wood, tiles, and more printed on them, I have rigid boards, different sized slates, and plain linens too. The material you use needs to be durable and cleanable, as you will get splashes and spills.

Vinyl Backdrops

Vinyl backdrops are easy to wipe clean with cloth and water. Don’t use chemicals on them, as it can strip the surface image off (I found out the hard way).

Printed Boards

Rigid printed boards can also be given a wipe-down, but beware if you are using heavily-colored foods like turmeric or chili powder, as they can stain and prove difficult to remove. Some boards are more washable and stain-resistant than others, so invest in quality boards up front to save money over time.

Linens

Linens can be washed, but again heavy food stains may leave a mark that won’t come out.

What Size Does a Backdrop Need to Be?

While you don’t need huge backdrops for food photography, it does depend on the angle you want to shoot your food from. If all you do is flat lays and shoot directly from above, you can get away with 2ft x 2ft board. If you want to shoot from the side or at an angle for a wider scene, then you’ll need a larger backdrop, like 30×40″ to make sure everything fits in. Most commercially available food backdrops are made in a variety of sizes, so having a mixture is a good idea.

Where Can I Get Food Photography Backdrops?

A number of food photographers and photography equipment retailers produce food-specific backdrops. Whether that’s flexible printed vinyl or bespoke wooden backdrops, you can find a variety of options. Places like Etsy often sell vinyl backdrops in style packs, and I got a pack of three from a seller on there. As I mentioned earlier, V-Flat World makes some of my favorite food photography backdrops with their double-sided boards. Some options are more expensive than others, but as with most things, you get what you pay for in terms of durability and good-quality prints.

Are There Any Backdrops I Can Create?

Yes! There are quite a few ways to DIY your own food photography backdrops. If you’re handy with a power tool then you can find offcuts of wood and create your own backdrops, but if you don’t have the time or skills to do that here are a few options:

• Porcelain or ceramic floor tiles – find at any home improvement store for just a few dollars. Get the largest size you can, and look out for matte finishes to cut down on glare in the photos.
• Craft and construction paper – Comes in different colors and will do well for close-up and top-down shots where you don’t need to show a lot of background.
• Paper grocery bags – Cut them up into flat paper sheets, crumple them a bit and flatten them out. Use the side that doesn’t have text on and they make a great rustic, textured backdrop.
• Parchment paper – again, crumple parchment and smooth it out or leave it flat to make a great backdrop.
• Large, plain white paper sheets, white table linen, or roll of white paper – don’t dismiss the plain white backdrop for food photography, it’s an absolute classic and gives you a blank canvas to let the food take center stage.

If you’re looking for cheap ways to light your food photos, then don’t forget that natural light is completely free!

[Related Reading: Beginner Food Photography Tips | How to Take Great Food Shots with Minimal Gear]

Conclusion

If you want to try your hand at food photography, then having a selection of food photography backdrops at the ready is a great idea as you will want to switch them up to suit the food, and also to stop your shots from looking repetitive. Hopefully, I’ve given you some inspiration here for choosing your backdrops, and the realization that they don’t have to cost a fortune. Perhaps you’ll end up like me – a backdrop addict, always on the lookout for a great backdrop to use in my next food photography shoot!

All images in this article are created by Nicole Young and post produced using  LuminarAI.

What are food and prop styling?

Food styling is the art of making a dish look beautiful. You might wonder what the difference is between a styled dish and an unstyled dish. In the example image below, the photo on the left shows what the dish looks like without styling; the food was cooked and poured into a bowl. On the right, the same dish was prepared in a much more deliberate way, with each item carefully placed in the bowl to make it balanced and full. Each version has its appeal, and even though the “unstyled” version is not highly curated, the food still was put into the bowl with care and photographed to look its best.

Food photographers tend to have their own personal food styling kits based on their preferences. Some items in my kit include a water bottle to spray a fine mist, tweezers, plastic spoons, and small bowls.

Prop styling, on the other hand, involves arranging items such as tablecloths, plates, flatware, and cups. I’ve collected a lot of different types of dishes and other props to use with my food photography so I can create photos that don’t look identical.

When photographing and styling food for commercial purposes, make sure you’re following the proper advertising protocols. If you’re creating food images for a company to use in a campaign, the food you’re photographing needs to be the real thing. For example, if you’re doing a commercial photo shoot for an ice cream brand, you must use real ice cream, not a fake version of it. I’m not a lawyer, though, so I can’t advise you on all the protocols you should follow. It’s important to do your own research when hired to create commercial food photos for a company.

Add leafy greens

Lots of delicious food is orange, red, or brown. These colors can look muddy and overwhelming in a photograph. One way around this is to add a touch of green. In the example below, I was photographing French toast with an orange fruit topping, along with butter and syrup. The food on its own is overwhelmingly orange, so to make it more colorful, I added mint leaves on top as a garnish. The mint suited the cuisine and also made the food brighter and contrasted well with the orange colors in the scene.

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Create grill and char marks when food styling meats

If you want to add some extra char or even grill marks to the food you’re photographing, there are a few ways you can do this. A crème brûlée torch allows you to scorch your food, making something crisp or cooking it a little bit more. And by using an electric charcoal starter, you can add grill marks to any food.

Have fun with fake ice cream

If you really want to have some fun, try making fake ice cream! This can be a good prop in any photo shoot — or even by itself. The recipe is simple: combine equal parts canned frosting and powdered sugar in a food processor until the consistency looks similar to ice cream. You can add nuts or food coloring to change it up and make it look like a specific flavor. Add toppings and you’ll have yourself some real-looking fake ice cream to photograph.

Replicate different tabletops

If you’re photographing food in a small space (perhaps in your kitchen), you probably won’t have room for multiple tables. It’s nice to have variety, though. A good way to get it is with vinyl or small sections of material that replicate the look of other surfaces, such as wood or concrete. These don’t take up a lot of space in storage but give you a lot of diversity. I also use pieces of fabric, and sometimes even old scarves or napkins, to create a tablecloth effect.

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Food styling tips for working with ice

Ice is a great addition to food photographs. It can make drinks frosty and add condensation to the scene. However, it can be difficult to work with because it melts so quickly. You do have the option of working with real ice, as I did in the photo of mint tea being poured into a glass. But you can also use fake ice. A quick tip: When using fake ice, if you’re putting it in a glass, make sure it rises above the surface of the liquid. Real ice floats (as you can see in the photo on the left), and if you have fake ice that’s sunk to the bottom it won’t look real. I use fake ice in glasses, often without any water, in the backdrop of many of my food photos.

Add bulk to fill the bowl

If you have a large bowl and you don’t want to use up all your food to fill it, you can always add something underneath the food to bulk it up. This tip is a good option if you don’t want items to sink to the bottom of soup, for example. An upside-down smaller bowl usually does a good job and is a great way to make garnishes in soup rise to the surface.

Add steam and heat

I like to have fun with moving elements in my food photography and will sometimes play around with adding steam to a photo. A handheld clothes steamer does a great job, especially when the scene is backlit and the food is photographed against a dark background.

Steam is also a good way to melt certain foods. This image of bread with a pad of butter on it wouldn’t be the same if the butter weren’t melted slightly, which I accomplished with a hand steamer.

Make it messy

For this Food Styling Tip, remember that not all food photos need to be perfect and pristine! Add some intentional mess or crumbs to the scene, as I did here with the sprinkles on top of a birthday cupcake. The sprinkles add an extra element and atmosphere to the photo, giving it more life and making the entire image more festive.

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Make it mouth-watering using LuminarAI

Once you have your photos cooked and styled to perfection, LuminarAI will help you boost them to the next level. Some tools that stand out are EnhanceAI to improve the lighting and contrast, the Color tool to remove any color cast, and the StructureAI tool, which helps improve the detail and clarity of an image to make food really pop off the plate.

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If you like how LuminarAI can help you level up your food photography, go to www.skylum.com and use the discount code SLRLOUNGE to save $10 on the full purchase price. Then start editing your own shots of tasty dishes with incredible AI tools!

From the Photographer

“I love the universal emotional connection that food has to us all,” says food photographer Sarah Crawford. “Food is inextricably tied to human experience, and through food photography, we can capture that connection. I also love how food photography is so democratic. You can have a tiny apartment with one window and still take as gorgeous a photo of food as someone on a commercial set with two food stylists, a prop stylist, producers, gaffers, and a director.”

Style Your Food to Set the Scene.

Styling your food is an important way to get the right look and feel for your photos.

Find the best angles for your bakery photography

Think about what’s most pleasing to the eye when displaying your food. For example, if you are shooting a cookie that has a beautiful decoration on top, show the top. If it’s a sandwich cookie, then you would want to show its layers.

Think about balance

Don’t place similar colors or shapes next to each other. You should space them out to create the most dynamic photo or otherwise, they will look too similar.

Don’t be afraid to get messy when styling for bakery photography

Taking bites out of your food is a great way to show its deliciousness in the photo. It’s like the photographer just couldn’t wait to eat it!

Bring it to life with props

Think about how you would actually enjoy the food you’re styling and incorporate that into your scene. These visual cues help tell your story.

Find Good Lighting to Avoid Your Food Looking Flat.

Food photography needs strong light. You should be 1-3 feet from your window when you shoot. Any further away and the light won’t be strong enough, causing your food to look flat.

• Say no to overhead lighting. Make sure to turn off any overhead lights since these tend to compete with your natural light.
• Use a single light source. When possible, shoot using a single light source, such as a window. Relying on multiple light sources – like two windows in a corner of a room –makes the light from these windows compete with each other, leading to a lack of shadows in your scene. Shadows are important for giving food dimension.

[Related Reading: 3 Phone Photography Hacks (for DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras, Too)]

Use Your Smartphone to Capture Amazing Photos.

You don’t need an expensive camera or fancy equipment to capture Instagram-worthy food photography. Your smartphone is all you need to get started!

• Make it easy! Use the Adobe Lightroom for mobile in-app camera to shoot your photos. You can easily capture and edit your photos all within the app.
• Adjust your brightness and stay focused. Don’t be afraid to manually adjust your brightness and make sure to focus your photo each time you shoot.
• Use the Rule of thirds. Use the grid guides to make a strong composition. Place the important parts of your scene at or in the middle of one of these lines. This will impart balance and harmony in the photo.

Easily edit like a pro with Adobe Lightroom for mobile.

Adobe Lightroom for mobile makes it easy for anyone to edit beautiful Bakery Photography.

• In a pinch? Presets can help! The Adobe Lightroom presets can make your editing a cinch and help you achieve an Instagram-worthy look for your photos. I also love using my Adobe Lightroom food photography presets I created that are free and available for anyone to use to kickstart their editing.
• Use the sliders to make fine-tune edits. I love using the sliders in the Light tool in Adobe Lightroom for mobile to adjust the highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks to make my scenes pop. Play around with what style works for you, but in general, using these sliders over solely contrast will make your photo look more professional.
• Refine your photos. The Healing Brush in Adobe Lightroom for mobile is a great way to remove unwanted crumbs or imperfections in your photo. The Effects tool sliders for adjusting texture, dehaze, and clarity are great for getting a crisp photo. 
• Color adjustments are key. With Adobe Lightroom for mobile, you can use the Color tool to alter the hue, saturation, and luminance of specific colors to best fit your scene.

Head over to the official post on the Adobe Blog site to see more from Sara and to learn how to install her presets for Lightroom. Let us know if you found these tips helpful in the comments below, and be sure to share some of your food photos as well!

Images shared with permission.

[Related Reading: How To Shoot Food Commercials Like A Pro – A Tutorial From Syrp]

Food Photography Tips Covered In This Video

1. Defying Gravity with the Magician’s Burger – Showing off all of the elements in your perfected dish can be complicated sometimes. That’s why with this trick you can display each ingredient exactly the way you want. Build up a multi-level rig of wires to layer your ingredients on separate levels. Don’t forget the small details ;)
2. Cooking with Fire & Ice – This one may be a little more complicated than the others, but it’s worth it in the end. With a frozen fish prepared and lit from some creative angles, it’s time to bring in the fire to add something special to the shot. Layering all the shots together in the end to give you something beyond epic.
3. Health Explosion – Safety first! Be sure to waterproof your set and gear! Then prep your lighting to be able to freeze motion, and then the fun can begin! Prep your liquids in a balloon and get ready to pop! Layer by popping multiple balloons and adding elements of the ingredients thrown in the air.
4. Purple Rain – Prep your main item (in this instance it’s cabbage) to be suspended in the air by drilling or poking holes through it to run some wire, and then prep your sauces to be drizzled over it. Using the same high-speed settings from your lighting to capture the balloon pops you’ll be able to capture gorgeous droplets on your subjects quickly and easily!

Check out the incredible finished food images below;

Purple Rain

The Magicians Burger

Health Explosion

Fire & Ice

Photographer: Helge Kirchberger
Chef: Jörg Bruch

No food was wasted for this video. All used items were used for a team dinner after the production of this video. If you do try to create some epic food photographs, be sure to tag @SLRLounge & @thecooph and #coophshoutout on Instagram for a chance to be featured in our stories. We can’t wait to see your pics!

Note: The lenses listed below are all for full frame cameras. Additionally, the prices listed are current as of May 10, 2018.

Mid-Telephoto Macro Lenses

You could have guessed this lens would make the list. Macro lenses are famed for their sharpness and close focusing ability in stills and video. Some of the options below include image stabilization, making it well suited to produce smooth video should you need to shoot handheld.

• Canon 100mm Macro f2.8L – $749
• Nikon 105mm f2.8 – $896.95
• Sony 90mm f2.8 Macro G OSS – $998
• Panasonic Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f2.8 – $797.99
• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens – $399

3rd-Party Alternatives

• Tamron 90mm Macro f2.8 – $649
• Sigma 70mm f2.8 – Coming Soon

Is the 100mm is the best lens for food photography?

In food photography, you want to transport the viewer, to entice them to experience the food, to want to eat it. An effective way to do this is through close-up details. Things like water droplets on ingredients or the way food glistens are well-captured with a 1 to 1 macro lens like this Canon. By showing them life-size, you bring the experience of the food to the viewer.

But, macro lenses aren’t only for macro photography, and by pulling back and revealing the food in its setting, you can add context to your story. Even more, on a food shoot you may find yourself needing to photograph a portrait of a chef, and although that’s an entirely different type of work, the 100mm f/2.8L Macro can do that job, too.

As a bonus, the 100mm f/2.8L Macro is one of the best bargains in their L line-up, delivering tack sharp images with beautiful color and contrast for $799. If you’re a couple hundred dollars shy of that and ready to pick up a macro lens today, Canon does offer an even more affordable, non L version which is still quite nice.

If you don’t shoot Canon, worry not – here are alternatives for other systems:

• Fujifilm XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro
• Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
• Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro
• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro

24-70mm f2.8 Zooms

Versatility is the name of the game with the 24-70mm. And if you can only get one lens to do the job for video and stills, this will cover your food photography and then some.

• Canon 24-70mm 2.8L II – $1,699
• Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 – $1,796.95
• Sony 24-70mm 2.8 GM – $2,198
• Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 – $897.99
• Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 – $849

3rd-Party Alternatives

• Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 G2 – $1,199
• Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art – $1,199

50mm Fast Primes

The standard prime allows you to create separation from your background and give you option of shooting top down images. However, when choosing a lens, the wider your aperture opens the wider your wallet will as well.  If that’s not in the budget for you, check out the finance-friendly alternatives below.

• Canon 50mm f1.2L – $1,299
• Nikon 58mm f1.4 – $1,596.95
• Sony/Zeiss 50mm 1.4 – $1,398

3rd-Party Alternatives

• Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art – $849
• Tamron 45mm f1.8 SP – $399

f1.8 Alternatives – “Nifty”

• Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM – $125
• Nikon 50mm f1.8 – $216.95
• Sony 50mm f1.8 – $198

24mm Wide Angle Primes

If you want to shoot food recipes and prep demos you’ll need to show your hands and all the necessary ingredients. A wide prime will give you the perspective you need for your next cooking tutorial, time lapse, or recipe demo.

• Canon 24mm f1.4L – $1,549
• Nikon 24mm f1.4G ED – $1,996.95
• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f2 – $799
• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f1.4 – $997.99

Third Party Alternative

• Sigma 24mm f1.4 Art – $1,199

Conclusion

When first building a photography kit, versatility is key. You’ll want to start your gear collection with pieces that will offer the most bang for the buck. Of course, what you need will depend on the types of photography in which you specialize. If your niche happens to be food photography, we hope this article has helped you determine the best lens for food photography.