Food Photography

Food photography has become very popular with the development of social media, specifically through Instagram, making it easy for us all to photograph and share our meals. But for some, food photography is an art that requires more time and effort than your average Instagram post, one of whom is David Loftus, whose work I previously wrote a blog post about. So, if you want to take more professional food photographs like David's, use the tips below:

1. Use a good quality camera. It doesn't have to be the best DSLR available, it could in fact be the camera on your phone, but ensure the colours are natural and the details are sharp.

2. Try to use natural light instead of a flash as this often flattens the dish and removes the natural element.

3. Use a tripod. You want the sharpest photograph possible which will be achieved through stability from the tripod. Also, a tripod will help you capture interesting angles, another very important element to food photography. A popular angle is the birds eye view that looks directly down on the dish which can be achieved using a tripod but other angles may be more appropriate for different foods, e.g. when photographing a tiered cake.

4. Be careful with composition. Remember the food is the main subject so don't overuse props as they may be distracting, but with composition, if it looks right to you it will generally look right to others so trust your instincts.

5. Photograph the food at its freshest as this looks most natural. With fruit and veg add a quick spray of water to add brightness and freshness.

I love food photography because I love food in general, but also because I think it's amazing how food photographers can make anything look appetising. Their use of lighting and depth of field is fascinating as it can make food jump off the page and draw the viewer's eyes directly towards the main food item even if props have been used. Props, as well, are very interesting in each photograph as I found the photographer is often very precise with the props without them seeming our of place or unnatural. Also, I think we forget how important food photographers are for chefs as great food photographs can completely change a recipe book.

To see some great examples of food photography check my blog post on David Loftus.

Bibliography: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-photograph-food