Food! Delicious, delicious food.
Whether you’re out and about and discover some magical treasure hidden in the far reaches of a hipster restaurant, or cook something spectacular at home, it’s nice to know that we all have a camera conveniently attached to our phones and we can take sweet pictures.
Now here’s the thing, how DO you take nice pictures of your food? I mean, your food looks great, it’s yummy, but you want to convey that through your photo!
Not to worry, here are some simple tips to help you out!
Natural Light
Try to take advantage of the natural light as much as possible! Sunlight brings out a nice feel and hey, if you’re in a restaurant, they usually have nice lighting to create a relaxing ambience in their establishment anyway, so try to make good use of it instead of the flash from your camera. At home? You gotta find your own light, it’s best to take pictures of your food during the day, as the natural sunlight brings a sense of… well, a nature-like aesthetic to it. As if to remind your viewers that your food is made from the earth, natural and healthy. Is your food healthy? That’s another question.
Presentation
Well, if you’re at a restaurant, you’re hoping that they already did a good job with making your food look nice, right? It should be picturesque by default. Well, how about your own home cooked food? A general rule of thumb is that your food should be at the centre of the plate, and the plate should be big enough to create enough room for your food to be in the centre. Some dishes don’t have to be perfectly neat, like pasta or a salad, while others look nice when they’re in perfect shapes, like cakes.
Light angles
More about light. It’s almost as if light helps us see things better or something. This one is pretty straightforward. DON’T take a photo with the light directly behind you, you’re gonna end up casting your huge shadow and spoiling the look. DON’T have the light in front of you, the bright light will make super sharp contrasts and if the light source is within frame, it’ll wash out the image. Ew. Take your photo with the light sources at the side. The light will show the content, but won’t get in the way, ya dig?
So, there you go! Hopefully this little guide gets you inspired to try something new! Oh, speaking of inspiration, don’t be afraid to take inspiration from other people online! Go through and find what you think is cool, and practice! If you never try, you’ll never know~
