Food Photography
Food Photography…it’s something that we take out our phones first before we start eating. Something that we post on the grams to show the details of what we put into our body and to recommend friends / family. What’s the phrase that we always say? Camera’s eat first?
Today I want to deep dive into the angles that we can get with food photography and define what it is. Let’s start.
Overview
Food Photography is a type of photography where food / drink / meal / experience is captured. The creativity behind food photography is quite interesting as there are different angles and focuses that can be done with food. Food photography does not always have to pertain with the food that is in front of you but overall surroundings as well. It can range to a simple ramen meal to a complex steak at a fancy restaurant. The purpose is to capture the experience from close ups to wide angle and more!
Things you need
Camera (Phone Camera, Point and Shoot, or Actual Camera)
Food (ideally multiple dishes…I will explain why…)
Angles
There are a variety of angles for food photography that people can get. From the top where the phone is looking down at the food, to close ups from the side to normal wide angle 45 degree shots to having foreground / background shots and they all work out as food photos. There is no one right solution to be honest.
Tip 1: Get up close to your food
Why wouldn’t you get close to your food for photos? The purpose is to show the appeal of the dish that you are eating. It is good to capture the deliciousness and intensity of the dish that you are eating. Here ya go…(below)
Example Photos:
First Photo: Delicious Ox-tail Pho. Probably the best tasting pho that I had ever had in my life. Hands down.
Second Photo: Clay Pot Rice from Wagyu House. The bottom of the claypot had crispy rice and it made the whole experience a pleasure to eat.
Third Photo: Mantou Bread that just came out from the oven. With condensed milk added on and a crispy bread, life changing experience.
Fourth Photo: Clam Chowder from Half Moon Bay. Just perfect.
Tip 2: Get photos of the chef / cook in action if you can
The chef / cook has the artistic skill to make everyday normal ingredients and turn it into the masterpiece in front of you. Whether it is at a fancy restaurant or not, if you are able to get a photo of the chef / cook in action, definitely recommend it. It may not be possible to ask the waiters if you could hop into the back to get photos as it is typically difficult to get by to but at certain restaurants, it is possible.
Example Photos:
First Photo: My piece of tomahawk stake being prepared in front of me.
Second Photo: Chef cooking up more steaks for the customers using the tools that they have to properly roast it under the right conditions.
Third Photo: The chef is cutting up the wagyu beef, in preparation for cooking.
Fourth Photo: Chef is cutting up the steak prior to serving.
Tip 3: Get a foreground / background with the food
The foreground / background blur is essential when it comes to food photography. It helps add perspective and helps with the focus of the image. The viewer will look at the photo and tend to focus on the sharpest object more so than the blurry focus. Listed below are some examples of the photos that I took.
Example Photos:
First Photo: Poke nacho served. With bread as the background and soup in the foreground. The Poke nacho is in focus and acts as a middle ground for the image
Second Photo: Photo of Honey Walnut Shrimp. Foreground is a photo of string beans / veggies while the background is a friend who is fascinated by the food.
Third Photo: Wagyu Steak, there are elements in the photo where it is mostly blurred except the steak. Helps the viewer look at the deliciousness of the steak rather than everything else that would be “distracting” for the eye.
Fourth Photo: Photo of the bone marrow dish, wanted to focus on the food and have the chef on the background to show that the work that he produced is in front of me.
Tip 4: Flip your phone camera upside down
Flipping your phone camera upside down helps you get the lens lower to the ground for some close up shots of the food. Just like how a lot of photographers would squat to the ground to get an emphasis on how wide something is, it is almost the same idea. The point is to show how grandeur and amazing the food is looking up at it.
Tip 5: The human element
Adding in human expressions or actions with the photos add a bit more candid factor to it. For instance, chopstick sticking in from a top down shot for example would be a great way of showing how delicious the food is and the “candid-ness” of the shot.
Example Photos:
First Photo: Chopsticks in a shot showing that the person is grabbing something from the dish
Second Photo: Hands out! Looking like the person is handing you gimbap to eat
Third Photo: Facial expression shows how delicious the food is
Fourth Photo: Pouring sauce into a photo is one of my favorite ways to show how delicious a dish is. The sauce pour just makes the dish look even more satisfying to eat when the sauce is all poured in there.
Fifth Photo: A person cooking the meat is also another good one, showing the action of the food being cooked
Tip 6: Showing things that are not food
Food Photography is not just about the food and the cook, it can also include the surrounding environment. Things such as signs, utensils, ingredients and other things around in the scene would add to the attractiveness of the overall photo collection and the experience.
Example Photos:
First Photo: Photo of the restaurant name. Bonjuk.
Second Photo: Utensils with the restaurant name, Quarters.
Third Photo: Picture of a poster at the gimbap spot.
Fourth Photo: Photo of coconuts that are right outside the shop to show that the fruits are fresh.
