ebook | food photography

B y A d am D u ckwo r t hebook | food photography

REAL FOOD CAPTURED THE
MOMENT IT’S READY, IN ALL
ITS TASTY GLORY //Food photography doesn’t
get more fresh than the hotsauce being poured over thedish in the final moments of
preparation

In the times before digital, film was slow and it
led to a whole black art of food photography. Lotsof ingredients and foodstuffs were faked so theywould last longer under hot studio lights. Using
engine oil to replace gravy, mashed potato as fakeice cream and varnishing glasses with corn syrup to look like condensation
was all part of the pro food photographer’s arsenal.

[ Introduction ]But nowadays, everything is much more authentic and real. Real food is
captured the minute it’s ready, in all its fresh and tasty glory. Very little is

Nowadays it seems every time you go to a restaurant, there’s somebody
shooting a photo of their plate of food to post up onto some social media
network to share with their friends. In fact, it’s become so widespread thatsome top restaurants have now banned it!

faked. And thanks to instant capture with digital cameras, you can see theresults you are getting straight away.
There has never been such high demand for great photographs of food as
the cookery industry is booming – both to provide healthy and fresh meals

While taking a quick snap with your phone can be a blast – and can be

and as entertainment. TV is full of celebrity chefs and there are now hundreds

improved with a little know-how such as a small LED light to boost theof cookbooks, food magazines, cookery blogs and websites. And with manylighting – taking professional-quality photos of food can be fun and not ascity centres now being filled with cool coffee shops anddifficult as you’d think. And it’s largely thanks to digital SLRs that can work

restaurants, the need for great images of food is still increasing.

really well at lower light levels due to their amazing high ISO capabilities.

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As a creative outlet, shooting images of food and ingredients offers some ofebook | food photography

SOME OF THE BEST FOOD
PHOTOS CAN BE DONE IN
YOUR HOME USING PROPSYOU ALREADY HAVE _don’t even need to be a great cook. Colourful
shots of fruit or vegetables can be just as alluring

A fresh salad with a few
slivers of truffle may
look exotic, but can be
photographed using relatively
simple equipment

as a fine dish of expensive ingredients prepared bya talented chef.
Of course, some professional foodphotographers have purpose-built studios with pro
kitchens and huge refrigerators, massive windows
to let in natural light, banks of flash heads andcontinuous artificial lighting. But with the modern
the most fun and rewarding photographic experiences. And it needn’t be tooquest for authentic food, then often natural window light can be best. And it’sstrenuous on equipment or even costs of the food itself. Simple ingredients

easy to modify using either purpose-built diffusers and reflectors or you cancan, with some thought and very basic equipment, be turned into stunningeven do some DIY cheap fixes.
In this guide, we’ll be telling you about the equipment you’ll need and theimages using a simple camera.
All you need is a decent camera that allows you to control the exposure,a good tripod and a few ideas! Some of the best food photos can be done inyour home using the props you already have - like plates or cutlery. And you

03

techniques to use to take some truly great photographs of food.

ebook | food photography

01.
Use great foodIt’s often about picking
the freshest ingredients,
Fresh food just looks better- bright and appetising.
When buying ingredients,
pick the freshest and bestlooking you can. And whenarranging the food in yourshots, really scrutinise thefood in fine detail to makesure you don’t see any
wrinkled or messy bits

02.
Don’t over-cook
In fact, it’s best to stop
cooking before the foodis fully ready as it willcontinue to cook itself evenwhen removed from theheat. So a medium steak
will end up looking welldone by the time the photois taken

03.
Consider the light
Photography is all aboutlight. And great light reallytransforms your photos.
The quality of light iscrucial – whether it’s hardor soft. Hard sunshine canbe dramatic, but softer,
more diffuse light is often
more suitable for shooting
food. And light that comes
predominantly from behindthe subject shows off the
textures better than lightfrom the front

04.
Think about thecomposition
Don’t just plonk the foodin the middle of a table
and shoot it from headheight. Think about thecompositional elementsin the shot, such as theangle of the food itself on
the plates or any props.
Don’t be afraid to crop out
anything unnecessary. And
think about your camera
viewpoint. Shots from a
low angle can work, as wellas three-quarter shots andimages looking directly
down on the subject

04

05.
Arrange thestylingDifferent backgrounds,
plates, cutlery, dishes andnapkins should all work
together to tell a story
about the dish and in mostcases, shouldn’t clash.
A rustic meal may lookbetter on a more weatheredbackground surface withplain plates, for example.
And a haute cuisine dishcould work better withangular and modern plates
and cutlery

06.
Highlight the
ingredients
If your finished dish uses
various spices or raw
ingredients, then it’s great
to show these alongside
the dish as it tells a story
about what’s in the food.
This can be as simple assome carrots next to a bowlof carrot soup, or somegrated chocolate next to ayummy chocolate pudding07.
Use the rightcamera kit
A modern DSLR is an
ideal camera, fitted with alens that can focus closeenough to get the shot
you want. This may meana specific macro lens, ora zoom lens that offers
macro capability. A solid
tripod is an essential pieceof equipment, too. As are a
few reflectors or diffusers
to modify the natural light.
And a cable release can bea great buy, tooebook | food photography[ Choosing and using the right kit ]Photo equipment
For the ultimate in flexibility and cost, then a modern digital SLR camera isideal. The image quality is great, the performance at high ISO is wonderful andmany cameras have a Live View option where you can see your compositionon the screen before you take the shot. If your camera has a screen that tilts
or swivels, this can be a great aid in getting the exact composition of yourphoto spot on. Often the camera can be at a high angle so if your screen
articulates and can be angled down, it can be a great help.
More expensive cameras from manufacturers’ semi-pro ranges or above
may have what’s called a full-frame sensor. This is a larger sensor than in the
more common APS-C size “crop sensor” cameras that most enthusiasts own.
They are usually significantly more expensive and take more costly and bigger
full-frame lenses, but can give superior results especially in low light.
Top professionals sometimes use medium format cameras which havehuge sensors, and some use tilt and shift lenses or “technical” cameras
which marry up medium format digital backs to lenses that offer tilt and shift
movements. This means the plane of focus can be placed precisely where it’swanted. But they are vastly expensive and difficult bits of kit to master, andreally are the realms of the well-heeled, full-time food photographer.

A full-frame DSLR, macrolens, solid tripod and areflector can give truly
professional-quality foodimagesOf course, you can use a basic compact camera or CSC camera. That’s aCompact System Camera, sometimes called a Mirrorless camera. These can05

ebook | food photography

give great image quality and are smaller and lighter than DSLRs. They can alsooffer image stabilisation or vibration reduction, too. But the choice of lenses
for some of the CSC cameras can be a bit limiting, especially when it comesto shooting close up. And often, top CSCs and their lenses are more expensive
than DSLRs.
Compacts can be used, too. Especially if they are one of the top-end
enthusiast models that have large image sensors, can shoot in Raw and canbe adjusted manually. In all cases, it’s not the camera that makes the photo
but the eye and skill of the photographer. But it’s a tough break if you’ve
carefully set up a lovely food shot and you’re let down by a camera that can’t
focus close enough or you can’t adjust.
If you really do get hooked on food photography and are using a DSLR, thenone option is to shoot it “tethered” to a laptop. This usually involves runninga cable between your camera and laptop. Then using a program like Adobe
Lightroom or Capture One, the images you take are instantly stored on thecomputer’s hard drive and displayed full-size on the laptop screen. This means
you can see the image you’ve shot far better than on the camera’s muchsmaller LCD screen. It can be great for checking precise focus and framing.
For lenses, a purpose-made macro telephoto of between 60mm forcrop-sensor cameras and 105mm for full-frame cameras is an ideal lensfor shooting food. They focus incredibly close and let you keep a decent
working distance between the food and the camera. They are available from
Top: A macro lens lets you
capture close detail.
Below: An electronic cablerelease is a useful accessory

your camera manufacturer or, usually more cheaply, from independent lensmanufacturers too.
Of course, you can use your standard or kit lens if it focuses close enough– and many do. Lots of telephoto zooms have a macro facility which means

06’IT’S NOT THE CAMERA THAT
MAKES THE PHOTO BUT THE
EYE AND SKILL OF THE
PHOTOGRAPHER/
they can focus closely, too - although you may find you are a bit distant fromthe food. A wideangle-to-short telephoto zoom, like a 24-70mm lens, cangive a variety of options if you don’t need to get too close to the subject. Anda fast-aperture prime like a 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.8 can be a bonus, too.
Especially if you like the effect of very shallow depth of field.
You can also buy close-up lenses that screw onto your lenses’ filter
threads, or close-up tubes that go between your lens and camera body. Thesemethods can work well but have largely fallen out of favour in recent times.
Most food photographers like the convenience of a prime macro lens.
Of course, precise framing of the camera in lots of different positions, andmaking sure it’s held firmly in place is a key requirement for anyone shooting
food. Look for a solid tripod from a well-known manufacturer like Manfrotto.
Carbon fibre tubes are lighter and can damp vibration better than the more
sturdy aluminium tripods. In either case, ensure you get a tripod that’s sturdy
enough for the weight of your camera and lens.
To trigger the camera, it’s best to use a remote release. That way you’re
not having to physically push the shutter release on the camera body which
can cause unwanted vibration. Some cameras can be controlled remotely via aplug-in receiver, or even via wifi or smartphone app. You can also remotely fire
tethered cameras by the tethering software.

ebook | food photography

Using natural light and somereflectors, it’s possible toget fantastic images of foodinside and outdoors

PHOTOGRAPHICREFLECTORS COME
IN A VARIETY
OF SIZES AND
FINISHES/Lighting equipment

available in a variety of grades, which refers to how much light they cut out.

Shooting great images of food is one area of photography where manipulating

Reflectors can be made by using bits of white card or even large

natural light can be a key skill. Diffuser panels to cut out harsh sunlight, andpolystyrene panels from DIY shops. But again photographic reflectors come inreflector panels to reflect light back in to shady areas on the subject, are key

a variety of sizes and finishes so can be easily tailored to each individual shot.

bits of equipment that most food photographers would find invaluable.
A diffuser panel can simply be made by hanging up a clean white bedsheet

Some reflectors come with a variety of slip-on covers that range from white
to silver, gold, silver/gold and even black. This allows you to change the lookover a window, for example. This will cut light down significantly, so a betterof the shot by trying different panels quickly. And real photo reflectors canoption is a purpose-built photographic diffuser as made by Lastolite. They areeasily be fitted to lighting stands to hold them in precisely the right position.

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ebook | food photography

An incident flash meter willtell you what aperture to set
your camera to

A large softbox mimics
window light in a studioenvironment

Other bits of kit can be an incident light meter, which is vital if you aregoing to use flash. Flash – either from speedlights or studio lights – needs tobe modified and usually made softer if it is to work for shooting food. Large
softboxes or panels of diffusion material can be key accessories.
In recent years, LED lights have largely taken over from the very hotrunning tungsten and very expensive HMI daylight-balanced continuous
lights. LEDs can be really useful in lighting food photography.

08

FLASH USUALLY NEEDS TO BE
MADE SOFTER IF IT IS TO
WORK FOR SHOOTING FOOD

ebook | food photography[ Mastering yourcamera’s settings ]If you are the sort of photographer that simply sets their camera to autoeverything and hopes for the best, then shooting food photographs using
natural light will actually give decent results in many situations. However,with backlighting, white tablecloths and plates, dark food and lots morefactors, this can easily combine to fool your camera into getting it hopelessly
wrong. It is far better to take control of the settings either using aperture or
shutter priority, or even better – fully manual. That way you have full creative
control and consistency through your shoots.
The first thing you should really do is to shoot in Raw format instead of
Jpeg. Many people start off with Jpegs as they just seem easier to use andcan be read by any computer. But if you use a Raw file, then the image quality
will be higher, it’s far easier to control any blown highlights or recover shadow
detail, too. And changing white balance is far more accurate. Of course, Raw
files take up more space on your camera’s card and on your computer hard
drive and there is an extra step in processing the files via a program like Adobe
Lightroom. But for the control and improvement in quality, it’s definitely
worthwhile.

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ebook | food photography

IT’S BEST TO TAKE YOURCAMERA’S WHITE BALANCESETTING OFF AUTO _For ISO, it is best to set your camera to its lowest native ISO setting
which is usually 100 or 200. This will give the best image quality and highest
dynamic range, too. Of course, unless it’s very bright this may mean yourshutter speeds are low, so you will need that sturdy tripod!
While on a tripod, most manufacturers recommend your turn off any
vibration reduction (VR) or image stabilisation (IS) technology, or use a special
tripod mode if your camera’s VR or IS settings have it.
It’s also best if you take your camera’s white balance setting off auto, too.
The best thing to do is use a white balance target to take a custom whitebalance reading for every shot. Or take a photo of a white balance target, inthe same light as your subject so you can correct it in your Raw converter
later. Alternatively, pick one of the settings that most closely matches yourscene, such as cloudy or daylight.
For focusing, it’s best to use manual focus so you can really nail the point
Setting your camera to its
base ISO, such as 100 or
200, will give the best quality
results possibleof focus precisely on the area you want it. At such close distances between
the subject and camera, focusing is critical. It can be good to use Live View
and zoom in to make sure you’ve got it perfect. Alternatively, set yourautofocus to single shot and move the AF selection point over the part of the10

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IF THE LIGHT CHANGESYOU HAVE TO ALTER THE
SPEED OR APERTURE/
table, the camera will be fooled into underexposing as it tries to make thescene an average 18% grey. So you would have to dial in some + exposurecompensation. Just take a test shot, check out the image on the histogram
and tweak the exposure compensation until the shot has a full range of tones.
The main two modes are aperture priority and shutter priority. In aperturepriority you dial in the aperture you want, and the camera works out and setsa shutter speed that’s right for the light conditions. You then fine tune using
Shallow depth of field fromwide apertures means
accurate focusing is essential

exposure compensation. Similarly for shutter priority, where you set a speed
subject you want in sharp focus. Multi-point AF or Auto-AF can easily pick

and the camera calculates an aperture. Of course, you could use programon the wrong part of the image and you may be left with a shot that’s out ofmode where the camera sets both which is far from ideal as you relinquish any

focus.

control.

When it comes to setting the exposure, the camera’s built-in lightmeter

But if you are using aperture or shutter priority then dialling in exposure

can work well, especially if it’s an advanced camera with multi-matrix

compensation to get the exposure right, you may as well use fully manual.

metering. But with lots of backlighting around, more often than not any

Pick either an aperture you want or shutter speed, then change the otherautomatic mode will involve some tweaking of the exposure. If the scene isvariable until the exposure is right. Of course, if the light changes then you’ll

predominantly white, for example a white cake on a white plate on a white

have to alter the speed or aperture.

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ebook | food photography

The mid tones of a subject
like these potatoes usuallymeans your camera’s
exposure will be accurate

THE CAMERA’S BUILT-IN
LIGHTMETER CAN OFTEN WORK WELLBUT YOU MAY NEED SOMECOMPENSATION
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ebook | food photography

Choose the right aperture
The aperture or f-stop governs the depth of field of the shot and is usually
the governing factor in food photography. Depth of field is how much
front-to-back sharpness there is. A wide aperture is a small f-stop number,
typically something like f/2.8. At a wide aperture like this, the depth of fieldis very small. So the part of the image you have focused on will be sharp, buteverything further away or nearer to the lens will be out of focus. This is agood way to really highlight a part of an image and can be very creative but it
must be used with care. Too shallow a depth of field can make a shot just too
blurry to recognise, if you’re not careful.
At a narrow aperture – a large f-stop number like f/22 – then the depth offield is wide. So everything from near the camera to much further away is in
focus. This can lead to the subject having no clear point of focus, though. So
selecting the right aperture for the creative effect you want is a key part ofphotography.
One other consideration is diffraction, as at very small apertures like f/32
there will be some image softness. Similarly, lenses are not at their sharpest
wide open. So an f-stop that’s within two stops of the maximum andminimum f-stop is a good place to be if you want maximum image quality.

A narrow aperture like f/22
means most of the macarons
are in sharp focus.

At f/2.8, only a small
selection of the food is sharp

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ebook | food photography

Choose the right shutter speed
With the camera locked down on a tripod and a subject that isn’t moving,then shutter speed isn’t a huge issue. Especially if you use a cable release andyour camera has Mirror Lock-Up to reduce any vibrations.
But if there is some movement in the shot, such as water pouring overstrawberries like in the examples here, then shutter speed can be a factor.
Very long shutter speeds, like two seconds on one of these images, hasturned the cascade of water into a long, blurry line that a much more dreamy
effect than the pin-sharp water taken at 1/1000sec. Experiment with shutter
speed to get the desired effect.
Of course shutter speed does affect aperture, and you may wish to set a
certain aperture for a specific depth of field. In that case your only real option
is to change the camera’s ISO, use Neutral Density filters or increase the lighton the subject.

At an exposure of 2sec, themoving stream of water isblurred.

At 1/1000sec the water jet islargely frozen

14ebook | food photography[ Styling the shot ]One of the guiding principles of foodphotography is that it should make you wantto eat the subject of the photos! By using lightand carefully styling the shot, the aim is to set
a mood or tell a visual story about the foodthat simply makes it more appetising. That canbe by including various ingredients around thefinished dish or using props to set a scene. So
a home-made pork pie with some coarselyground mustard and artisan bread on a rustic
background, bathed in late-afternoon sunlight,
for example. Or a plate of breakfast pastries
with jams and a coffee.

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ebook | food photography

A wooden chopping board
on a wooden table with acountry tablecloth matches
the rustic nature of the foodEverything should work together harmoniously
to tell the story. The background, the table, theplates, the cutlery, the napkins, the ingredients– everything – should fit together. Of course,
rules are meant to be broken. So the juxtapositionof a rustic pie on a mirror-finished platter on ahigh-tech kitchen work surface could be madeto work, to highlight the contrast of styles. But
generally, sticking to one style tends to work more
harmoniously.
When preparing the

WOODEN CHOPPING BOARDSOR A KITCHEN TABLE CAN BE

IDEAL BACKGROUNDS

shot, the first thing to do
is gather your ideas andthen get shopping forthe props you need. Of
course, there are specificfood photography props
available such as plastic
ice cubes that never melt!

But in the sprit of authenticity, it’s best to keep it real whenever you can.

floor quickly and easily. It’s an easy solution and one that works wonders.

One of the most crucial parts of the shot is the background, and if you are

Of course, large wooden chopping boards can work, too. As can yourserious about getting in to shooting food then you would ideally want a range

kitchen table. Natural or distressed surfaces can really look good. A trip toof backgrounds.

your local builder’s supply merchant could turn up all sorts in terms of tiles or

One of the most popular is to buy some wooden planks and simply painteven vinyl flooring.

them in various different colours, then usually distress them slightly. These

One of the best and most beautiful surfaces is natural stone. This canplanks can be transported and stored easily then set up on a work surface or

be expensive, but often flooring supply houses will sell off odd samples very

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ebook | food photography

always have its uses.
Of course, vintage plates and old crockery can have lots of fantastic uses
in food photography and they don’t have to be too expensive. Car boot sales
and flea markets can be full of unwanted and unmatched crockery that can bebought very cheaply. You can often borrow from friends or relatives too.
Whites and pastels are ideal for crockery, as they don’t take attention awayfrom the food. Dishes with heavy patterns or bold colours can work, but it canbe more tricky.
And be on the lookout for rustic-style accessories such as small dishes,
terracotta plant pot holders, wickerwork baskets and anything that can beused as a prop. Again, these can be bought new but it’s far more cost efficient
to hit the flea markets or jumble sales to pick stuff up for a song. Once you
start looking for items to use as props in your food photography, you’ll always
be on the lookout for unusual items.
You should also keep a lookout for cheap table linen, or just offcutsof material. Tablecloths in various colours, tea towels or just bits of linenmaterial can be used as table coverings or be made to look like napkins. Or
just fold up bits of material to put underneath a plate.
A slate tile makes a great
background. Adding
ingredients around the foodhelps is a great styling tip

Rustic twine can be useful for tying up bunches of vegetables, as can bits
cheaply. Natural stone is good, but ceramic version can be just as good, too.

of ribbon for decorating your set. Old jars can be re-filled with colourful jams

When choosing, it’s best to go for something with a matt rather than shiny

or liquids, for example. It’s all about being creative and you don’t have tofinish as it helps keep reflections down.

spend a fortune on it. The internet is a great place to pick up bargain bits from

Reflections are also a key element when looking for plates and crockery to
use in your sets. Slightly matt or even age-worn plates can work really well.
It can be worthwhile investing in a full set of plain white tablewear as it will17

the comfort of your home.
It’s not worth scrimping on good knives and cookware, though. The food’s
got to look good!

ebook | food photography

Simply adding in a fork toa plate of meats can be asimple way of spicing up
your shots

A knife cutting into somerunny cheese adds thehuman element

The human touch
Food really is made by people for people to eat, so don’t forget the inclusionof the human element in some of your shots. This can be as simple as ahand pouring on a sauce, or a pair of serving tongs carefully dropping the lastingredient onto a delicate fine cuisine dish.
It can also work to include a fork or spoon on the plate of food itself.
Of course, this can be laid next to the dish to suggest it’s ready to eat. Or
perhaps try actually spearing some ham with a fork, or cutting into somecheese with a cheese knife. Or remove part of the food as if it’s been eaten
and have the fork resting next to the next bit of food to be eaten. And why
not get a reportage shot of the chef in action, too!

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ebook | food photography

WHY NOT GET AREPORTAGE SHOT OF
THE CHEF IN ACTION, TOO

ebook | food photography[ Spice up
your shot ]Using herbs and spices from the recipe can spice up the shot. Using some
fresh thyme when the recipe uses ground thyme is a fantastic way of linking
the props to the food itself.
Fresh herbs are always best and can be stored next to damp paper in aplastic bag in the refrigerator. When you want to use them, soak them for ashort time then dry them carefully with some paper. If your herbs do look a
bit secondhand, it’s worth buying new as one dodgy herb can ruin your whole
shot.
Rock salt can work really well sprinkled on or around your food, as canpeppercorns. As long as salt and pepper would work with the recipe of course.
And don’t forget bread as the right bit of bread can really add to the scene.
A bowl full of artisan-style rolls can look wonderful, as can some freshlySome sun-dried tomatoes,
herbs and seeds can add tothe styling of a shotbroken bread next to a bowl of soup. And you can always scatter a few crumbs
around, too.
Nuts can also be a great addition to any composition, by just sprinklingthem around the plate. A waldorf salad works well with some extra walnuts
around the outside of the plate. Even if your recipe doesn’t include nuts, if you
think that sprinkling on a few toasted pine nuts would add to the recipe aswell as looking good, then give it a try. And don’t forget that croutons would
work not only with soup but also with a Caesar salad, too.

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ebook | food photography

Croutons make great
additions to soup, as in thisshot of a bowl of carrot soup

Of course, using whole or sliced fruit or vegetables alongside a dish that
includes them as an ingredient is a key part of food photography. Often one
sweet tart can look much like another, but by putting some plums next to it
you can quickly ascertain it’s a plum tart, for example. But fruit and veg canbe difficult to photograph, as they can quickly tarnish if cut. And you must
always really carefully pick the piece of fruit you want to use as fruit canbruise easily. It may be fine

MAKE SURE VEGETABLESHAVE BEEN CLEANED TO GETRID OF ANY DIRT/

to eat, but can look a little
scrappy in a photo. And
unless you want to show
the vegetable has justbeen uprooted, make sureit’s been cleaned properly
to get rid of any dirt.

However, you don’t need to surround the dish with every bit of ingredientthat it contains. Just two or maybe three at most of the key ingredientsshould suffice to really tell the tale of the dish.
For salads, it’s crucial they look full and appetising. So this is one of the
few places where a bit of faking it can work wonders. A spritz of water canreally give a bit of shine to a wilting bowl of salad, and some photographers
use mashed potato hidden underneath the leaves to make sure they don’tsink under the pressure of any garnish on top. Just make sure you can’t see it.
People have even been known to scrunch up some white paper to support theweight of the leaves. And the scrunched-up paper technique is also often used
as a base for ice cream, especially when showing it in a cone. That way thebase of the cone doesn’t get soggy from melted ice cream.

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ebook | food photography

Use colour for harmony
Some food photographers swear by using a colour wheel, which shows all
the colours and how they relate to each other. Colours near each other on
the wheel – such as yellow through orange to red – are complimentary andharmonius. But colour at opposite ends of the wheel – such as green and red– can clash.
One great way of thinking is to pick a main colour that is dominant
in your shot, then pick hues that surround it. Like light brown plates andwooden surface with a plate of oranges. Or pinks and pastels with a shot ofstrawberries, for example. And in that case the inclusion of a sprig of brightgreen mint really stands out.
But a plate of baked goodies like pastries and croissants can look too
monochrome if styled with a light brown plate and surface. So in that case a
blue plate could really work well and make the subject stand out.

The red tomatoes and green
leaves of their vine add asplash of contrasting colours
to this shot of a steak

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ebook | food photography[ It’s all about
the light ]Great photography really is all about gorgeous light. And using naturallight is a great way to get stunning images of food. It’s free, and unlike flash,what you see is what you get when you are working with natural light. The
challenge is to understand its properties, the effect they have on food andhow light changes during the day.
One of the key properties to consider is the quality of light - meaning how
hard or soft it is. Hard light typically comes from a smaller or more distantlight source and produces hard shadows. Such as light from the sun on a
cloudless day.
This sort of light gives contrasty, more dramatic lighting that’s great forpicking out the texture of a surface and really highlighting bold colours. It has
its uses in food photography, but is not the most commonly used sort of light.
Far and away, soft light is the dominant lighting type used in making
successful images of food. Soft light tends to come from a relatively large
source and is diffuse, wrapping around the subject to give a softer and moregentle appearance. So the light streaming in from a north-facing window on
an overcast day is typically soft, as long as the subject is up quite close to thewindow. If the subject is a long distance from the window, the light will bemuch harder.
The key to natural light photography is identifying the type of light source
you want, and how you can turn the light you have into it. A very common

23ebook | food photography

use is to use window light, but make it even more diffuse by covering thepolystyrene panels bought from a DIY store and painted white. But for far

window with some diffusion material. This can be special photographic

more options, it’s wise to invest in a large reflector or even two, and various

diffusion material, or even tracing paper. Some people just cover the window

covers to go with them. You can use a white reflector cover for a subtle effect,with a thin white bed sheet. But for more convenience and more control,

or a silver for a more punchy and efficient reflector. Gold covers really add

a large photographic diffuser panel such as those made by Lastolite can be

warmth, while hybrid silver/ gold covers add punch and slight warmth. You cana great ally. These can come in different strengths of diffusion so you caneven get black covers to increase the contrast. Or a diffuser panel that can beeasily modify the type of light you have. Experiment with different positions of

put into service as a second main diffuser.

diffuser as it will affect the quality and intensity of light on the subject.

With just a couple of reflectors like this, you can really experiment with thelook and feel of your photos.

REFLECTORS BOUNCE SOME
LIGHT BACK IN TO FILL IN
THE SHADOWS/

Outdoor natural lighting
It pays dividends to look around your location to see how the natural lightfalls, and changes at different times during the day as the sun moves acrossthe sky. Light spilling in through doorways or reflected off bright walls canbe fabulous. Or you could even go outside and use a diffuser overhead to cut
harsh sun down into a soft, even top light.

A window is covered with adiffusion panel to soften thelight. A reflector to the right
reduces the contrast

It’s often best to have this main light coming from behind your subject.
This soft light really picks up the texture of the food and if there are any shinyparts on the food, such as onion skin, then they can reflect the shape of the
diffuser panel. This gives a lovely highlight that can work really well.
However, with the light coming from behind, this can easily lead to toomuch contrast on the part of the food that’s nearest the camera. In this case,it’s prudent to use reflectors to bounce some light back in to fill the shadowsand hence reduce the contrast.
Reflectors can be as simple as bits of white or silver card or paper, or24

As the sun gets lower in the sky, it can give a real warmth and have a really
useful low angle that can work well with reflectors. Or you could use it with adiffuser to make it less harsh but keep its warmth and direction.
An outdoor patio, with a translucent roof, can also act as a natural diffuser,
too. So you can use that as your main light source and reflectors to fill in any
shadows that might exist.

ebook | food photography

The result of the set-up shotfrom the previous page shows
the natural backlighting
combines with a reflector for
lovely, soft light

Backlighting also works wellwith glass containers, butwatch for reflections from any
reflectors you may have used25

ebook | food photography

NATURAL LIGHT FROMA LARGE WINDOW IS A VERYPOPULAR WAY TO LIGHT
FOOD SHOTS/

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ebook | food photography

You may have the lighting and styling all done, but it’s your viewpoint plus
what you leave in or out of the shot that makes the difference. A low angle
can show the height of food – such as a huge hamburger or stack of fruit.
A close-up shot with a wide-angle lens can really exaggerate the[ Choose the right viewpoint ]27

perspective of the food nearest the camera. Moving back and trying different
lenses can show either just the food, or a wider shot of the food in context ofthe table setting – as in our shot of the typical English breakfast.

ebook | food photography

BY CHANGING YOUR
VIEWPOINT, YOUR
SHOT CAN BECOME FAR
MORE DRAMATIC/A low-angle shot of thehamburger and pile ofpeaches is very different to
the overhead shot of the
carrots, but can be equallyeffective

Many photos of food are taken at roughly a 45-degree angle from above as

carrots and tile were visible. But the green border around the tile became athis gives the most normal view of a plate of food that we would see. But byframe-within-a-frame and really added to the symmetry of the photo. Andchanging your viewpoint, the shot can become more dramatic.

the relatively harsh sunlight on a hazy but bright day means the shadows are

Shots taken from totally overhead are often used as there is the symmetryof the plate in the frame of the shot, which contrasts completely with thequite distinct, but not deep as they would have been if the day was totally
cloudless.

organic nature of the food within the frame. So that’s exactly the technique

It’s compositions like this that can work well, despite them not being theused to shoot the overhead shot of the carrots, on top of a ceramic tile, on

original intention. Like any shoot, the first picture is often not the one that

top of some grass. The initial feeling was to crop all the grass out, so just theends up being the best.

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ebook | food photography

The food
photographer’s toolkit
It may seem more like a first aid kit but
a few sets of tweezers, a bottle to spritz
water or oil, some scissors, some earbuds,
drinking straws, various paint brushes,squeezy bottles and some palette knives
can be a great asset in taking great shots

OFTEN IT’S A CASE OF
TRIAL AND ERROR TO
SEE WHAT WORKS BEST/of food.
Take the shot of our simple raspberry and lemon

Tweezers are ideal for moving tiny

desert in a small glass container – almost like a big

bits of food around without knocking

shot glass. The original plan was to have it on a white

into other bits of food. Drinking straws

napkin on top of a shiny silver platter, complete withare great as props in themselves, but can

spoon. But the shot looked too plain, and the shiny

also be used to help you breathe on theplatter was just too distracting.

outside of ice cream to get the surface

Shot two was to replace the napkin and platter with some organic stone,
and change the spoon for a more vintage one to go with the new background.
Some raspberries were scattered along the right of the frame.
Take three was to remove the spoon, and reduce the number of raspberries

melting slightly.
Palette knives mean you can movesticky puddings around, and paintbrushes
are ideal for getting rid of crumbs.

to just two, this time on the other side of the main desert. It was a more

Squeeze bottles are ideal for carefully

simple composition, but didn’t quite work. The final shot was to use more

applying sauces. And of course, you

raspberries, and use them at the bottom of the frame as lead-in lines to takealways have to keep the plates spotlessly

you eye on a journey up to the desert itself. Often it’s a case of trial and error

clean.

to see what works.

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ebook | food photography

TWEEZERS ARE IDEAL FOR
MOVING TINY BITS OF
FOOD AROUND

30

ebook | food photography[ Artificial light can look natural ]Using artificial light doesn’tmean your photographs haveto look unnatural

Some photographers run a mile when faced with the idea of using artificial
light instead of natural light in their food shots. But it needn’t be the case. If
you know how to use natural light to its best then you can virtually replicate
it with artificial light whenever you need to. This is ideal for days when thenatural light just isn’t that great.
Artificial light comes in two main sorts – constant or flash. We’ll
start with constant, as that more closely simulates natural light.
The latest crop of constant lights are powered by LED
bulbs, which mean they are quiet, daylight-balanced31

ebook | food photography

and generate no heat. Large foot-square lightpanels can be used almost likeWith flash, there’s usually lots of power on tap, so choosing the exact

natural light, and they actually mix in very well with natural sources, too.

aperture you want to use is not normally an issue. Just set the aperture you

They are great for putting highlights onto food or reducing contrast, a bit likewant then alter the power of the flash until you get the right exposure.

a reflector.

Of course, with flash being so fast, you can’t use your camera’s own light

Other continuous lights are either tungsten or HMIs. Tungsten lights havemeter to measure it. You have to set your camera manually too, making surebeen around for decades, get very hot and have a very warm orange hue toyour shutter speed is at or below the maximum sync speed of your camera.

them. So if you are using solely tungsten lights, you can set a correspondingYour owner’s manual will tell you what it is, but it’s likely to be aroundwhite balance. If you are mixing them with any other daylight-balanced lights,

1/250th second.

STUDIO FLASH HAVEMODELLING LIGHTS SO YOUCAN SEE THE EFFECT YOU
ARE GOING TO GET/

you need to put a CTB (Colour Temperature Blue)To get the right exposure, you can just take a test shot and check thegel on them. HMI lights are very much like tungsten

histogram. A more accurate way is to use an incident light meter that works

except they are daylight balanced and are far morewith flash. This measures the light falling onto the subject. You dial in youruseful for mixing with daylight, but they are much

ISO and shutter speed, trigger the flash and it tells you what aperture to set

more expensive.

your camera to.

The majority of artificially-lit food photography is

The easiest use of studio flash is to fit a big softbox and use it to replace

done using flash. You could use a simple speedlightwindow light. So light mainly from behind, and use a reflector or two to

flashgun, especially used off-camera and either in a

bounce light back into the subject. But with lots of different modifiers

purpose-made softbox or through a diffuser panel. The

available – from gels to strip boxes, honeycomb grids to barn doors and more

only issue is that it’s impossible to see the effect until you have taken a photo– then there are lots of different effects you can get. Trial and error is what

and checked the results on the camera’s LCD screen.

it’s all about.

By far a better option is to use proper studio flash, as they can accept
all sorts of modifiers like softboxes to make the light very soft. And a hugebenefit is they have modelling lights, so you can see the effect you are goingto get. This also means you can use your normal reflectors to bounce someof the light back into the subject, too. You can see their effect as soon as you
move them in.

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ebook | food photography

From left: The original shot
was a little flat. A more
contrasty shot was better on
the crust and plate. The thirdand final shot is a Photoshop
composite of the two

Photoshop can save the day

the light much harder and adds a huge amount of reflection and interest to

Getting the shot right in camera should be the goal of every photographer.

key parts of the shot. Check out the highlights on the plate, the crust of theManipulating the light to get the right feel, and enough detail in areas wheretart and the slabs of chocolate on the bottom right of the shot. But it left athey are needed, is a key skill. But sometimes, post-production can save ahuge reflection on the major part of the tart itself.

shot that would have been virtually impossible to take.
Our shot of the chocolate tart is one example. The main light is windowlight, and when covered with a diffuser panel gives a nice soft light to theshot. However, removing the panel from our northerly-facing window makes

33

By combining the two shots in Photoshop using layers, the more contrasty
shot was predominantly used but the face of the tart was replaced by the lesscontrasty version.