Professional food photography can help you build a brand that stands out and shapes your brand identity.
We asked Tom Sain, VP of Creative Services, for his favorite food photography tips that will help you take enticing photos that make your audience want to reach out to grab your food!
- Food looks extra tasty in daylight, so take advantage of window light on a sunny day or use a lighting set-up that can mimic daylight temperatures such as 5600 Kelvin.
- Think about shooting dark food photography for dramatic effect. Contrast your image from the more common brightly-shot food photography.
- Use a single source/direction of lighting instead of multiple lights that compete with each other. Then bounce fill light where needed.
- If you are artificially lighting the scene, try diffusing the light multiple times to soften the lighting for a more natural look.
- Create more interest in your composition by composing the angles of the shadows by adjusting the direction of your lighting.
- Improve the composition of your shot by considering the angles of the shadows of your subject.
- A larger light source will create smaller, softer shadows and a smaller light source will give you more intense, harder shadows.
- Try different lighting angles: Side lighting can create more interest than front lighting.
- To keep the eye focused on the food, use props that are low in contrast to the set-up and draw less attention away from the subject.
- Make sure the background isn’t competing with the focus of the shot. Test options like wood, ceramic tile, or laminates that look like natural stone. (Check out stileandco.com and replicasurfaces.com)
- Mix it up a little. Rather than just shooting the finished product on its own, incorporate some of the ingredients/inclusions around the plated food for more visual interest.
- Style the shot. Add silverware, linens, or other items that show how a meal might look right before you dive in.
- Keep the final post in mind. Make sure the composition is mindful of how social media crops an image.
The power of food photography is undeniable in a food brand. Looking for help taking your brand to the next level? Our creative team has many years of experience in photo and video production – and we’d love to partner with you!
Contact us today to see what we can do for your brand.
