Beginner Food Photography Tips
If you’re diving into the world of food photography, you might be looking for some awesome food photography tips. Keep reading to find out how you can elevate your food photography to the next level, whether it’s for a blog, magazine, social media, or just for fun!
1. Learn how to plate.
Plating can be everything in food photography and it can certainly make or break your photo. You want your food to look appetizing and not messy, sloppy, or bland. Use a variety of colors in your plating to accentuate the different things on the plate, especially if you’re photographing a whole meal. Browse Foodgawker and Pinterest for plating ideas and then recreate them with your own unique twist or just use them as a source of inspiration!
2. Keep your “hero” focused.
In every food picture, there should be a hero. If you are photographing a burger and fries, but the recipe is for the burger, make sure it’s in focus. Alternatively, if your recipe is for the fries, keep the burger in the background and focus on the fries! Your hero should always be the focus of your picture.
3. Get a good lens.
Most food photographers recommend a lens between 90mm and 100mm. Those are the two most popular lenses for food photography, and they produce beautiful, high quality images. If you can’t afford to buy a new lens and you don’t own one of these, use whatever lens you have and save up for a new one if you choose to get further into food photography!
4. Create original recipes!
Rather than photographing something that’s been done hundreds of times on Pinterest, photograph the interesting stuff like original recipes that come from the family! These are much more engaging and often create some of the most beautiful food photography! Plus, it’s a great way to practice your food photography skills by adding some diverse shots to your portfolio.
5. Set a scene.
Food photography is all about engaging people and making them want to eat what they see! Set a scene to add personality and interest to your photos. Whether it’s the rest of the meal in the background and focused on a single portion, or even some of the actual ingredients in the background, add something to fill blank space and set a tone in your pictures.
These food photography tips for beginners are sure to help you take your food photography to the next level. Always practice when you get a chance – every meal is an opportunity!
What food photography tips would you share that aren’t on here? Do you have any questions about food photography? Share them in the comments so we can all discuss!
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
Great tips to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing.
These are great tips fro beginners and are a good refresher. Thank you so much. We would love for you to share the at Celebrate Your Story link party. Here is the link for this week’s party http://www.thesweetsensations.com/stuffed-chocolate-cake-truffles-link-party/. Hope you can join us and have a great week!
Hi Katie, Thanks for the tips! Blessings, Janet