An effective food photograph will be able to express feelings of comfort, awaken loving memories, create fantasies, or simply to make you hungry. It is able to move people running to a totally new restaurant or raise the revenue of a food publication. Shooting that best image demands an artistic eye, finesse, a sense of design, and photographic technique. The main difference between a good image and a great one can often be the way the photograph has been illuminated. Photographers need to understand how to adjust and change light. Like wedding and portrait photography, food photography comes with its own lighting needs and problems, and the different methods for handling them.
Lighting Tips with Food Photography:
- Work with a medium focal-length camera lens to allow additional space to set lights between the camera and your subject.
- A basic reflector works extremely well, inside or out, to help lighten up shadows.
- Try out the positioning and power of lights to produce totally different effects.
- When using flash outside, makes use of the shutter speed to modify the level of ambient light.
If you happen to be working with only ambient light for illumination, the shutter speed is going to be much slower when shooting indoors. It will normally be challenging to prevent camera shake when shooting handheld. Having a tripod will help. You can raise the ISO sensitivity, but this can affect the total amount of image noise, which subsequently may lessen any fine details in the photograph. Because of that, you need a few extra illumination in addition to the ambient room light. With getting rid of shadows from your images, you ought to stick to the same guidelines as when lighting a portrait image with the use of a reflector. Another method to soften shadows, or even remove them totally, is to use fill-in flash. Do take note that it should complement and not overpower the ambient light.
Rick Gayle On Food Photography
On this video, Rick Gayle will show us his photo shoot set up that he just did for one of his clients. You can view more of Rick Gayle’s delicious portfolio here.
Gears featured on this video can be bought at Adorama
- Canon 1DS Mark 3 with a 24-105 f/4 L Canon lens on 9′ regal monopod.
- 2 dynalite 1000 watt power packs
- 1 head with a 20 degree grid and a piece of tuff frost.
- 1 head with a 10 degree grid and a piece of tuff frost.
- 1 med chimera on a c-stand pushing through a diffusion panel of tuff frost.
Final Image from the Video
Halloween party is among the best occasions to put your scary and creative side to work. Have you ever began planning on what you’re going to serve for your Halloween Party? Get inspired by these enchanting treats and mouth watering ideas to get you in the mood. Cast your spell and make the holiday extraordinary with your spooky yet tasty food photography.
1. Terrifying Tarantulas
Photo via Cupcakesandsundry
2. Tombstone Cookies
Photo via Cookieartisan
3. Mummy Meatloaf
Photo via Kneadspeed
4. Screaming Bread
Photo via Pinterest
5. Halloween Cupcake
Photo via Familyspiceblog
6. Spiderweb Cheesecake
Photo via Epicureanmom
7. Finger Bites
Photo via Forkable Blog
8. Veggie Skeleton
Photo via Feedingfourlittlemonkeys
9. Delicious Graveyard
Photo via ISOgina
10. White Chocolate Cardamom Truffles
Photo via Donutstodelirium
11. Stuffed Pepper Heads
Photo via Meganscookin
12. Taco Graveyard Dip
Photo via BHG
13. Meat Head
Photo via Emergencyfan2000
14. Licorice-Eared Mice
Photo via Countryliving
15. Medusa Cake
Photo via Iammommy
16. Pumpkin Rice Krispies
Photo via 3kidsandus
17. Scary Treats
Photo via Billbrady
18. Spooky Candy Corn
Photo via Purejoyeventsblog
19. Bat Surprises
Photo via ConsumedbyCake
20. Halloween Puff Pastry Intestines
Photo via Theknead4speed
21. Hot Dog Mummies
Photo via Anotherlunch
22. Pumpkin Head
Photo via Couponclippingcook
23. Shrunken Apple Heads
Photo via Ourbestbites
24. Meringue Ghosts
Photo via Skinnytaste
25. Watermelon Brain
Photo via Norwichnuts
26. Monster Cupcake
Photo via Makoodle
27. Pretzel Broomsticks
Photo via Megaspooky
28. Mini-Pumpkin Cakes
Photo via Countryliving
29. Jello Worms
Photo via Melskitchencafe
30. Halloween Caramel Apple
Photo via Williams-sonoma
Further Readings And Inspiration
1. Delicious Food Photography Tips For Your Special Event
2. Top 10: Photography Light Modifiers For Creative Portraits
3. Top 5 Factors That Determine Your Photographic Style
4. Top 5: Sweet Dessert Table Ideas For Your Party
5. Lead Image via Food Network Stars’ Pumpkin-Carving Contest