As published in Cloud961 issue 5
Taking food photos has been a trend lately especially since Instagram has seen the light. From 1 megapixel up to 12 megapixels phone cameras have become highly effective photography equipment. This little gadget everyone has is interesting to capture your favorite meals. It is simpler than you might imagine, just follow those easy steps:
more food shot tips from the editor:
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Taking food photos has been a trend lately especially since Instagram has seen the light. From 1 megapixel up to 12 megapixels phone cameras have become highly effective photography equipment. This little gadget everyone has is interesting to capture your favorite meals. It is simpler than you might imagine, just follow those easy steps:
- The best shots are taken in daylight.
- Never ever use the camera flash. It will change the food original colors, give you a black background and make the shot look unappetizing.
- Make sure you have a good light source; the simpler is working next to a window.
- Get any white reflective surface and use it to remove shadows and create more artificial lighting in the spots you choose.
- Create a nice setup, simple and natural, with backgrounds that will give some texture to your shots.
- Keep it cool, too many adjustments will spoil the natural feel.
- Activate the grid in your camera settings for better framing.
- Grab your phone with two hands, position them on the table and make sure you do not move a single millimeter while shooting. It’s crucial to have a support for your shoulders.
- Give your image a depth of field by shooting in the lowest possible position. Images are way better with a first object showing in front and the rest a bit out of focus in the back
- Use any software you like to slightly fine tune the colors.
- Try Instagram, it has very nice easy features that improve the look of your images.
- Enjoy your creative work.
more food shot tips from the editor:
- Do not be afraid to get uncomfortably close and personal to your food. It’s not like you’re invading its personal space. This will show all the juicy details of your plate.
- To make your food shots more appealing, try to find shapes and patterns in your food. Lines and circles of things make your shots tempting.
- Do not use fake blur in apps like Instagram. It will make your image look fake. Try to adjust the focus on your camera when taking the picture instead.
- Do not use frames from Instagram or other applications. It will make your food shots look amateurish.
- On Instagram, choose your filters wisely. Some, like Kelvin, will make your food look horrible, unless you are trying to achieve the Mars Rover effect. Also, food shots in black and white are not very appealing as well. Recommended filters include Amaro, Hudson, X-pro II, Sierra, Hefa and Valencia.
- When taking the photo or editing, try to get more contrast. Your food will look better if dark colors are made darker and bright colors are brighter.
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