Photographs make the world a brighter and smaller place. They can bring something from the other side of the universe right into someone’s living room. Many people, like Rocco Basile, make their living by perfecting their craft of capturing the beauty of this earth and sharing their art with the world. Pictures make people feel things like love, fear, awe, excitement, and even hunger. In this age of smartphones and social media, we are bombarded by selfies, hashtags, and tweets of our fellow humans sharing their lives and their food with their friends on the internet. Like with all photographs, there is an art to good food photography. Rather than let your pictures fade into the masses, use these 3 tips to make your food look great on camera and make your friends hungry.
Tip 1) Plate Presentation
Think about all the great chefs on those cooking shows. When they finish cooking a meal they take their time arranging it on the plate. Arrange your plate in a way that is pleasing to the eye. Start in the middle with the main element, make it simple, and be sure that all the elements can be seen. Think about actors on a movie poster, let one item to be the star but give the others credit for the work they do for both the plate and the picture.
Tip 2) Lighting and Angle
Dark photographs look sad and sometimes a little scary. Make your food look inviting and cheery by bringing in lots of natural light. Place your plate next to a window and point the camera at an angle just slightly above exactly parallel. Do your best to eliminate all shadows. Food that is bright looks inviting and appetizing.
Tip 3) Props
When you get your family portraits professionally taken they advise you to dress your family in similar colors and to avoid any patterns. Remember this advice when staging your meal to be photographed. Use a plate with clean lines and less is more with the utensils and napkins. Keep it simple and let the food be the main focus.
Bonus Tip) Get close
Don’t be afraid to get right up close to your food subject. Zoom in so that the individual elements can be seen, so close that you can see the sauce sizzle, and the steam rise.
Photography is art. Be an artist when capturing your food. Be creative and think outside the box. Hone your craft. Don’t just take lots of pictures, look at lots of pictures too. Read about tips and try them out. Most importantly, have fun taking pictures and sharing your art with the world.