Taking 45 pictures to upload 5 for a post? That is daily struggle of a food blogger. It can take up to 30 minutes to get a seemingly ‘perfect shot’. BUT, I have news for you…It does not have to take that long if you employ a few techniques which I will walk you through in this post!

Food Photography

Firstly, I have just realised that I have not made a post about food photography, yet there would probably not be a ‘Gourmet Ultimatum’ if the pictures didn’t serve the gourmet look. 

I have been a food blogger for over 6 years. I started my food photography journey using a phone, way before purchasing professional cameras. I still somewhat used the same photography skills back then, but they have certain been refined over the years.

Lighting

My cameras shine in low light. I usually switch off the kitchen overhead lights, switch on a lamp, and direct the light away from the subject of focus . If the light is shining directly on the food, it may look overly shiny and lack the ‘cold matte look’.

Distance from the camera

For clean, sharp-looking food pictures, have the camera as close to the food as possible, and let it focus on few components of the plate instead of every element on the plate.

Further-Away from the plate

vs

Up-close: In this picture, the 4 pieces of meat in the front row are the the subjects of focus, hence the picture has a crispier look compared to the picture above where there was no focus subject.

Angles: Overhead vs Side Angles

I prefer side angles compared to overheads, because it is easier to control the elements of the dish you want to emphasise, whereas for overhead shots, it is harder .

Contrary to that, in my first days of food blogging, I was obsessed** with overhead shots until I realized how much easier it is to make anything look ‘gourmet’ from a side view (even plain carrots on a plate look like they are from a fine dining restaurant.

Background

The claim I am about to make is bold, but there is truth to it. The background is arguably more important than the food itself. Why? Because it largely contributes to the overall ambiance of the picture. For food pictures, I highly recommend utilising a plain background which is clatter free.  

Although the food is the main focus in this shot, the kettle, stove, green onions, glass cylinder, tiles, make the picture look ‘busy’

A clutter-free, plain background allows the food to take centre stage and shine