I’ve been looking at some incredible food photography on flickr lately. I love to cook, and am doing a lot of BBQ’ing this summer as our kitchen gets remodeled, but many of my attempts at food photography have been only so-so. So, I’m going to try to get better at it.
A few quick rules of thumb that I’ve noticed so far (kind of like the rule of thirds for general composition):
- Shoot from a low angle. Looking straight down on a plate is boring, and makes the food look unappetizingly flat.
- Use a shallow depth of field. This features the item you want to highlight, and makes the rest act more as supporting characters.
- And of course, pay attention to the color and quality of the light. Soft light is best, and warm foods like warm light.
Of course, these are observations and guidelines, not real rules.
Above is a shot from the other night that’s going in the right direction. Note the fancy paper plate, as our kitchen is being remodeled and we have a very limited capacity for doing dishes.
Garlic roasted potatoes, string beans and tri-tip with cajun rub.
