4 Lessons From Shooting Food Photography

Food photography is one of my favorite ways to learn new skills. I was first exposed to food photography as storytelling after attending a session with Diane Cu and Todd Porter. Their session completely changed the way I shoot food to this day. They tell stories with their pictures and videos in a way that makes me feel instantly at home. Then, I attended a photo styling session with Amy Locurto. This woman styles her pictures like nobody’s business. She opened my eyes to paying attention to the surroundings in my photograph and taking time to style an image which has helped me create better stories.

I am more deliberate when I shoot and I take a moment to visualize the final image in my head before I take a picture. Here are a four things that have dramatically improved my food photography journey:

Look for the quality of the light.

Natural light is my first choice when shooting food, but I am not afraid to supplement natural light when necessary. I normally shoot next to a window for the best quality light and I keep a couple of studio lights and umbrellas on hand to brighten up the space on dreary days. Another great tool to invest in is a reflector or a simple piece of white foam-cor board to bounce light.

Simplify the background by removing clutter.

Styled images look ten times better on simple clean backgrounds. Simple backgrounds also allow your main subject to stand out while the props enhance the overall story.

Correct the white balance in the beginning for the best image.

Crappy white balance does not a make for a moody, rustic looking image. This goes back to being deliberate with creating the image. Yes, there are happy accidents in photography, but I don’t want them to become the norm in my photography. Ideally, I try to get it right when shooting and use post editing to make sure the image looks its absolute best.

Study, practice, study, practice, perfect the craft.

Portraiture is my photographic comfort zone. Shooting food makes me work to create what I see in my head. When the final image does not look like what I visualized, I will study an image until I figure it out. Or, I reach out to friends who shoot amazing food photos and ask for advice on improving my own. Community is amazing for constructive criticism. Yes, you will have people who will love everything you do, but there are those people who will give you feedback on your photos that helps you grow and get better. Everything you shoot will not be golden, but it can be with practice and dedication to improving.

Who has influenced the way you do something you love? And, while I’m asking you questions, what are you doing right now to grow in your craft?