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Let's face it, cooking is only part of the fun. It’s fine to say that we cook for ourselves and for those we love, but don’t you just love sharing photos of your spectacular creations on Facebook and Instagram? Food photography is just like cooking: it requires practise, but you’ll soon master a series of tricks that enhance shapes and colours, and makes the end product a treat for the eyes. Here are some top tips for food photography at home.
1. Background
Always remember that the protagonist is the food. That's why the background of your photos should be as neutral as possible. If you want to take professional-looking photos at home, you should opt for shots from above, so that the table is the backdrop. If your table is tatty, lay a wooden cutting board on top and you will see the difference in your photos.
2. Light
The word ‘photography’ is derived from the Greek for ‘writing with light’, so think about the importance of light when practising food photography at home. You don't need to spend a fortune on professional artificial light sources. Use natural light to your advantage, especially on a sunny day. Just be sure to shield it with a light curtain that functions as a ‘soft box’. Don’t take photos in the evening using kitchen lighting - the lights in your kitchen are among the worst to photograph under.
3. Colours
Make sure your crockery complements the food you are photographing. Think of a simple bean soup: use a colourful variety of crockery, perhaps red, to contrast with your food and make your dish beautiful to look at – and to photograph.
4. Composition
Composition is the art of creating the scene, and it’s one of the most important skills for the budding food photographer. Take two factors into account: shapes and colours. A white dish, like a cheese mousse, looks good in a round black bowl. A round black bowl looks good next to something else that’s round, which can be either white or black: a spoon, for example. Always remember that the eye must be initially drawn to the star of the show, that is, the food.
5. Angle
It is a controversial theme, but when all is said and done there are few dishes that don’t look good when photographed from above. You have to be precise, holding the camera or smartphone high up and parallel to the plate. There are exceptions though. For example, a layered cocktail deserves to have its photo taken in profile, and the same goes for a tall cake. If you cut the cake, a three-quarter view is well worth a try. Experience is the best teacher.
6. Hands yes, hands no
When you do food photography at home, do you really want your kitchen-weary hands in shot? If so, you’ll have to take care of them, with beautiful nails and definitely no calluses. The eye is naturally drawn to hands, so if you really want them in the frame while holding a forkful of deliciously twirled spaghetti perhaps, make sure the photo is taken in a natural way, while genuinely making that gesture.
7. Shot
Your dish is the subject of the scene, but discretion is the best form of seduction, even in food photography. This means that you don't always have to occupy the whole frame of your photo with the plate. Leave a bit of space and the photograph will be more natural.
8. Decorations
Once you have created the main ‘set’, look carefully at your plate. Is it a roast chicken with complex shapes? In this case, only the bare minimum of decoration is needed. If it’s a very simple dish, like an Andalusian gazpacho, then it might benefit from some embellishment. Maybe some slices of toasted bread with garlic, or a flower that recalls the summer? The external decoration must never be an ingredient used in the dish, as that would be somewhat tacky.
