What background is best to photograph cakes against? How to Take Delicious Food Photos on iPhone

Today, both restaurateurs and housewives are puzzled by the exciting challenge of food photography. “Big Village” asked a Tolyatti food photographer Alexandru Hitko eight questions about how to take breathtaking pictures for a cafe menu or a private account on social networks: what equipment to work with, whether it is possible to replace Red Label with tea with an elephant, what to do with table pies and where to look for inspiration.

What equipment to shoot with?

A winning shot can be obtained when shooting on professional equipment, and on the phone - it all depends on the goal you set for yourself. Conceptually, it will be extremely difficult to photograph food for a menu on an iPhone - you are unlikely to achieve a high-quality picture without food phones and reflectors. But on social networks, on the contrary, live footage from a phone can appear: quality is in the background here, because no one scrolls through Instagram on large screens.

Which light is better?

Always look great daylight and daylight: the best shots are taken in clear weather. Shooting in establishments with panoramic windows and smooth sunlight behind the glass is an exceptional case when you can photograph food perfectly even on your phone. The main rule: the light should either come from the side or illuminate the dish from behind - that is, be backlit. This makes the photos look more voluminous and the food juicier. If the light comes from the front, the dish in the frame will be flat.

What trends to consider?

Often, a stylist works in tandem with a food photographer - a separate person who selects napkins, cutlery and makes sure that all accessories are combined with each other. I believe that it is impossible to take a good photo if you yourself do not understand either stylistics or cooking.

Food fashion is not like Italian catwalks, where trends change twice a season. Wooden backgrounds, vintage dishes - everything that was popular a few years ago is still relevant: this way, you won't look stupid if you shoot a dish on a classic cutting board. On the other hand, it is impossible to photograph absolutely everything in wooden aesthetics. If all the dishes in the establishment have approximately the same presentation, you can diversify the photos with your own cutlery: I often carry forks and spoons with me to be on the safe side. In general, food photographers are now focusing on interesting tableware. For example, not long ago I shot a menu for a Georgian restaurant, entirely based on their “base” - dishes and drinks in the establishment are served in original plates and glasses, combined with general concept and interior color scheme.

I really like photographing a dish in the interior. If the establishment itself is stylish, it is always interesting to take photos in it using its own environment. Many people say that they are tired of “grandmother’s” plaid napkins, but if the restaurant has tartan curtains, then why not?

Try to reflect in the photo not only the appearance of one dish, but also the atmosphere of the entire place as a whole. This rule works 100% in the case of shooting for a menu: I won’t reveal a secret if I say that the work will be greatly simplified by talking with a designer who gives a clear technical specification.

How to make the dish in the photo more appetizing?

I don't practice tricks like coating chicken with shoe polish for the sake of... beautiful frame. Such shootings are the lot of stock photos. Well, where have you seen an overly perfect bird?

The dish just needs to be prepared correctly. But do not forget about the nuances: it is important to remove meat, for example, immediately after cooking, before juice begins to flow from it. To prevent the shrimp from drowning in the cream soup, you can place a potato wedge under it; such “pedestals” are a common practice.

Cheating with alcohol is always noticeable. You cannot replace whiskey or cognac with tea: you are unlikely to be able to reproduce the correct color of a pure drink yourself. It's better to take a cheap drink instead of an expensive one.

A problematic drink in terms of photography is beer, the foam in it settles very quickly. To make it foam better, you can add salt to it. When I first started filming, I came across practically still beer, and I decided to fix it with shaving foam: I thought it was a cool way out of the situation, but now I would spit on such shots.

How to photograph ugly food?

When the presentation is spectacular, it’s easy to take a photo, but sometimes fate can throw in, for example, crookedly cut bananas, which, moreover, quickly darken. We have to think through the concept. So, one of my interesting projects is shooting for a dining room. The simplest dishes had to be presented beautifully. I had to get out of it: I chose to shoot completely on a white background with white details - cutlery and plates, sour cream as a sauce. Only the food was colored - rice, pizza, homemade pies. At the same time, I made sure that the dishes were laid out strictly geometrically. This minimalism allowed food to become the center of the photo and look more appetizing.

Another challenge is photographing raw dishes. Recently, a client set me the goal of capturing the most unaesthetic raw turkey possible. Such meat can look attractive in the home kitchen. A beautiful interior, a baking sheet, and neat curtains will be a suitable podium for this model.

But such tricks should be used only in extreme cases: usually I recommend not redoing the author’s presentation. This is especially true for photographers who photograph dishes for the menu: when the guest’s expectations meet reality, deadly dissonance will occur. It’s better to play with angles - if the dish doesn’t look good from above, remove it from the side.

What can and cannot be posted on Instagram?

The main task of both a private and a restaurant account is to reflect a certain concept: it is this concept that will determine which pictures will go online and which will not.

The frame may include not only the dishes, but also part of the interior: it will be visible what kind of chairs and sofas are in the establishment, and the decoration of the walls will be noticeable. Sometimes it is interesting to show hands in the frame: this is a hint that the person is sitting and eating in the establishment right now, which involuntarily makes the viewer want to do the same. However, the main thing should still be the plate and its contents.

I wouldn’t recommend going overboard with “life” in the photo: a chewing person is not the most photogenic character. The photo should be appetizing - but in moderation. The same burgers can be cut with a knife, rather than biting into them with your teeth. In a burger already cut with a knife, it is better to show its main qualities - height and “stuffing”.

How not to make a mistake?

One of the mistakes beginners make is the desire to use as many colors as possible. We must try to keep the frame in one color scheme, without radically contrasting tones - this way the picture is more convenient for perception. You can start from the products: if there are fresh tomatoes on the plate, focus on the red color. It’s also better not to fuss with details: in the photographs of novice food bloggers, the dish is sometimes lost behind mint leaves, parsley and peppercorns.

For beginner bloggers, I made an album where I explain what needs to be corrected in their photos. Many errors are related to processing. Photographers’ monitors are often not calibrated or not designed for color correction at all; people try to “tweak” the tone on their own. The result is purple tomatoes and poisonous light green greens. Remember one commandment and go through life with it: food should be natural.

Where to get inspired?

For any food photographer, even if he shoots dinners at own kitchen, observation is important. You need to look up to professionals, accounts of good restaurants or private photographers. I try to follow foreign bloggers. One of the first on my list is an account symmetrybreakfast: a couple prepares breakfast and places it on the table opposite each other. It would be easier to mirror one dish, but what’s interesting is that the breakfasts are similar, but the details are different.

The approach of the restaurant is interesting in RuNet "CoCoCo" in St. Petersburg: all the frames of their Instagram are cut to a wide format, which visually makes them stand out and prevents them from getting lost in the feed. Among other things, this is a dynamic food account: some shots are taken from above, some in perspective or level.

I follow the Instagram of Peter Karasev, a St. Petersburg food photographer. His photos are good to everyone: they are lined up correctly, made with high quality - you can’t find fault with them. Another landmark - a pastry chef and photographer from Khabarovsk Andrey Rudkov. In his case, the main rule works - to love food. Then the photos will be cool.

Food is an excellent subject for still life photography and can be used to create excellent artistic photographs. But to take an exceptional photo, it's not enough to just click what's on the plate. Like any other genre, food photography has its own rules, and they must be followed if you want to achieve wonderful colors, textures and shapes. This collection contains 13 simple but very effective tips on how to get truly delicious shots using your iPhone.

1. Shoot in natural light

Light - key element when creating beautiful still lifes. Always photograph food in natural daylight, not under a lamp - it will give the photo an unpleasant orange or yellowish tint. Light is extremely important in food photography if you want to capture the true colors of the food, plates, and background. Why do you need yellow rice, yellow dishes and a yellow tablecloth when in fact it's all white?

The best lighting for eating is soft, diffused, natural daylight. In warm weather, you can even try taking photos outside. But in most cases, you should avoid direct sunlight, because in this light there can be problems with exposure and objects will cast harsh shadows.

The ideal option is a cloudy day: clouds scatter the sun's rays and create soft light with soft shadows. If you're shooting indoors, it's best to do it on a table near a window so that natural light illuminates the composition.

2. Control the shadows

Shadows are very important in photography. They can make or break your photo. Their intensity depends on the lighting in which you photograph. The bright direct rays of the sun create harsh, dark shadows. On a cloudy day they will be much softer. The photo above was taken in bright light. Pay attention to the shadows. Sometimes harsh shadows can add drama to a shot, especially when they create unusual silhouettes that complement the composition.

But in most cases, when shooting still life and food photography, harsh shadows should be avoided. Soft shadows work better; they create depth and volume without overpowering the rest of the image. Therefore, it is best to shoot on a cloudy day or move your composition to a slightly shaded area.

If you are shooting indoors, the direct sunlight that hits the window can be diffused with translucent white curtains. You can also move the object further away from the window or move it to another window altogether.

If you are shooting outdoors on a sunny day and there is no way to move into the shadows, a reflector will come to the rescue. You can use a professional reflector, but a simple sheet of white paper will do.

Place the reflector on the side where the shadows fall, so that it is opposite the sun. The rays will reflect from it and fall on the subject, brightening the shadows. The green smoothie photo was taken on a very bright sunny day with a white leaf as a reflector.

Of course, it all depends on you. If you want shadows in a photo, let there be shadows. But always be aware of the role that light and shadow play in a photo, and manipulate them to get the image you intended.

3. Use a neutral background

The background is just as important as the subject. If it is unkempt or bright, it can attract too much attention, distracting from the food itself. A relatively neutral background will allow you to focus on the subject. Moreover, a “neutral background” does not mean that it should be completely simple or monochromatic; it should only complement the composition and not suppress it.

There are three types of backgrounds that work very well with food photography: light, dark, and wood (brown). A dark dish usually looks better against a dark background and vice versa. Wooden surfaces - tables, cutting boards - are suitable for almost any food.

You can use almost anything as a background. A wooden table by the window is a great way to combine a good background and natural light. Compositions on kitchen towel or tablecloths, especially if they are white. Colored options, such as a vintage floral pattern, are also suitable for some types of food.

You can also try a black board, mat, tile, baking paper, baking sheet or newspaper as a background. If you're photographing food from the side, try to keep the opposite wall a neutral, soft, subdued color.

4. Think about color

Food photography provides a wonderful opportunity to work with color. Colors themselves greatly influence the entire composition and overall impression of the photo. The photo above uses similar shades - warm, earthy tones give a feeling of comfort and calm.

To achieve the opposite effect, you need to use contrasting colors. They create a bright, dynamic image that excites the eye. The contrast between red and green works especially well.

Contrast can come from juxtaposing the food against the background, or using several different colors of the food itself. Contrasts in smoothies turn out to be very interesting - it’s beautiful, fun, and tasty.

5. Choose the right angle

When photographing food, always choose the angle that best presents your composition. Shooting from above is often ideal, especially when the food is beautifully presented on a plate or in a bowl.

This perspective has several advantages. It allows you to capture all the details of the dish and background, emphasizing the shapes of plates, cutlery and other objects. In addition, when shooting from above, it is much easier to create a strong, harmonious composition - it is enough to correctly position the elements on the surface. Lastly, this angle is great for cutting out unwanted elements in the background.

However, if you're photographing a drink in a glass or a cake with interesting layers, it's worth taking the shot from the side. This is also the best angle if you want to show the details of sliced ​​bread, pie, muffin, etc. Just make sure to photograph against a neutral background, such as a light-colored wall.

Another way is to shoot diagonally. This option combines the advantages of the previous two and allows you to emphasize the three-dimensionality of the subject. If you're not sure how best to shoot a particular composition, try photographing it from different angles. You will be surprised when you see how different the stories turn out to be.

6. Arrange food beautifully

Composition is a key element of good photography, so think carefully about the placement of each subject. There is nothing worse than a plate with food piled unsightly on it. This is not food photography. Always try to arrange ingredients neatly or unusually to create visual interest and harmony.

Again, you can always play with fruits and vegetables - you can cut them up and arrange them in a pattern on a plate, tray or baking sheet. After you have laid out the composition, make sure that you have not spilled any juice or sauce - all spills must be carefully wiped off so that there are no unsightly puddles or blots in the photo.

7. Leave enough space

Before you click the shutter, make sure there is some empty space- you don’t need it to completely occupy the entire frame. Of course, sometimes close-ups of food look great, but more often than not, open, clear space creates a more pleasing composition and puts more emphasis on the shapes of the subjects.

Free space with a dark background adds dark tones to photographs; a light background, on the contrary, makes the image lighter. Experiment with placement. Maybe the plate of food would look better clearly in the middle of the frame, or maybe it would be better to move it slightly to the side. Ideally, you need to make several variations to find out which position looks best in a given case.

8. Decorate the place

Food and background are the main elements, but to make your photos even more interesting, you can decorate them with a few small items. A good option is to use some of the dry ingredients that were used in the preparation. This will make the composition more interesting and create a “visual recipe” for your dish.

Spices look great as a decoration. You can fill a spoon with turmeric or cinnamon and place it somewhere in the frame. You can pour piles of multi-colored spices or scatter sugar, salt, and pepper over the background. Berries, pieces of fruit, nuts, chocolate slices and fresh herbs are also great for decoration.

Moreover, these can be inedible items: cutlery, dishes - their shapes and lines are useful for creating a composition. Colored pebbles, as in the photo below, are also quite capable of bringing a photo to life. Always imagine how the colors of the decorations will match the colors of the food and background. Will they contrast or, conversely, complement each other?

You can also use natural components - they will make the photo more vivid and symbolize the time of year in which the photo was taken. In summer it can be flowers - they will add brightness and tenderness. The leaves also look great - in the photo below they create a characteristic autumn mood.

Nature is an endless source of inspiration. Acorns or chestnuts, cones or pebbles - all this can decorate your composition.

9. Create a story

Photography is a wonderful way to tell a story without words. By introducing certain elements, you can create interesting story, which is sure to attract the viewer to the photo. Think about what can give your photo a dreamy, exciting, exciting atmosphere. For example, you can place an open novel next to the plate or place a couple of teas to create a feeling of comfort and warmth.

A laptop in the background will tell you that you took a break from work for a while for a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and a cookbook will tell you that you are experimenting with new recipes.
The photo below is permeated with an atmosphere of relaxation and freedom.

Chamomile tea, a book, pieces of chocolate allow the viewer to immerse themselves in the photo and feel how nice it is to simply enjoy life.

10. Add a human element

Another way to tell an interesting, extraordinary story in one frame is to add a human element. A hand in a photograph allows you to create a feeling of the viewer’s presence in the picture - as if he took it himself.

Using this technique, you'll have to hold your iPhone with one hand, so try to get as steady as possible before pressing the shoot button.

If you're sitting around a table with friends, why not capture the hands of all of you? This photo will always tell the story of your friendship and the happiness that brought you together at the table with delicious food.

11. Keep it simple

Above we talked about different ways to decorate a photo, but sometimes the best option- make the shot as simple as possible. If the food you're photographing is brightly colored or unusually shaped and sits against a contrasting background, a simple, minimalist composition is ideal. For maximum impact, position your subject strictly in the center of the frame and avoid any significant decoration.

In this situation, it is better to avoid patterned or brightly colored plates or cups. Plain white china is the best choice because it won't distract from the food. If you are filming close-up, decorations are not needed at all. In photography, sometimes less is more.

12. Adjust exposure

Once you've got your composition together and the lighting in place, the last thing you need to do before you click the shoot button is adjust your exposure level. Simply put, exposure determines the brightness level of an image. The main problem is that white plates and White background may appear overexposed (too bright, without visible details). To avoid overexposure, you should set the exposure to the brightest places.

To adjust exposure in the camera app, tap on the area you want to sharpen, then simply swipe up or down on the screen. Up to increase exposure and brighten the image, down to decrease it and darken the frame.

Exposure is most problematic when shooting high-contrast scenes - for example, if you are photographing a white plate against a dark background. The contrast is so strong that it will be difficult for the camera to simultaneously capture detail in both the brightest and darkest areas.

In such cases, you need to set the exposure to the brightest places, and the shadows can always be brightened in post-processing. Darkening overexposed areas so that the details are visible is much more difficult, and sometimes even impossible.

13. Improve colors in a photo editor

There are hundreds of colors and shades of food, but the iPhone can't always capture them exactly as you see them. Sometimes they clearly lack brightness, and sometimes they should be slightly dimmed. Fortunately, color can always be adjusted using photo editors. There are many filters, as well as individual tools that allow you to adjust image settings.

It's worth experimenting with filters to find the one that suits a particular image. Filters that add brightness to colors make the photo more vibrant and saturated. Filters, on the contrary, mute the color and create a softer mood. If you don't like filters, you can always use tools that allow you to adjust color saturation, color temperature, hue and tone.

Summary

Let's summarize. The iPhone is a great tool for taking food photos, and by following these simple rules, you're sure to get some delicious looking photos. So why not start right now - cook a delicious meal, bake cookies, cut fruit, whip up a smoothie, buy a beautiful cake and start taking photos?

Pay attention to lighting and shadows. Try shooting both indoors and outdoors.
Choose a background that will complement your composition, experiment with shooting angles.

Be sure to create a beautiful, clean, balanced composition.
Use decorations, add a human element, create your own story.

And, of course, don’t forget to process the frame to improve the colors and give it the right mood.

And remember that the best thing about food photography is being able to eat all the goodies after the photo shoot!

4 093

In the current world, when social networks in general and Instagram in particular occupy an integral role in our lives, good quality beautiful photo this is our everything. Especially if you are an online confectioner, that is, your clients find you via the Internet, look at your portfolio first, and read reviews about you. As you know, the Internet does not convey smells and tastes, unfortunately, so your potential client chooses with his eyes. A photo can convey all the appetizing, beauty and “deliciousness” of your baked goods, believe me! Man seeing beautiful picture, which is accompanied good description, he himself will complete the picture in his imagination of what a wonderful and delicious cake this is, how textured its sides look, how appetizingly shiny the glaze is, how fragrant this delicate cream with vanilla seeds is and how crispy this airy meringue is, melting in your mouth! Often, confectioners pay little attention to photos, displaying in their portfolios unclear, blurry photos against the backdrop of some unpresentable everyday picture under the yellow light of lamps. Perhaps your baked goods are divinely delicious and Pierre Hermé himself, having tasted a piece, will turn black with envy, but with a bad photograph, few will guess about this. Moreover, now there are a lot of online confectioners, and you need to stand out among them; high-quality, artistically designed photos of your work will greatly help with this. Perhaps you will even have your own “handwriting”, and from the photo it will be clear that these are your works.

To help you understand how to do high-quality photograph, Homebaked interviewed a food photographer and food stylist Daria Bliznyuk. Daria lives in Rostov-on-Don and has been interested in photography and cooking for a long time. During her first maternity leave, the girl fell in love with preparing complex dishes, taking step-by-step photos for recipes and posting them on various culinary portals. Later came the desire to learn how to make tasty not only food, but also photos. The desire to improve does not leave Daria for a minute!

Tell us how inspiration comes - do you want to photograph some object, and a composition is built in your head, or does everything happen spontaneously?

The most important thing is to imagine what this object is associated with... what relationships are drawn... sometimes, as they say, you have to sleep with the thought and then everything falls into place in your head and all that remains is to catch everything with the lens))) and a spontaneous explosion of desire happens You can immediately take a photo when that same towel falls into your hands... a delicate twig with leaves or a mug of aromatic tea.

Read also Biscuit "3 milk"

What assistants should a food photographer and food stylist have?

If a person takes the first steps towards beautiful food photos, the most important assistant is natural daylight. Let it be slightly smoothed out by a transparent white curtain or even barely noticeable; it is better to turn off the flashes built into the camera so that the color remains natural; you can shoot from any angle, the main thing is to experiment. You can stand on a stool above the dining table and take one photo with your phone, resulting in an incredibly appetizing picture, or you can spend hours spinning around in a professional studio with fancy equipment and get a standard slicked-out facelessness.
Choose a plain surface for the background or a lightly decorated one, without bright patterns or complex color combinations, so that the main subject of the photograph immediately catches the eye.
Opt for white plates, mugs, teapots - this color will always add sophistication and emphasize the beauty of the subject.
This does not mean that you should not have bright and exotic dishes, elegant napkins in a bright geometric pattern or a red straw for a glass of juice, just everything should be in moderation, everything should give a feeling of harmony.

You have very interesting compositions, with some kind of history, how to arrange objects so as not to overload the photo. Is there an unspoken maximum number of items in a photo?

Look for inspiration in glossy magazines, on culinary portals, go to cafes, bars, restaurants and absorb beauty like sponges.
To get an interesting shot, the dish must live in the lens. All items should not just be taken from nowhere, they should complement and emphasize the beauty of the dish. But at the same time, the most beautiful cup or brightest napkin should not attract all the attention; if this happens, remove them mercilessly.
There shouldn't be too many items. A piece of cake on a saucer and a cup of tea, a carelessly dropped flower or a teaspoon can already create harmony.

Read also 10 cream cheese recipes for all occasions

How to beautifully photograph a cake or pastry; with what additional items do you think they look more harmonious?

You can photograph the cake on its own at a 45-60 degree angle if you want to draw attention to the side or tiered design. You can take a shot “from above” if such a shot most advantageously emphasizes the geometricity of the sides and the originality of the main decoration.
The cake can be placed on a special stand or simply on a beautiful dish, then it will not look so formal; if this is not possible, then just place a small bouquet or a few berries/fruits used in decoration next to it.
You can place a large knife next to the cake, which you plan to use to cut it, and a spatula to place the pieces on plates. The cake can be supplemented with a cup of tea/coffee, a teaspoon or dessert fork, a glass of juice or milk, for example.

What are the most difficult moments when shooting?

The hardest thing is not to get too carried away. The food should be beautiful, but true to reality. If you see the perfect salad on a restaurant menu, and they bring you something that doesn’t even remotely resemble it, you’re unlikely to be happy.
On the other hand, a photograph of food should make you want to eat what you see in the picture. If such a desire does not arise, then you need to take a different photo.

What is your favorite job and why?

My favorite is the one that awaits me in the future)) Each Previous work I love it because it is new round and a step towards improvement.. every real work is precious, since it is what allows you to do what you love here and now))

What are the main mistakes most beginning food photographers make?

The biggest mistake is to consider yourself a professional too early, not to listen to other people’s advice and to impose your opinion on the customer.

Two girls, I found some interesting tips on the internet on how to photograph your dishes beautifully and correctly. Let's study!

We need to create an illusion.

PLAN

- serving utensils,
- glasses,
- devices,
- napkins,
- stands,
- the background,

Have you ever flipped through cookbooks or magazines and caught yourself thinking that a successful photograph of a particular dish makes it more appetizing in the frame?
This is what the multi-million dollar culinary photography business is all about. Professional photographers sometimes earn thousands of dollars per frame shooting food for books or magazines.
The right composition and light in the frame can embellish and make even the simplest salad more appetizing.
And in this topic we will go into more detail about all the details of food photography.

First of all, let's look at what is most important in culinary photography?
To interest the viewer in our recipe, and in the absence of taste and smell in the photograph, convey the contents as closely as possible through the only sense of the viewer available to us - the gaze, and perhaps even more - show him the same banal salad from such an angle that from the picture he would have thought that this is the most delicious and indescribable salad he has ever eaten!
We need to create an illusion.
I won’t go into detail about what exactly is used by professionals when photographing food, but I’ll just say one thing: those dishes that you often see in pictures are not very suitable for eating after being photographed, since quite toxic chemicals are used in the battle, starting from hairspray for shine and finishing with machine oil and glue to give a "creamy" look.
But of course we won’t use such things, and we’ll just look at the moments of compositional design

For a more appetizing look in photography, good lighting and a clean frame are a must. With cleanliness in general mandatory associate any photograph, since in this case it concerns almost the most sacred thing in the life of the beholder - food! We are all very picky about the cooking process, and have our own standards for how food should look. That’s when you photograph culinary masterpieces, you need to focus on the most picky viewer, because your photo, even of the most masterpiece recipe, can be rejected due to elementary fingerprints on the glass or sauce sloppily smeared on the plate.

The lighting in your photos should appear daytime or even morning, with plenty of sun, creating a good, joyful mood. The fact that you may be filming your work with the help of artificial light, lamps and additional backlights should remain your personal secret, and the viewer should be given the illusion of a sunny Sunday morning, when you can relax and indulge in a delicious dessert, a couple of buns or a piece of juicy pie. What you don't want to create in your shot is the impression of a late evening and a late night binge.

PLAN
You should be prepared for the fact that preparations for photographing food will probably take you a lot of time, so it is advisable to plan everything in advance to photograph the food as it has just been prepared, hot, fresh and fresh from the stove, so that the only thing you have to do is click on the shutter and you're done.
The shooting location, say a table, should already be prepared in advance. You should already have a planned composition, be it:
- serving utensils,
- glasses,
- devices,
- napkins,
- stands,
- the background,
- tripod adjusted to desired angle and height,
- a camera attached to it with the necessary settings,
- light, lamps, illuminating lanterns...

It is best, of course, not to neglect sunlight and use it to the fullest, as much as your weather and the location of the house allows. But still, the more sunlight, the more natural your dish will look, and the less you will have to use auxiliary lighting. And for it you will need an adapter and additional desk lamp, of course, if you are not working in a studio environment (although this does not make the wires less).
This is filmed as shown, only with natural lighting, without additional light.

So, before you start preparing, make a plan with a view to subsequent photography. Place a table, preferably by a window, if you will be filming during the day. Prepare all the necessary dishes, think about what else you will have in the frame in addition to the main dish, perhaps some spices, herbs, fruits or components of the dish, vegetables, etc. Don't forget about glasses, cutlery, napkins, coasters. Organize everything on your table the way it will look in the frame. Set up a tripod and camera.

DISHES
The dishes on which the dish is presented are probably the most important element in the frame after the food itself. Therefore, a detailed approach to this object composition must be extremely careful.
First of all, you can never go wrong with white dishes!
No matter what the dish is, first, second or dessert, no matter what color composition - white always looks advantageous in food photography.

Of course, this does not mean that everything must be shot on white dishes. Multi-colored ones can also add a special charm to the composition, but here you need to be more careful in choosing the other accessories in the frame.
First, make sure that the color of the dish is balanced with the color of the dishes, for example, that it is not a bright red soup and an equally bright red plate. A too brightly flashy frame is also not the best means of transmission. If your dish is a rather dull color, then it’s not a bad idea to add something bright in the frame, in which case a colored plate will be in place. Well, for example, if you have, say, porridge or soup of a light wheat color, and you photograph it on white dishes, plus a white background, then this is unlikely to awaken your appetite. If you are dealing with this type of dish, be sure to add a little color, let it be from the constituent vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers or even herbs.
The perception of color balance has a big impact on the outcome of a successful photograph.
Further, if you use colored plates, then this special color should be used somewhere else. Be it napkins, or vegetables in the background, juice, etc. Notice how in the first two frames the dishes are combined with napkins and other accessories. On the third, a yellow plate is balanced by a bright yellow jug in the background, and on the fourth, the entire set of dishes looks harmonious as a whole.

Just as white dishes look quite advantageous in the frame, square plates look much better than round ones. This is most likely due to the fact that square corners can be placed diagonally and this can already introduce some geometric aspects into the composition, thereby creating dynamics and rhythm.

Don't be afraid to place multiple plates under your dish, it looks quite fun and if the color composition is well balanced you can create a very interesting shot. Plus, it allows you to slightly increase the angle from which you'll be shooting.

Also pay attention to the size of your dishes, and in particular plates.
Sizes that are too large are very inconvenient to shoot; firstly, you will have to cut off part of the dishes in the frame, and possibly even the dish itself. Small plates are much easier to shoot and compose around them.
If you are filming soup, then pour it into small bowls, and perhaps this will allow you to insert even two or three into the frame, thereby showing portions for several people.
Appetizers also look great on small plates. At the same time, we do not have unnecessary space and we can get quite close to this dish and photograph it from a good angle and depth of field.

Don't be afraid to experiment with dishes. Especially when it comes to salads and desserts.
Salads can look very interesting in martini glasses (as you saw above), or in clear dessert cups for ice cream or pudding. The transparency and height of this dish allows you to create a festive mood when dishes are served individually for each guest, and viewing the contents is very important for the perception of the dish. It looks especially interesting when salads or desserts are made in layers and it is possible to view each individual layer and components.

LIGHTING
Technically, product photography is a simple process. Even if your camera and optics are quite simple, knowing how to work with light you will achieve good results in photographing food.
A common mistake photographers make is insufficient fill lighting, which causes colors to become grayish and expressionless. Therefore, it is good to use diffused back or rear-side lighting and fill from the front.
But if you don't have good light, don't despair. Use window light! Passing through a transparent curtain it will give soft diffused light. Plus, use foil for filling - it will turn out great! The main thing is not to shoot in the “best” light - in...direct sunlight through the window.
At home, it is quite possible to reproduce the classic lighting scheme. To do this, you need to take a wooden frame, stretch tracing paper (or baking paper, white only) onto it - it will work as a scattering screen (diffuser). Install it before lighting device located behind the subject. To fill the foreground, use a device similar in color temperature, but if there is no second source, it can be replaced by a sheet of foil that reflects rays of backlight.
Be sure to pay attention to shadows and highlights from everything - the plate, the food on this plate, etc. There are products that reflect light and look juicy, and there are the opposite (for example, boiled carrots or something else). Experiment!

WHITE BALANCE
Take something simple and take test shots using this simple thing to determine the depth of field and white balance. Adjust the BB to a clean white sheet.
But. Even if you shoot in cloudy weather and there is well-scattered light from the window, this will not save you from falling into deep, tasteless shadows on the opposite side, and (possibly) artificial light from indoor lighting can introduce foreign BB from that side. In this case, try the BB mode - “sun”.

FRAME COMPOSITION
Are you planning to master the intricacies of food photography? Be prepared for the fact that you will have to learn the features of kitchens different countries peace.
Dishes of Russian or Japanese cuisine need to be photographed differently in order to emphasize the essence of the dishes. Russian dishes should not be “served” in a cold European style; remember that there should always be a correspondence between the cuisine and the manner in which you photograph it.
What types of food photography are there?
Shooting for packaging. Depict the product as clearly as possible. The picture should be bright and attractive so that the buyer immediately wants to buy. Photoshop and dummies are often used.
Country style. Used in cookbooks and magazines. This is a kind of imitation of cooking at home. Country photography should be associated with normal homemade food, prepared, so to speak, with love. Here, special attention is paid to dishes, surroundings, fabric textures...
Neo style. It is characterized by graphics, a combination of strict forms, a combination of bright and tonal contrasts. Here food does not play the main role, but the main aspect is based on strict composition...

The key to success is the ability to feel the frame, the ability to build its composition.
Figuring out how to “serve” this or that dish is a pleasure and exercises your imagination. Experiments with the background are inexhaustible! For example, you can shoot on plastic, glass, wood, paper... And light fabric backgrounds look more “alive”... Just take pictures if you like it! What some will call a mistake, others will call an artistic device. Development is always the destruction of canons!

20.09.2018

We are building a composition: all unnecessary things are gone!

Why does the whole world admire the still lifes of the Flemish masters? It's all about a brilliantly balanced composition: the background and accessories effectively set off the colors, and there is nothing superfluous in the paintings; every object is placed on the canvas for a reason.

Food photography frames are structured in the same way. First, choose a background that will not blend in with the color of the biscuit and cream. The classic chocolate “Truffle” is best photographed against an unobtrusive light background, and the impeccable whiteness of the most delicate delicacy “Vanilla ice cream” stands out more clearly when surrounded by thick, rich tones. To keep the cake from feeling lonely, you can add a couple of accessories to the theme. It’s just that dessert, even the most beautiful one, is of little interest to anyone; the public prefers pictures with a story.

You can get some ideas from recipes. When photographing the Mango-Passionfruit Mousse Cake, use a couple of firm fruits or a mango slice drizzling with juice. And if you were inspired by “,” a basket of fresh berries in the lens will whet your appetite even more. Remove everything that is not relevant to your story, otherwise the photo will turn out sloppy.

Of course, when taking slices, you can’t do without an elegant dessert spoon and a porcelain cup of hot tea, but remember that the dishes and utensils should be sparkling clean. Crumbs, untidy drips of cream, used napkins and scraps of packaging should not be an eyesore to the viewer.

If the cake is ordered by special occasion, introduce traditional holiday attributes into the composition, which will remind you of happy moments. Experiment with cards, invitations, confetti and themed decor: for example, fresh flowers, candles and fountains will go well with an anniversary cake, and for a New Year’s dessert - Christmas decorations, sparklers or artificial snow.

When arranging the composition of the photo, place the dessert in the center, and auxiliary elements on the sides. If a lace tablecloth or an intricate pattern on a dish takes the eye away from the delicacy, look for a calm, neutral design; A cut cake on a wooden cutting board looks especially tempting.

Let there be light! Selecting lighting

Natural light is the best thing you can think of for food photography! Daylight perfectly reveals the texture of the dessert and does not distort the colors. If the day is cloudy, you can put lamps on the right and left. And forget about flash - it creates shadows and does not reproduce colors accurately.

The quality of images is greatly influenced by the direction of the rays; the light source can be located in front, to the side or behind the subject. We immediately discard shooting facing the window: the photo will be spoiled by overexposure, the colors will turn out faded, and the black silhouette of the photographer will hang over the cake. It is more convenient to photograph chocolate and biscuit cakes from the side so that glare and shadows do not intrude into the frame.

Airy mousse products with a transparent jelly top – fragrant “Lemon Jasmine Cake”, romantic “Vanilla Raspberry Cake” or savory “Pistachio Raspberry Cake” – are good to shoot with backlight. Then the colors in the foreground come out rich and bright - the rays seem to illuminate the jelly from the inside, leaving no overexposure.

To redirect the light flux, use reflectors made of thick white paper or foil; in this case, the shadows are distributed more evenly, allowing the viewer to examine the delicacy in detail. For maximum image detail, use the macro option.

They look especially picturesque in the frame confectionery with heterogeneous texture. The alternation of shaded and illuminated areas creates spectacular color transitions. Take a photo with two reflectors on the right and left of the classic Blackcurrant cake with marmalade topping or the more modern Black Forest with vanilla mousse and cherry jelly on a chocolate brownie - and you will be showered with likes on social networks!

Regardless of the position of the light source, direct sunlight must be diffused, otherwise the sharp contrasts between light and shadow will make the photo look harsh. Cover the window with a thin translucent fabric so that the light diffuses evenly. The result is noticeable immediately: transitions from light to shadow become soft and smooth, and the photo looks more professional.

Angle and aperture are eye catchers

A well-chosen angle works wonders! Cheesecakes turn into a royal delicacy, the boundless softness of the cheese mass becomes literally tangible. And on the contrary, the wrong angle will turn an expensive designer cake into a nondescript cake, which neither masterly decor nor luxurious texture can save! Don't rush to press the start button until you've played with angles to your heart's content and are convinced that this shot is truly the best!

Professional photographers are brilliant at the art of positioning and choose the most captivating angles to photograph desserts. Richly decorated sponge cakes and fruit and berry cakes with elegant toppings are photographed from above, inviting the viewer to count all the curls and berries on top of the dessert. Multi-layered delights, such as the classic Pancho cake with prunes, are removed from the front, and freshly cut wedges are removed at an angle of 40–45 degrees. The camera slowly goes through layer after layer, teasing the appetite with thick drops of cream.

To control attention, various focusing options are used, which are created by different positions of the aperture blades. The wider the doors are open, the more the background is blurred, focusing attention on the subject. And if your hands are shaking from excitement, set the camera on a tripod so as not to blur the photo.

The art of photography requires patience. Sometimes you have to spend hours choosing the winning angle and conjuring the lighting, but the end result is real works of art, for which you can reward yourself with an extra piece of cake. Search, experiment and improve your skills, and the Sweet Express confectionery will provide you with first-class goods!