STACK #210 Apr 2022

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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DELICIOUS PHOTOGRAPHY W ant to make your food look as good as it tastes? Follow these simple steps to have your friends and family drooling over their phones.

5 steps to levelling up your food photography

Photo credit: Chad Montano (Unsplash)

1. Tell a story You want to make your image so good that the viewer will be salivating at their screen – think of what features your dish has and what story you want to tell. Size, shape and height are the main distinguishing features of a dish. Don’t be afraid to move around and photograph your food from different angles. Pizza looks best when shot from above, but burgers look best from the side. Play with different compositions, close-ups and framing – there is no right or wrong method, but you will find your favourites this way.

2. Find a hero When building a scene, pick your hero subject, the focal point of your image, and place it on a table in the camera frame. From here, surround it with props that complement your hero and complete the image. Remaining ingredients, sauces and cooking utensils can all help tell the story of a dish’s preparation. Tins, jars, herbs and glassware can subtly hint at the origin of the dish or the season in which it is served. This is your chance to get creative with your visual storytelling.

3. Light it up Perhaps the most important part of your photography journey. Natural lighting always provides the best results, but a soft box may also come in handy if your lighting is sub-optimal. It's best to avoid direct lighting or the on-camera flash for these shoots, as they will drown out the detail needed in food photography.

4. Keep it simple everything in the frame is relevant to your image. Food has so much texture and detail that less is more. If the cutlery in your picture doesn’t add to the story, it means it is detracting from the photo. Try to make sure

5. Experiment A mistake many food photographers make when starting out is the use of props or overly colourful backgrounds that are distracting to the eye and detracting from the hero of the image – the dish. Try contrasting colours as the backdrop for your shoot. Taking photos of a chocolate lava cake? Let the rich browns of the dish be highlighted by a marble bench, for example. Contrast is king!

Family Ties While food photography is a stationary art form, nailing the perfect family portrait is quite the opposite. Whether they’re the ones we choose or the ones we're born with, they are family, and they're never too far from our sides. It's getting a nice photo of them all that’s the challenge. Embrace the chaos and take these pointers to Sunday lunch at mum’s place. Shoot in self timer burst mode for those big group shots – you can’t be the only person missing in mum’s new favourite pic this year. Kids are the best, and their feelings are never too far from the expression on their face, perfect for your backyard photoshoot. Try to catch your family off guard, it’s a sure-fire way to get a genuine reaction or smile. None of that forced stuff, thanks. Keep your photos candid where you can. It’s the best way to capture your loved ones the way you have them in your head.

Essential Accessories An essential element of your next flavoursome photo is your tripod and remote set- up. This allows you to have your camera set up and lighting perfected before you plate up and take your shots. Most cameras can now be connected and controlled (wired or wirelessly) from your computer, meaning you can see the images on the screen and take them from there. That also means your hands are free to adjust your shot before pressing that button. Shooting remotely also means you can adjust the settings in-camera to optimise your images. Reducing the shutter speed will reduce blur and allow more light into your photos when shooting remotely on a tripod. What you will need: Tripod and USB-C data cable (device dependent)

52 APRIL 2022

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