Lifestyle
Essential Food Photography Tips for Props & Lighting
I wanted to take some time to share with you some of my tips on capturing the perfect food photography. Whether you’re a food blogger already, an aspiring one or just someone looking for a new hobby, these essential food photography tips for props and lighting will set you off on the right foot. Because I truly believe that props and lighting either make or break a photo.
Must-have food photography props for every kitchen
Props for food photography can really take a photo of food to the next level. Without props, you’ll just have just a dish of food on a table, and that doesn’t sound very fun, visually appealing, or provide any texture to the photo. Props can take your food photo from amateur to professional real quick.
Where do you start? Here are some of my must-have food photography props that I think every photographer or aspiring food photographer should have available to them to mix and match and create the best set.
1-2 rustic, fun cutting boards: I like using them to add depth, shape and character to the photos. They are great too if you are using a white backdrop and white ceramics. They create contrasts and break the shot up a bit!
Vintage/non-shine cutlery, chopsticks, and unique knives and ramekins: This helps tell your story. I find when there is cutlery and extra fun bits in the shot, the viewer can really imagine themselves making and eating the dish.
An example of utilizing a different backdrop with texture for your image, and different bowls with the ingredients that went into the dish to set the scene.
Backdrops: One of the biggest food photography tips I can offer is to really think about the background. I have an array of colors to utilize for photography, but if you ask me, all you need is something dark, something rustic (like wood), and something light like white or grey to get started!
Essentially when you’re on Instagram you want to have a really well-balanced feed. So choose your colors and use them alternatively to create that aesthetically pleasing feed. People eat with their eyes first so make sure you pull them in with your choice of colors and balance!
Earthy wood board with dark contrast and light touches/props to make your photo pop.
TIP! I use the app UNUM to achieve the perfect Instagram feed!
Rustic, imperfect, grey ceramic bowls: These are a great baseline, versatile, and don’t take away from the image. They are basically used in most shoots so you create consistency in your photography. Once you become more comfortable then you can start using different colors and shapes with your dishes. You should never buy ceramics or plates/bowls with shine. They will make it hard for you to take a good photo so ensure you only purchase matte dishes, finished and worn.
