Jeremy Merriam Food Photography JeremyMerriam.com

Jeremy Merriam FoodPhotography

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Tips And Tricks For Fantastic Food Photography

Ever since photography was invented, people have devised ways to help themselves look better when beingphotographed, whether it is how they position their bodies or the well-known flattering petroleum-jelly-on-the-lens trick. There are also many tips and tricks that can be applied to food photography. When it comes tophotographing food, the goal is to make the food look as appetizing and attractive as possible. The lightingthat is used, the angle of the camera and the camera?s color balance settings will all play a major role in theoutcome. Food photography also requires a tremendously steady hand in order to get a crisp and clearimage, and using a tripod can be essential for achieving this. Close-ups are also a favored format for mostphotographs of food. However there are also some things that you can do to ensure that the subject of thephoto looks as fresh and appealing as possible.

One of the first things that you can do to achieve a desirable shot is to shoot fast. Food is made to be eatenso the faster you capture the food, particularly salads and also hot food such as sauces which can congeal,the better and more appetizing it is going to look in your photo. Photographing food will often require aconsiderable amount of setting up. The more of this you can do prior to the food being ready to bephotographed the better, thus efficient and accurate planning skills are an asset.

The pithy adage ?keep it simple, stupid? can certainly apply to photographing food. When considering whatbackground the food will be presented against and what sort of plates and dining accessories such as cutleryand napkins will be in the photo, ensure that these style elements complement and enhance the food and donot take the focus away from the core subject. A lot of photographs of food are taken against a whitebackground or on white plates. This is simple and effective. If using white styling elements, ensure they areclean and crisp and check your color balances.

Although there are some basic elements of food photography that should be adhered to, there is also a lot ofroom for creativity. Although the end shot of plated food is your goal, there can be advantages in shootingthe food as it is being prepared and cooked, and another appealing style of food images is to shoot the foodafter some of it has been eaten. Experimentation during these periods of the food?s timeline can result insome more unusual but equally effective photographs. In addition to shooting food when some of it has beeneaten, you may also want to consider adding a human element to the food. This may be a hand holding aspoon, or hands picking up a burger. The addition of a person into the photo of the food can be effective inconveying the message that the food is irresistible and again, cements the overall message that this is to beeaten, not just admired.

As children, we are often admonished not to play with our food, but when it comes to taking photos, playingaround with placement of the food on the plate, stacking items and juxtaposing food with other objects orother food can also result in a great photograph. When it comes to the tools you use to play with your food,every photographer will have their own best techniques. Small blow torches, such as the ones used to makecr?me brulee can be effective tools, as can tweezers for moving pieces of food around delicately. Papertowels are an essential item and vegetable spray can add some gloss to food items that are losing theirluster. Overall, the best way for food to be photographed looking its best is to capture it when it is fresh andto capture it fast.

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