3 Tips for Better Food Product Photography

3 Tips for Better Food Product Photography

In the past, we’ve talked a lot about product photography: why clothing retailers need it, how it can improve sales of electronics and tools, and even some tips for working more seamlessly with your photographer. What we haven’t yet grazed is one of the biggest areas of product photography around: food photography.

Food photography is on a completely different plane than other types of product photography. Instead of merely trying to get the viewer interested in buying the product you’re shooting, with food photography, you have to take that one step further, and actually try to capture a taste, a smell and a feel that will make them crave it. It’s a pretty hard feat to achieve.

Fortunately, over the years, we’ve discovered a few little tricks that can help improve food product photography in an instant. Here they are:

1. Be aware of your surroundings. You want all the attention to be on the food, so clear away any clutter and make sure you’re in a clean, open space. White or solid black backgrounds are often the best choice, as they allow the food to really pop and be the focal point of the image. Mainly, you want to avoid having people in the background, busy photos or patterns, and anything else that could distract from your food.
2. Pick a great plate. The plate you choose is extremely important in how your food is perceived. Whereas a plain white, paper plate would denote a low-quality, cheap food, a brightly colored, fiesta-ware plate would convey a more vibrant, exciting food that viewers would be itching to try. You want to choose something that’s high-quality, eye-catching, and that allows your food to truly shine.
3. Stage the food first. Put some serious effort into staging the food items before you shoot it. Don’t just pile it on a plate, and start snapping photos. You want to arrange the food in a beautiful and inviting way, and add any accessories that could amp up the image or enhance its quality in anyway. If you’re shooting cookies, for example, instead of just shooting a stack of cookies on a plate, consider putting them in a decorative box or tying them together with a pretty ribbon. This will not only make the photo more interesting, but it will show that care and quality went into the entire venture.

Are you looking to improve the product photography for your food establishment, restaurant, store or blog? Then contact Image Alive Studios today. Our professional photographers can help.