Food Photography: 5 Basic Laws

I already wrote in various posts (here, here and here) about food photography, particularly about lighting.
In this post I start with the basics, ie the things needed to produce a picture that, although not professional, is able to convey the goodness of the food that you prepared.

1. Use an SLR camera
Don't listen to ads, magazine reviews, shopkeepers, acquaintances, and so on. Even the most beautiful and expensive compact camera is not suitable for taking pictures of food. An expert photographer might be able to pull out something decent from it, understanding how to use it in manual mode, but you're not an expert otherwise you would not read this post. Do not throw away money.
You don't need to spend a fortune to buy a digital SLR camera. If you want to take some pictures to be displayed on internet you do not need the latest model with 16 megapixels and the new UltramegaIII microprocessor.
With new models coming out every few months is very likely to find good digital SLR cameras that were considered almost professional just a couple of years ago and at a price less than a new midrange compact camera. Make a search on eBay for used digital SLR cameras so to have a look at the prices but go also to visit the shops near to you.
Consider that any digital SLR is still a good camera and it is rare that the previous owner "exploited" it to death because of its quick obsolescence. But you do not care of obsolescence. You are interested in the outcome, not to show off your camera to photo enthusiastic friends or customers.

2. Use a fixed focal length lens
A lens with a fixed focal length (also called "prime" lens) means that you always shoot with the same angle of view.
But how can you shoot a subject to make it look closer or farther?
Use your feet!
You are in your kitchen and just one step closer or farther away is enough to get the shot you want.
Forget zooms, the ones included in the the reflex camera kits are usually of poor quality, while the good ones cost money, a lot, and you do not need them to shoot food. Get just a 50 mm f1.8 which costs about $100 used and you have everything you need to get started. And you can also take with it a lot of beautiful photos on other occasions: zooms were invented in the 70s and before that time hundreds of photographers became celebrated artists using only a 50mm. lens.

3. Use the camera in manual mode
When you have a SRL camera in your hands do not be intimidated by all the buttons you see. Read the instruction manual, but above all learn to use the camera in manual mode. Do not allow the camera thinking for you.
Modern cameras are programmed to take decent pictures in standard situations. Food photography is not a standard situation!
Learn the four basic principles of photography: shutter speed (also called exposure time), aperture, sensitivity of the sensor (or film) and focus. There is a huge quantity of information here on the internet about them without buying expensive books, make a search with "aperture shutter speeds" and you'll soon have dozens of links to browse, most of which are of excellent quality.
In short the logic is the following: the longer is the exposure time the more light enters in the camera and the more the picture will be brighter. The more the aperture is closed the more part of the image will be in focus but the less light will enter the camera and then the picture will be darker and darker. The more the sensor (or film) is sensitive (sensitivity is a value expressed in exponential ISO speeds: 100-200-400-800, and so on) the more it captures the light that enters the camera at expense of image quality.
You have a subject, namely the food, which has a big advantage: it doesn't move! So the procedure is as follows: set the lowest sensitivity that your camera allows (usually ISO 100), set the aperture wide open, focus the point of the image that you want to be the sharpest, close the aperture depending on how much you want the image sharp around the focus point, choose the time that allows you to take a photo with a proper exposure, alas that is well lit. Do not blindly trust the light meter, experiment and compare the results. In no time you'll be able to judge the correct exposure.
Using a tripod is a must. It's another little expense but it will allow you to use long exposure times without shaking the camera.
At the very end don't care about the 100 buttons of the camera and care only about these four things: exposure time, aperture, sensitivity, focus. Repeat it like a mantra.

4. Use window light
Sometimes I browse some blogs or even some professional sites where I have the suspect that those who took the pictures live in catacombs or in some dark cellars.
You do not need to have a lighting system like the ones used by professional photographers to take good pictures of food. All you need to have is just some bright window light.
Forget to take pictures at night, with light bulbs or worse. Rather wait to have a little time when there's daylight available, put your plate next to a window, usually just before it or at the side, pull a white tent if the light is too direct so that it becomes softer and more spread and you already have excellent lighting.

5. An ugly photo ruins a tasty recipe
You have to remember that you are on the internet, not in your kitchen. In a written page there's no flavor or taste. People can read you recipe but most of the time they look at the pictures first.
So you spend hours preparing some great recipe, with all your love and passion, and then you settle for a terrible picture that makes look the food inedible? Please, don't tell me that just the culinary content is really important, why did you not just write the recipe then without ruining it with a photo that is not up to it?
Talking as a food enthusiast I can assure you that it is better not having pictures than using ugly ones: some of my favorite cookbooks do not display any picture.
If you instead want to show the goodness of your culinary dishes, capturing the attention of the viewer, you have to realize that pictures are of fundamental importance: they depict you!
The culinary creations that represent you and your passion have to look good and tasty. So you have to spend time and a little money to try to show them the best you can. I will write more posts on this blog that will teach you how to succeed in producing pictures of food better and better. But time, passion and persistence to achieve results are up to you, there are no shortcuts.
I understand of course that not everyone has lot of free time to learn how to properly take food pictures but what is excusable for amateurs bloggers (but the logic is always better nothing than ugly) it is not for those who intend to be professionals.
Ugly photos of your culinary dishes give the impression of a lack of care in your work: would you serve food to your customers in chipped dishes in a spoiled room, maybe using a waiter with dirty clothes? If the answer is no, call a professional food photographer to help you. We do not cost that much.


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