Shooting Food. :o)

Hello forum,

Does anyone know how to take good photos of food like the images we see in magazines and in recipe books? What is the secret? Specialised lighting? Longer exposure/shutter time (requiring an SLR camera)? A special type of film? A special lense (I'm thinking "macro zoom" or whatever it is called)?

Can I take great shots with a digital camera or are "real photographers" still using film?

Here is the sort of stuff I'd like to be able to do:

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Serious food photography is done in a studio usually with medium/large format cameras and extensive flash systems.
In addition most pro food photographers have kitchens where the food can be freshly and professionally prepared and arranged so that it goes straight onto the set.
Also there are lots of tricks in food photography, it really is an art in itself, some of the dishes aren't quite what they seem and are not really edible after the shoot...............al​though I hear that there are many overweight assistants in food photography studios as well!

I am a food editor at a newspaper in Southern California, about 30,000 circulation. I prepare the food at home, and until buying my new G3, used a Canon Powershot S100, which even though at 2 MP, provided large enough shots to look good on newspaper print.

I also try to vary the plates and accessories such as tablecloths, etc., depending on the subject, but find that a white plate usually showcases the food best.

Usually, I try to shoot nice close-ups with available light, just before sunset, as the sun peeks in through the window onto my dining table. I always use the Macro flower mode, in automatic, and if you frame your shot right and keep the camera still, you can get pretty nice shots.

Otherwise, I suggest lighting to the side of your food subject.

Of course, I'm still learning, and could always use suggestions myself! But I'd say my photos turn out pretty nicely considering I'm a semi-amateur.

Seamus Warren wrote:
Hello forum,

Does anyone know how to take good photos of food like the images we see in magazines and in recipe books? What is the secret? Specialised lighting? Longer exposure/shutter time (requiring an SLR camera)? A special type of film? A special lense (I'm thinking "macro zoom" or whatever it is called)?

Can I take great shots with a digital camera or are "real photographers" still using film?

Here is the sort of stuff I'd like to be able to do:

Looking at the photos you showed us, I see fairly classic portrait lighting, with a main light on one side and a fill light on the other side. The food is arranged so that the lights provide plenty of specular highlights to make the food look juicy and fresh. The main light seems to be about twice as bright as the fill light. I don't see any real attempt to eliminate shadows as you have with much product photography, so I expect the lights use smallish umbrellas or diffusers rather than the currently popular giant soft boxes.

They use lots of light so that they can use a smallish aperture. This allows them to keep the food within the depth of field, despite the close focus distance. But they still let the background go out of focus to highlight the food. The specular highlights on the surface of the food are always sharp, so that tells me where they focus.

A tripod is a must, so that you can get repeatable results.

And don't forget that the arrangement of the food has to make a pleasing composition. You'll have to decide what looks good for yourself, though.

I don't see any reason why these results could not be obtained with a 10D using a macro lens (either the 50 or the 100 should work). I'd prefer a real macro lens for this sort of thing, rather than a so-called macro zoom, which is usually not nearly as good a performer in the macro range.

The white plate looks good, and also tells you what white is. Make sure your white balance makes the plate white.

You don't need studio lights. Even a fixed light and a reflector could work, with the smaller aperture and a longer shutter speed, and the appropriate white balance. But keep the ISO low.

If you got flat results, I'd bet that the main reason is flat lighting, either from a built-in flash or from sources that are too diffused. The lighting used in your examples would actually be thought a bit harsh for most portraits these days.

By the way, I'd bet that the 5th-Avenue food advertising photographers are using large format with digital scanning backs, just like the product advertising photographers, but I am just guessing.

Rick "who prefers to eat food rather than photograph it" Denney