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Appetizing Art - The Complete Picture (Part 1)

6/13/2013 9:01:42 AM

If you love food as much as photography, you’re in for a treat. Grab your chef’s hat and camera, and learn how to make delicious-looking images whatever your skill level inside and outside of the kitchen

Love it or hate it, McDonald’s is a brilliant example of good food photography. If you’re hungry and want something quick to eat, nothing looks more alluring than a plump Big Mac or Quarter Pounder on a billboard – even though you know deep down that it doesn’t taste quite as succulent as that image would have you believe. Good food photographs trigger a reaction in the viewer, making them crave what they see, but getting to that stage isn’t as simple as it sounds. Often the most uncomplicated images are the most considered and well executed. And like any good portrait shoot, food photography hinges on presentation, detailed styling and a concept that complements the food to get your taste buds tingling. But whether you’re someone who takes pride in cooking and photographs the food you crate before devouring it, or you’re just interested in the art of food photography, there will be lots on offer in this article to give you food for thought…

Both these images contain and/or control the viewer's eye within the frame

ONE OF THE FIRST steps to creating a good food image is design, and that happens even before the ingredients come out of the cupboard. Devising a concept, carefully selecting your subjects and choosing how you’ll style your image are all part of the design process – then comes the placement of elements to compose the best shot for retaining the viewer’s interest. You want to lead your viewer around the image and control the interaction between the various subjects’ shapes, lines and colors for compelling impact. First decide what your main subject will be – the focus of the image or, as foodies like to call it, the ‘hero’ piece – and then you can consider the position of accent elements, like garnishes, other food items and cutlery, to make it look more appetizing. Now, this is easy if you have a professional food stylist on call, but for us hobbyists there are a few guidelines we can use when doing it for ourselves, which many pros use, too.

Like with any good photograph, the rule-of-thirds and the rule-of-odds apply with food photography, so while breaking the rules can work, too, rely on these fundamental compositional guidelines to get you started. If you feel like exploring more creative solutions, remember to incorporate visual balance in the image – think about symmetry and asymmetry – you’ll know if it’s not balanced by a sense of something missing from the composition. Repeated patterns work well, too, such as subjects in the foreground and background styled with the same shapes and textures, as are proportions and the scale of your ‘hero’ compared to other elements. If you had a cupcake on a large plate, for instance, the balance and impact would be much weaker than if it was a small plate putting emphasis on the cake. It always works better to photograph much smaller portions than you’d eat, too, so not to overwhelm the image, as subjects will naturally look larger in photographs. An effective way to visualize whether you’ve a strong composition or not is to follow the viewer’s line of sight to make sure you lead them from the bottom to the top of the frame without inviting their eye to wander or leave the picture too early. You want to contain and control the flow of their gaze for as long as possible. This is where accent items come in as not only do they add visual appeal, but they fill empty spaces and add color and texture where needed.

Knowing how to use props and style your food to get the best from what you’ve got can go a long way towards a better picture

Knowing how to use props and style your food to get the best from what you’ve got can go a long way towards a better picture

Your choice of background is really important, as in many respects it brings the whole composition together. Rustic backdrops like painted or distressed wooden panels, slabs of slate or textured fabrics can all work well if they complement the concept, tone and texture of the subject. For instance, for images that ooze relaxed rustic home comfort, choose a rough texture with plenty of interest, whereas a polished, fresh-looking, Michelin-star styled dinner looks better against a sleek and simple background of a complementary color or a close-up on a white plate.

Food, glorious food! using a wide aperture for shallow depth of field and odd numbers can create really soft but strong

Food, glorious food! using a wide aperture for shallow depth of field and odd numbers can create really soft but strong

While most professionals have a food stylist to ensure the plate is perfect, it’s not essential. However, knowing how to use props and style your food to get the best from what you’ve got can go a long way towards a better picture. Propping is part of the fun, too: visit antique shops, kitchen stores, stone mason yards and catering rental companies for unusual utensils and materials such as stone of slate to use as backdrops – it will allow you to be much more creative than just placing food on a plate. You’re creating your still-life scene, using the food as the focal point, delivering a sense of the food and the feelings viewers get if they were to eat it – and props can dramatically alter this. Depending on the style you want to create, the perfection of the props or the food you’re using is relative. If you’re going for old-world charm and comfort food, a dug-in chocolate cream pie and dirty dessert spoon on a slate surface may seem more tempting than if it was pristine, suggesting even the photographer couldn’t resists a taste. But, regardless, try to pick subjects that are as flawless as possible avoid bruised, burnt, chipped or crumpled specimens unless that’s the look you want. If your primary aim is to take beautiful pictures of the food you cook to eat, all you need to do is master working with natural light, basic presentation and the technical tools like shooting with a wide aperture for shallow depth-of-field. But if you’re shooting for stock or blogging, there are instances where you may need to create the food for photography, not to be eaten.

Repeating subjects is a good way to create simple but strong compositions

Repeating subjects is a good way to create simple but strong compositions

Grabbing a book on food styling can help you prepare various foods, but here are a few tips and tricks we’ve grabbed from the professionals. Undercook the item so the outside is perfect, even if the inside is raw, and if it’s turkey you’re cooking, rub the skin with washing-up liquid before cooking to prevent the skin from cracking. Some substitutes for real food can make photography much easier – for instance, artificial flake ice is ideal for images of cooling beer or soda bottles as it won’t melt. Similarly, artificial ice cubes, ice cream, steam and fake foods can also be used in the background as long as they’re out of focus. Additives are mixed with strawberry sauce to thicken it for pouring over a dessert and pancakes are sprayed with Scotch Guard so the syrup doesn’t soak into them. A water spray bottle is great for refreshing raw fruits; rub sliced apples and pears with lemon juice to stop browning; and compose spaghetti, not in a heap, but it small swirls on a plate for a more appetizing appearance.

Both these images contain and/or control the viewer's eye within the frame

Whatever you’re shooting or however you style it, remember less is more when it comes to good food photography. Everything must have its place, its purpose within the scene and work together in terms of composition, texture and color. Don’t overcomplicate the image with lots of props or garnishes; keep the ‘hero’ the star of the shot. Technically, though, there are only a few techniques to master: selective focusing, shallow depth-of-field (using an aperture between f/2.8 to f/8) and experimenting with angles and viewpoints for varying impact. Most food photography is shot 200 to 350 above the surface of the food, but directly overhead shots can work well, too. There’s a lot to consider, as food photography is as much of an art form as cooking, but if you follow our advice, you’ll create some tasty results.

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