Photographing food best done in natural lighting

In today’s digital age, especially with news organizations downsizing, it is important to have more than one skill-set within the field of journalism. As such, if you’re looking to become a food writer, it is not only necessary that you be able to write about food in an informed and entertaining fashion, but depending on the news organization that you’re working for, you may also be required to take photographs to go alongside your articles or blog posts.

To help you in venturing into the world of food photography, here are five tips to help you when entering this specialized field.

1. Show food from an interesting angle.

Everyone sees their food by looking directly down at the table, but very few people (if anyone) look at their food from a horizontal angle. In order to take a picture of a sandwich that’ll make your audience members’ mouths water, take a photo at as low an angle as possible, while still showing a substantial view of the plate.

This photograph of an Earl Gray tart at Heaven Sent Desserts in San Diego, originally printed in The Mesa Press, shows an example of angling the camera for an interesting shot. The picture shows the height of the cookie standing on top of the dessert and the detail of the chocolate on the cookie, which would not be visible otherwise. Photo Credit: Lauren J. Mapp

2. Cleanup plate if necessary.

Sometimes even the nicest restaurants send out plates that have crumbs out of place or a bit of sauce on the rim of the bowl. While truth in journalism is always an important factor in reporting – even while writing restaurants reviews and taking food shots – wayward crumbs make the shots look messy and diminish the quality of the photograph.

3. Don’t use the flash.

Unless the lighting in the restaurant is terrible, try not to use the flash when photographing food. The light reflects on the food and can make even the most delicious food look inedible. In addition, any shiny objects in the pictures – flatware, glasses, etc. – may cause a distracting glare in the picture. As a way to remedy lighting issues, I try to always sit on the patio of the restaurant when such seating is available and it is light out. Natural lighting is always the best option for food photographs.

4. Zoom in to avoid odd shadows.

Instead of holding the camera right next to the plate to get a close-up shot of a dish, it is better to hold the camera a little further away and to zoom in. When the camera is too close, a distracting shadow can show up on the plate – especially when using the flash.

The shadow of the camera lens in this photo - taken at El Tigre in Lima, Peru for my Off the Mapp food blog - demonstrates the need to hold the camera slightly away from food while focusing in. Luckily, this photo could be cropped to save it in a pinch. Photo Credit: Lauren J. Mapp

5. Objects in background may be closer than they appear.

When focusing on a juicy filet mignon with a side of bacon-seared Brussels sprouts, it may be easy to get distracted, but it is important to always double-check for background objects. The perfect shot could be ruined by your friend’s hand or a dirty napkin on the table behind the plate. To avoid having to reshoot photographs, make sure that the background is tidy and well-composed.

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