Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Food Photography For Beginners

By Betty Jones

Images of food are everyplace. We cannot walk down any leading shopping street without being bombarded by them from the windows of all the food shops. We open a magazine and there they are again hurtling their mouth watering delights at us.

If you think that food photography is very difficult and that you could never snap like the professionals you could surprise yourself. Like most types of other picture taking, a lot of the effects come from technique which can be learned.

Light as always with photography is King. Get it right and you create magic. Get it wrong and we all know the result! Treat the food you're photographing as you would any other still life subject and ensure that it is well lit. Most of the bad examples of food photography you will come across would have been drastically improved with adequate lighting.

One of the best places to photograph food is by a window where there is plenty of natural light - perhaps supported with flash bounced off a ceiling or wall to give more balanced lighting that cuts out the shadows. This daylight helps to keep the food looking much more natural.

If you have to take a lot of food pics then invest in buying or making a light box or tent. This is simply an enclosed area that is lit externally through diffused walls in the tent/box.

Slow shutter speed is what you need when you are working with food pics. Mount your camera on a sturdy tripod and remember to use a shutter release cable so you do not move the camera. The slightest movement will create horrible blurring.

The props that you use with food photography are what can bring it to life. Choose your props carefully. The props are usually what sets an amateur food photo aside from a professional food photography.

Use professional equipment when you do food photography and you will see the results. Using good quality lighting and a high quality camera are the main equipment your will need. You have to use a SLR camera with food photography if you want to get the best results. You will need to be able to zoom in and control the shutter and aperture settings to capture the full depth of the image.

About the Author:

0 comments:

Post a Comment