Have you ever noticed how important food is for travelers when they are talking about upcoming trips? Spring rolls in Thailand, pasta in Sicily, mole in Mexico…doesn’t your mouth just start watering? Yet when photographers come home from their trip they have great landscapes, wildlife, portraits, cityscapes…and no food images. Now I hear some folks saying I am not interested in photographing food, I just want to eat it! Fair enough, photograph what you love to photograph. But if you are trying to create a travel portfolio of your destination, food defines a culture as much as the clothes they wear. I’ve photographed numerous travel stories through the years, and food shots are always on the client list.
I think one reason photographers don’t photograph food is it seems complicated or too involved. But I often do quick food shots right when my dish arrives at the restaurant, no fancy planning, just following a few tips. Try out these techniques for quick food shots to round out your travel portfolio!
-three angles, one plate of food. I think of food shots from three different perspectives; top down, 45 degrees and straight on…The food determines the angle I use. If the food has a lot of depth like a burger or piece of cake, I will shoot straight at it to highlight the layers, or possibly at 45 degrees to include more of the tableware. If I am photographing something flat, or something with beautiful design and color, I will photograph from straight down. This angle highlights shape and color. 45 degrees is great to show more of the table and drinks, silverware, spices..etc. My favorite lens for food photography is my 70-200mm F2.8. This allows me to shoot at 100-200mm which narrows the angle of view and produces great bokeh at F4. I often use shallow depth of field and focus on the main element, the food, and keep the background elements like drinks slightly out of focus. You want the attention on the food.
-sit near a window. I look for outdoor covered tables or indoor tables near a window. This allows nice soft light to illuminate the scene. I often use a small white reflector to fill in dark shadows.
-eat at less crowded times. Since I don’t want to bother other diners or the restaurant staff, I often eat at off times so restaurants aren’t crowded. Often when staff see me taking some quick shots they are flattered and work with you on the photos.
-styling is critical. Food styling is its own art, and makes or breaks an image. I normally rely on the chef to create a beautiful dish, and only move some simple table items to create my shot. Remember you are working on a quick, but good, food image. In the studio you might take hours to prep a dish and table for one shot.
-tilt your lens 5 degrees. This one always confuses participants on our workshops. By tilting your camera left or right just a little you introduce a slight diagonal line into the image, and it creates more tension. Yes, the table isn’t flat, but I bet you will like those images more. To be safe photograph your food perfectly level and shoot some images that are tilted…decide later what you like.
And then the best part…eat the food! Food photography can tell a significant part of your travel story, all you have to do is a few quick shots. Practice at home before you go!