It's that time of year when folks fire up the oven and start whipping, baking, simmering, and roasting. With all those great things coming out of the kitchen, you're going to want to share every delicious morsel with friends, fans, and family who can't personally make it to dinner.
Here's how you can take delicious, reach-through-the-screen-good photos of your cooking using any camera—even your smartphone.
Your culinary creation is the star, so let it shine! Crop out the non-essentials cluttering your scene—say goodbye to salt and pepper shakers, spare chairs, and the eager anticipation of hungry guests waiting for you to wrap up the photoshoot.
If you can’t physically remove a distracting object, play the angles game. Capture your dish from every perspective imaginable—get low, go head-on, and even shoot from directly above. By exploring various angles, you'll discover the perfect viewpoint that makes your dish the undisputed hero of the frame, ready to tantalize taste buds through the screen.
Position your food near a window and let the natural illumination work its magic. Natural light is your secret ingredient to showcasing your latest culinary triumph.
If you're shooting during the morning, embrace the cooler tones, but any soft, bright light from the side is a win. Consider overexposing a tad to let those delicious details bask in the limelight.
For those early-winter evenings when darkness descends with dinner, bounce your flash off the ceiling or a nearby wall to create an even spread of light. When executed with finesse, this technique mimics the serene glow of a perfect spring morning, bringing warmth to even the darkest winter nights.
Capture the essence of your culinary creation before you dive in, leaving fingers and utensils out of the frame. You're orchestrating a moment of delicious anticipation, so why spoil the fantasy with teeth marks and someone else's hands?
Exceptions exist, of course. When documenting the step-by-step cooking process or showcasing the joyous atmosphere of your guests enjoying the feast, feel free to bend the rules. Just remember, for that initial, mouthwatering reveal, keep it clean, crisp, and hands-free.
Bring your dish to the forefront by getting up close and personal. Fill the frame and let the textures take center stage. There's nothing sadder than a small, blurry burger lost amid the expanse of a huge table. Your food deserves to be larger than life, just like the moment before that first bite. So get as close as your lens allows and capture every savory detail.
To accentuate this, play with a shallow depth of field. Nail the focus for crystal-clear details or elevate the ambiance by enhancing the bokeh during post-processing, giving your food the attention it truly deserves.
Elevate your food photography by embracing a spectrum of colors. Say yes to vibrant berries, lively herbs, and a parade of ingredients that add a burst of brightness to every corner of your shot. With a harvest of bold, beautiful choices like pomegranates, persimmons, currants, and squash, you have a palette of options to make your plates shine.
Don't forget to give your favorite dinnerware its moment in the spotlight, too. Whether serving as a neutral backdrop or injecting extra visual interest into the scene, the good china is ready to complement your scrumptious meals.
Why hoard the culinary magic? After capturing your favorite creations in photos, take it a step further and turn them into recipe cards printed on our user-friendly 5x7 card templates. You can find blank templates in the Other Occasions category in Greeting Cards.
Spread the joy by slipping these gems into your annual holiday mailings or attaching them to the ribbon of every present you give. Recipes are the gift that keeps on giving—a personalized touch that warms hearts and tantalizes taste buds.
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Happy shooting! Here's to capturing delicious moments and spreading the joy of fabulous food photography this holiday season.
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