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One of the things I tasked myself with this year was to improve my food and lifestyle photography. Maybe because I’ve had a little more time or the stay at home mantra due to the lockdown, but I’ve been loving creating content from inside my house and I thought I’d share a few things that have helped me.
Yes, good kit helps, a great camera, I use an Olympus OM-D E-M10, great backdrops, space to shoot, as well as good light. But what I’ve discovered that has helped to enhance my own photography is by being inspired. Finding what inspires you can be a great driver in creating content that you can be proud of.
Finding Inspiration
You would think that photography tips would be all about telling you how to do things, well, what I’ve found that has helped me is trying new things and that’s all come from being inspired. There are a lot of great foodie photographers out there – not only do they inspire me to bake their wonderful creations, but they also make me think about the styling, the angles, as well as the backdrop of the images they share. This in turn inspires me to create new and interesting content. It is like a circle of creativity. I’m not saying copy, but being inspired and creating your own version is a great starting point to finding your own aesthetic.
Instagram accounts I love: TwoCupsFlour, FoodtographySchool, StyleSweetDaily, Devamadeo, StemsAndForks, Inesananasehortela, Nonihana_, TheseCountryRoads, and BeaLubas.
Don’t Be Scared Of A Dark Backdrop
One of the things I’ve found to help is having a great backdrop. All these years in blogging and I’ve never really bought into backdrops, instead, I used what I had, the wall, the floor or even fabrics. All my images on this blog post were done so using the photographic papers from the Paper Bag Co’s Foodie Bag [Ad-Pr Product]. While they aren’t the biggest of sizes and are quite thin, I like that they have introduced me to using backdrops and how dark and textured backgrounds can enhance an image.
There are four backdrops from Black Velvet Styling that come with the Foodie Bag. They include two light backdrops, white marble and a textured cream shade, and two dark, green and a distressed rust metal effect backdrops. Before I started using these I always thought a light backdrop was best, I blame the Insta-trend for a marble finish everywhere, but I really like the way the dark green works against my crockery and adds vibrance to the food.
What I would suggest is no matter what backdrop you use, if like the ones from the Foodie Bag are thin create some wooden backboards to make it easy to clip them on to. This will help with standing them up, as well as keep the backdrop flat. It might require a little more room to store but it really will help keep the backdrops looking great for longer.
Photography Is All About The Light
For anything in photography, finding good light is very important, as light is what gives everything form. But more importantly, find natural daylight to shoot, as it allows food to look natural and I think more vibrant. So, this is where you need to start moving around your house to find out which room has the best natural light, and also when the best time of day to shoot is. For me, the conservatory gets the best light, but I know that late morning and early afternoon is the best to avoid too many shadows. When you’ve found the best spot, you need to set up a table close to the window to maximise that great light.
This is when you can start experimenting – change up your backdrops, try a dark bottom, lighter top, add newspaper or a napkin for a texture clash, move the food around, add props, remove props – basically try different things, shoot it all, and then when you are editing find what works best for you.
The Foodie Bag also comes with a 15-inch 5-in-1 light reflector and diffuser, which is super handy for softening and filtering the light. I love that the white/silver reflector combats a lot of shadows and illuminates the food. But if you are into moody food photography I love the way the black side of the reflector helps to deepen and intensify the shadows. What I would say is experiment and have fun, try the different reflectors and see how they change your shot.
Create In Layers
What I find works for me when it comes to styling my photographs is to think of it in layers. I have the backdrop, the plates, the cake stand, the food spill like chocolate chips, cutlery, and then the main event, mainly a sweet desert of some kind. It isn’t about overpowering the image with stuff but showing context, I like to show the ingredients – from chocolate cut up to a slice of lemon or a sprinkle of flour, or the tools I’ve used, like a whisk, a spoon or a knife.
There is something about adding a little messy chaos that adds narrative to the image and the recipe that I like. Just think to yourself what props, items or ingredients will complement the focal point of your image. The same goes for adding yourself into the image, for instance, try holding the cupcake, cutting into a pie, or pouring the tea.
Props, Props, Props
Don’t discount props – it is one of the fun things from shooting from home, you can play around with your props. Try adding in crockery, bakeware, pans, cutlery, a tablecloth, napkins, flowers, books, or even your pet – but be warned they might steal what you’ve cooked!!!
I like to use items that work well with the rest of my blog and Instagram grid, elements from around the house like my vintage crockery, vases, wooden chopping boards, and flowers. But saying all that don’t go overboard with your props, some times less is more. If something is distracting from the focal point of the image – take it away.
