Lunar New Year is this coming Saturday, the 10th of February 2024. It’s the Year of the Dragon, so a powerful start to the year is appropriate. And a huge part of the festivities is food! Food photography is a fine art that is under-appreciated. Here are some tips to getting those beautiful food shots that you see on social media and online.
Photo credit: Davide Luciano
What Tools Should I Be Using?
The tools of the trade really depend on the extent of the budget and interest – food photography is just a casual thing for lots of us. A solid entry level DSLR or mirrorless camera (even a point and shoot) will be enough. It’s more about how you apply what you have, rather than needing everything fancy to get the shot. Lots of people in relaxed settings will just have their phones, so even using that camera to the best of its abilities will be enough!
Lenses also depend on the composition that you are aiming for. If you want those nice cocktail shots with the nice bokeh background, a faster lens will be the way to go. But if you want to capture all of the details, then a lens that goes between f/4-6 will be the best. And what about all of those small details in the food? A macro lens to get up close! It’s overwhelming to decide, but most food photographers use a 24-70mm+ zoom lens so that they have a wider range of choice with framing, so this would be where to start.
Photo credit: Yasmin Albatoul
Lighting!
Lighting is the make or break of food photography. A common misconception is lighting the food from directly above – but this washes out any dimension and makes the image look flat. Lighting from the side is the best, as it creates that depth in the image and looks more dynamic. Diffused light is critical too, so even shooting with natural light on a cloudy day will deliver beautiful results, or even through a soft white curtain on a brighter day. Using softboxes inside can also do wonderful things, but don’t use flashes! They will be too harsh and make the food look unappealing. Softer side lights are the best in this situation. But if the light is beautiful outside, don’t be afraid to do an exterior shoot, as long as the light isn’t too harsh!
Photo credit: Liam West – Lightly Salted
Composition
Composition is where there’s a chance for lots of freedom and expression of style. Full macro or super wide on a tilt, it’s completely up to the shooter! Food photographers often play with the rule of thirds, lining up bowls on these imaginary lines and playing with balance in the image. Others tilt the camera fully, adding a flair of drama to the photos. One thing that is super handy for food photography is having a tripod on hand to get stable composed shots. Tripods are also great for those wide table-top shots that are perfectly parallel to the table.
Photo credit: Samuel Mahoney
Let the Festivities Begin!
Lunar New Year is the perfect time to go out and try food photography, or improve upon the experience that you already have and experiment! All of the festive lighting and decorations will bring an extra creative element to the food photography, as well as being a huge celebration of the new lunar year and what exciting things come with it.
