Food is no longer just food. Photos of delicious Asian pho, vegan acai bowls or a hearty deluxe burger have long been some of the most shared content on the web as #foodporn. Hardly anyone has ever uploaded a photo of their dinner to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. But what seems tempting to professional bloggers often comes across as bland. That's why we have five simple tips on how to take a photo to bite into.
Tip 1:It all depends on the angle
Photos of food are usually taken from above - that is, from a bird's eye view - or parallel to the meal. The latter is the variant that is clearly preferable, because it gives the dishes depth and clarity. The decoration also comes into its own. The photo from this position also gives the viewer the feeling of being right in front of the board. From a bird's-eye view you have a well-rounded picture of the food, but details are less noticeable, so that you get less hungry.
Tip 2:Put it in the right light
The motif must literally be seen in a good light. However, if the flash is too yellow or casts dark shadows, the best photos will look less appetizing. Real professionals prefer daylight. If you have the opportunity to photograph your meal during the day and outdoors, you've already won half the battle. If this is not possible, sit in a well-lit room and place the sign near a light source. The use of a flashlight should be avoided as much as possible, as strong shadows or a yellowish light appear too quickly.
Tip 3:The background is important
A delicious meal on a beautifully set table is a feast for the eyes. In a photo, less is often more. The background of the plate should not distract too much from the food – after all, the focus is clearly on what is on the plate. To emphasize the details and colors of the food, muted colors and natural materials such as a wooden table or a slightly coarser linen tablecloth are ideal for the background.
Tip 4:Zoom and focus
Zooming and focusing are extremely important when it comes to staging the food. For best results, don't move the food too far to see the individual details. Don't get too close though, so you can admire it in full size. In addition, it is important to focus on the design or decoration of the food and not on the plate. If you're taking a photo with multiple boards, you should only focus on one board.
Tip 5:The perfect equipment
Just as many roads lead to Rome, other equipment leads to the perfect shot. Of course, an SLR or a high-quality digital camera is best. These variants promise images of optimum quality that require hardly any image processing. With the smartphone you can compensate for the lower quality with special filters that change the lighting or the color tone. However, you must ensure that the naturalness of the food is preserved.
