Revealed: The industry secrets to the perfect #foodie shot
Spice up your food photography using everything from motor oil to PVA glue – you might not want to eat the results...!
As many of us have been learning new cooking skills or honing those that we already had, we've also been taking to showcasing the results of our hard work on social media, leading us to learn new skills and techniques to showcase our #foodie delights in the best way possible.
This was a nationwide trend; According to Google search data, the search term 'food photography' peaked during April 2020, and has enjoyed high-ranking popularity ever since. As a whole, the #food tag on Instagram has been used on over 426 million posts. Search terms for 'best apps for food photography 2020' have also risen by 5000% in popularity in the last 12 months... crazy stuff!
The research was commissioned by Shotkit, who consulted with professional food photographers at the top of their game, in order to discover the most popular industry secrets for taking food photography to the next level. Now, we know you might not be trying these before your next FoodTribe dinner post, but you could always give it a go...
Bring an assistant if you think you need one
This is one for shooting outside of your home. If you’ve been commissioned to shoot for a hospitality venue for example, don’t expect one of the team to be your assistant all day, likely they will have other things to be getting on with. Imagine an assistant is a part of your equipment for the day, if you need one, bring them yourself!
Long hours
Even with all of the tricks and tips in the world, sometimes things go wrong. Allow yourself enough time to get the winning shot, but also a little extra to account for any mistakes.
Natural lighting is key
Sometimes artificial lighting can alter the colours, so although you may need extra lighting to accompany the natural light, always try to shoot in the day when you can.
...Secrets from inside the food photography industry...
And in no particular order, here are the top five food photography tips from the pros:
Using motor oil as syrup
Time to make a quick trip to Halfords for some essential photography supplies...
Well, if you're photographing the food, you don't have to eat it! Therefore, motor oil can be used as an excellent substitute for syrup on pancakes or other foods, since it won't absorb into the foods, giving the photographer (that's you) more time to perfect their shot without racing against the 'syrup' - clever stuff.
Using PVA glue instead of milk
Just don't eat the cereal after the shoot...
Milk can be a tricky material to work with when it comes to photography, and so can cereal. Using actual milk means you have a very limited window of opportunity, so next time swap out the milk for some PVA glue, diluted to your requirements. Just don't eat the cereal afterwards...
Using a tampon or cotton balls to create steam
Bathroom cabinets can be a treasure trove of materials for food photography.
Naturally, food photography takes time. This means that often, food isn't piping hot when photographed, so you need to think 'outside the box' when it comes to making it look oven-fresh. Next time, try soaking cotton-rich products such as make-up applicator pads, cotton balls or tampons in boiling water, and hide it behind the food. This will give off plenty of steam to make it look piping hot, without the small timeframe.
Hair spraying vegetables
Are you finding your vegetables or fruits are looking too dull on-camera? Do as any good makeup artist does, and crack out the hairspray! Coat your veg with the spray to give it a glossy, fresh-looking finish.
Adding make-up sponges to burgers
Give your burgers a boost by hiding a sponge inside the burger. Not only will it help keep things upright, but will also add height to the burger, making it look fresher and more appealing.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and showcase your food!
If you're looking for more tips, tricks and lessons, check out Shotkit for more.
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Comments (3)
Another great Trick is to put Cardboard between Stacks of Pancakes so that they look more fluffy/ less droopy. I only take Fotos of Food that I am going to eat though.
Granted these tips could be useful, but I only take pictures of food I'm actually going to eat! If it isn't capable of looking appealing naturally, I think I would have to question whether it's worthy of being eaten...
I've been on shoots where NOTHING that was shot was actually edible! It was as learning experience bar none. But like Robin and Tabitha, I shoot only what we're about to eat (sometimes the remnants of what we have eaten).