If you are a master with your DSLR camera and are looking for a way to take your photos from amazing to super-amazing…this post is SO not for you. These tips are for the bloggers that are not photographers but that want to be able to take reasonably appealing pictures for their recipe features.
Photography has never been one of my gifts, but with a few easy adjustments to my limited skills, I’ve been able to greatly improve the quality of my food photos. Here are the three tips that really helped my food pictures:
1) Take pictures during the day in natural light
This is one of the top tips you’ll hear from any photographer and it’s absolutely essential if you’re using a simple point and click camera. Take pictures outside or by a window and you’ll be amazed by how much better they look.
2) Use Beautiful Dishes
Our everyday dish set is trendy and I love it, but the cute square plates are grey. There really couldn’t be a less appealing background colour for food. So I stopped by my local dollar store and found a set of three different sized matching white plates with a beautiful scalloped edge. They only cost about two dollars and have made a huge difference in my food photos.
3) Wait for the focus
If you have a camera with manual focus, you can ignore this tip. But if you use a point-and-click camera or any other camera with auto focus settings, you need to wait for the picture to focus before you press the shutter button. Food shots are generally close up, so it’s best to get close, hold the camera steady and wait for it to focus in on the food before taking your picture. If you rush, you’ll get a blurry photo.
They may be little things, but they can make a big difference. Why not give them a try and see how they work for your food photos?
Thanks for the tips – very simple, but very effective!
You’re welcome, Soozle! When it comes to photography, simple is about all I can handle! LOL
great tips kat, white plates seem to make a big difference food looks more appealing and the photo is brighter! I need to snag some new interesting plates for photo shoots.
I was so happy to get those plates; they made a HUGE difference. :) You’ll notice them under absolutely every food I post on my blog now! (Seriously, how can grey really make anything look appetizing? LOL)
Great tips Kathryn, I never knew taking a photo in natural light would make such a big difference!
Thanks Monica! For food it sure does, anyways! :)