Food Photography Mistakes You Must Avoid

Seasoned photographer or not here are some tips and tricks to create some amazing food photos

Food photography is a form of art. You are not just capturing food on a plate in front of you but are trying to capture the essence of it. As a food photographer, there are a number of things and tiny details that need to be kept in mind. And, all of this needs to be done at speed because the food is constantly wilting, melting and losing its freshness. If you are also planning to dip your toes in the art of food photography, you must learn from the mistakes made by other food photographers. Don’t know what mistakes to avoid? Let us help you get things aligned and you will be able to capture the best food photos that will make you stand out from the crowd.

How to photograph food

Using Flash

Using flash can be complicated in food photography unless you are a professional working with high-level professional lighting equipment stick to natural light and a wide aperture. If you are working in an indoor setting, using a flash will make the pictures flat, and you don’t want that to happen. You want to capture the mood and colors of the places and venue you are shooting. The best thing to do is to use natural light wherever possible to enhance the look and feel of your subject and make it look more natural and more elegant.

How to take photos of food with natural light

Not Using Fresh Food

As mentioned before, food photography is just not about capturing photos of food. It is about capturing the essence of the food on a plate and making it look as appealing and appetizing as possible. Therefore, make sure you are using fresh ingredients and the food is in its perfect condition before you start shooting it. Save yourself from the extra post-production work by choosing only the freshest of the ingredients free of blemishes to capture amazing food photos.Steak with vegetables

Not Leaving Negative Space in the Photos

When clicking food photos, most of us go for two simple ways: we either take a close up shot of food or fill the entire frame with the whole dish. Not many of us think of leaving some negative space in our food photos. This is what separates a professional from an amateur. With a blank space in the photos, the food photos look different from usual, and the client gets to have some space to put up their logos or anything else if they want. Not sure about it? Ask your client and accommodate their wishes but always give them lots of options.

beautiful food photography

Not Including Props

You have no idea how much difference a little addition of props can make to your photos. While you should never overdo it, adding some props and style to your food photos will enhance the look and appeal of the photos. Just make sure these props do not take the focus away from the main subject of the photos. They should complement the main subject, not shove it in the background.

Using props with food photos

Doing Too Much Editing

While a little (needed) editing will make the food photos look more appealing and appetizing, going too far with it will make them look artificial. One of the most common mistakes many people make while editing photos of food is using too much saturation. They think enhancing the color will make the food look more fresh and appetizing, but in reality, going overboard with saturation will just make the pictures look weird and unnatural and you don’t want that. Keep the food as close to its real color as possible to make it look natural and scrumptious.

Photo of a burrito

Avoid these common mistakes when taking photos of food and you will be able to capture some amazing photos. Did we miss one? Leave it in the comments below.