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Taking photos of our food to post online might be seen as a bit of a cliche, but it doesn’t stop most of us from doing it at some point.
A quick glance at Instagram will show you that there are more than 178 million images using the hashtag #food and with the technology in cameras ever improving, poorly lit shots of plates should really start to become a thing of the past.
To help change this, and to celebrate the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, we went along to a food photography masterclass held by Sony and led by awards finalist Peter Dench and food photographer Hugh Johnson, who’s worked with the likes of Heston Blumenthal.
For the masterclass we also used the palm-sized interchangeable lens Sony α7R II camera to test the tips out.
So, how do you take better photos of your food?
According to the pros, the biggest mistake many photographers make is over-complicating things. You don’t need lots of accessories and cutlery everywhere. Some can be good to make the shot more interesting, but don’t get bogged down by such things.
When shooting food it’s important to have the aperture on your camera set as wide as possible – this is the hole in the lens that lets in light. Light is a very good thing and, as Hugh explained, can have a great effect when you can see the light in the surface of food. It also softens the background of the shot, making the focus on the food even stronger.
There’s nothing more important in food photography than making it look appetising and to do that you need to shoot it quickly. Take your photos as soon as the food arrives in front of you, otherwise leaves can wilt, fats congeal and the overall freshness that you want to see begins to vanish.
It seems like an obvious tip, but tucking in your elbows as you hold your camera and take a photo creates a much more stable base to capture an image. As a result, you’re far less likely to be shaky and create distortion within your images.
Don’t be afraid to change the placement and look of food either – putting a fork through it can add something to the shot as well as show off more textures. Red meat in particular looks better if you cut it in half to reveal a pink interior.
If all this has got you in a photography mood you’re in luck, because the shortlisted and winning photographers from the Sony World Photography Awards are being exhibited at Somerset House until May 8. You could take a camera to lunch afterwards and try your hand at it too.
