
Last updated on February 16th, 2025
Food has the ability to bring people together. Complementing this is food photography, which helps highlight a dish’s most appetising aspects, drawing us to its delicious details. However, creating mouthwatering images doesn’t just rely on food’s inherent appeal. By practising basic composition techniques and maximising elements like colors, shapes, lighting, and depth, you can transform pedestrian food shots into eye-catching images.
Look to the tools at your disposal—like cameras, lighting equipment, and photography studios London photographers and enthusiasts elsewhere leverage—to help you tell a compelling food story. You can also explore composition tips and helpful hints in this article to aid you in taking food photos that stand out and whet the viewer’s appetite.
Follow the Rule of Thirds
Any good photographer knows the power of the rule of thirds. This basic but effective composition technique is a tried and tested way to achieve balance in any image. With food photography, in particular, you can use the rule of thirds when taking top-down shots of different plated dishes in a single frame or close ups highlighting textures in food. Use the grid option in your camera or editing software (if the camera is tethered to your computer) to experiment and practise object placement. Also, try moving things around to get depth and balance in your shots.
Use Different Angles for Different Kinds of Food
Your camera angle can drastically change the feel conveyed by your photo. And in food photography, there are three popular angles that you can try to improve your shots: overhead (90-degree), 45-degree (3/4 view), and straight-on (0-degree). With each of these angles, you would need to rearrange and adjust the composition to fit the frame. Before you start shooting, try moving your camera around to see which angle works best for the subject; once you’ve got the angle, steady your camera with a tripod. Now that your camera is stable, arrange the elements within the frame. This technique and process is called styling to the camera.
By playing with different angles, you can choose how people see the food in your photo, highlighting distinct elements and details. For example, overhead shots give the audience a full view of what’s on the table and a look into what’s on each plate or inside every bowl; this angle works well with food items like pizza and pies that typically feature a variety of toppings.
Meanwhile 45-degree angles show not just the food but also a bit of the background, which helps provide more detail for the story you’re telling. This shooting angle is ideal for table scenes or for soups and salads in bowls, as the shots also show other points of interest like the table setting or the design of the dinnerware. Lastly, shooting straight on draws attention to height and layers; this type of shot is great for burgers, sandwiches, and pancakes, emphasising their stacked elements and ingredients.
Add Appeal with Lighting
Lighting is a principal element in photography that can dictate the mood of each shot. With food, it’s best to shoot with indirect natural illumination that comes from behind or from the sides of the subject, instead of even lighting from the front. By following this lighting technique, you’ll achieve a subtle glow that adds dimension to your shots, instead of the flat outcome of food shot with front lighting. Additionally, use reflections and glare to create an appetising sheen to certain food items.
Create Contrast with Colours
The correct colour choice can amplify the appeal of a dish, bringing out unique elements or setting a specific mood for your story. You can always rely on tried and tested combinations of cool and warm, monochromatic, complimentary, or analogous in your food photos. To see this in action, try placing warm-coloured foods (yellow or orange soups or stews, for instance) against cool-coloured backgrounds (table cloths with greens, blues, and purples). For a monochromatic look, focus on a single colour, using different shades to create a harmonious effect. This is great for showcasing certain ingredients or cuisines. Meanwhile, mixing colours from the opposite sides of the colour wheel brings contrast and impact to the shot.
Lead with Lines and Shapes
Aside from an excuse to “play with your food,” experimenting with different placements and combinations of elements using ingredients, props, and utensils, can result in interesting shapes and patterns that naturally capture the viewer’s eye and guide their vision to a focal point. This technique adds depth and interest, and enhances your food story as it lends flow and focus to the image.
A delectable dish is the fruit of the finest ingredients and a reliable recipe, executed by a skilled hand. Likewise, photography demands a combination of both equipment and mastery to tell an arresting story. When photographing food, getting the right angle and lighting, paired with intriguing colors and shapes, will land you the perfect shot from plate to frame.