Hey gang, I took this picture almost by mistake, and it gave me the inspiration to write this post and to give you my special " recipe " for great food photography; it's just a mix of tips really that, accompanied by a persistent training, will improve the quality of your images.

1- have a plan: decide what you are going to shoot and try to visualize the final image you are aiming at producing; this will guide you through the process of selecting and acquiring ingredients,  props and background for your photo shoot.

2- explore the light: place your main light source where you first instinctively think it should be, then walk around the table and observe how your subject's look changes under different lighting conditions;

3- once you have locked in the position of the light source, there is another variable to consider: that is your position, the angle at which the light reflected from the subject is coming at you; get down on your knees and then stand on a chair to see how dramatically the light changes.

4- frame your picture, take a couple of test shots to work out the best aperture, ISO and shutter speed, then focus on the food: it's like photographing someone, you have to choose their best side and apply a little makeup .

5- bring in the hero, add the garnishment ( if any ) and execute the shot just like you had planned it

6- now that you've nailed the assignment ( or self assignment ), think out of the box and try something completely different: change type of lens, get very close to the subject, or back off if you were already close in ; a different approach can result in a more successful shot.

This is what happened to me with the picture above; it is not what I had planned to do, I only just took it out of curiosity: the original sketch included a much wider composition, with more of the fish to be seen, while here the wooden board almost becomes the hero, and the tight crop on the subject gives a more abstract look to the image.

This is the shot as I had intended to execute it:



the close up is way more interesting, don't you agree?

Dario Milano, professional food photographer, Sydney.

Posted in Food, Photography, techniques

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