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Writer's picturePaolo Ferla

6 TOP TIPS FOR TASTY FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

Updated: May 22, 2023

There are a few things to consider when shooting food.

Here are our tips for mouth watering food photography!



1. Plating

When choosing a plate or bowl to display your dish on, keep the basics in mind - size, shape and colour.

Choose something to compliment both the dish and the set-up.

We generally advise avoiding anything too brightly coloured, instead opt for subtle textures and natural shades.


smoked salmon avocado toast food photography
Food plated on neutral stonewear and a natural wooden board

2. USE GARNISHES

Once plated, you can use fresh garnishes to add a little finishing touch to your dish.

You might like to spread garnishes around the rest of the scene too.

Keep replacing it if you’re photographing the same dish for a long period of time, to avoid any wilting.

3. BACKGROUNDS AND LIGHTING

As with any shoot, consider your scene.

Think about the kind of mood or setting you’re aiming for. For example, it could be a light and airy breakfast table or a dark and moody restaurant setting.


4. SET THE SCENE

You might want to add cutlery and glasses to help to set the scene. Or use napkins for bursts of colour and texture! Try matching the colour to something else in the scene, such as the packaging or ingredients.


5. USE ACTIONS

It’s sometimes nice to add some action. This could be a sprinkle of icing sugar over a desert or a hand coming in with a fork, something to help bring the scene to life.


food photography actions pooring drinks
Using actions to bring images to life!
6. CONSIDER YOUR ANGLES

Top down shots are good for bowls or plates with flat items (such as pancakes or tarts), while a 45 degree angle is better for taller items like burgers or cakes, especially when the focus is on the sides.


BONUS TIPS!

We’ve gathered a few trade secrets over the years to help food look it’s best.

For example, did you know you can use shaving foam instead of whipped cream? It holds it’s shape for longer!

Or did you know that we sometimes use fake ice?


We have a few more tricks up our sleeves, so get in touch if you need a hand getting your food photography looking perfect!



food photography tips hot chocolate festive coffee drink whipped cream
Here we've used shaving foam instead of whipped cream, it holds it's shape for longer


If you would like to see more examples of our mouth watering food photography visit our food and drink gallery


We hope that this guide to food photography has been helpful, but if you have any questions or there's something we didn't cover, don't hesitate to ask or drop us a comment!👇


About us

We are Future Proof Photography Ltd, a creative studio on a mission to bring your brand to life and share its story with the world, one scroll-stopping piece of content at a time. We specialise in product photography, videography and stop motion animations for food, drink and lifestyle brands of all sizes.


Get in touch

Want to book in a product shoot or find out more about our creative services? Get in touch via the 'Contact' page on our website, or shoot an email to hello@futureproofcreative.co.uk 📸⁠

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