dimanche 31 mai 2015

Food Photographer: Where Do I Start?

By Lila Schmaus


Many food enthusiasts are also interested in taking pictures of the stuff they love to eat and whether you want to take it as a hobby or as a career, getting into food photography is something that's truly worth your while. Having that artistic touch and style combined with the technical know-how in photography can help you to become a better food photographer.

There are several different areas of photography but each one of them shares a very essential element that all your photos must have - good lighting. In food photography, the worst photos you will take are usually those that have too much highlights and shadows. If you're going to take pictures of food, make sure you have soft and diffused lighting through the help of softboxes or umbrellas.

Making use of a shallow depth of field is also important in food photography because it helps your audience to easily identify what your photo is all about. In your camera setting, this means using a wider aperture in order to have everything except the main subject blurred. Another important tip is to always use a tripod and a remote shutter release to ensure tack sharp photos all the time.

In food photography, taking photos of food in different angles can help you achieve a different kind of perspective, detail, or emphasis. This is something you can experiment on to see which one will give you the most dramatic or stunning effect. Try to avoid shooting down on your subject and start shooting from table level in order to give life to your photos.

It is also recommended that you properly choose the correct white balance setting in your camera depending on the lighting conditions you are faced with. Different light conditions will require a different white balance setting in order to ensure a correct color cast. Food photography enthusiasts will often recommend that you shoot in RAW mode so you don't have to bother about setting white balance since you'll be able to change it during post processing.

If you think you have what it takes to start a business or career in food photography, you should also think about buying the best lenses and accessories that you can afford. Although photography in general is much about using your creativity and imagination, having high quality equipment can help you produce better photos every time.




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