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Have you ever whipped out your iPhone to take a picture of your dessert so you could share it with a friend? Are you guilty of taking a selfie with your favorite beverage? Mobile phone cameras have made taking photos so convenient that we now snap pictures of just about everything, including the food and drinks we are about to consume.
Having a passion for both baking and photography, my iPhone makes taking photos of my creations so quick and easy. I’d like to share with you how I go about photographing food for my cooking and entertaining blog!
Since my iPhone is always with me, it’s always super easy to grab it from my back pocket while I am baking. I like to photograph some of the steps of recipes that I share on my blog so that my readers can see the process.
Being a visual learner myself, I like to share a few step-by-step images with my readers to go along with the recipes. These images are “real life”, they are close-up and unedited, so when my readers cook it themselves at home, they will know if it looks right or wrong.
With some recipes, I will share a fresh out of the oven image that isn’t necessarily styled, but taken at a great angle. My readers may be more inclined to try a recipe if they can see this “real life” photo, that isn’t so intimidating.
I also like to share these fresh out of the oven pictures on Instagram (one of my favorite marketing techniques) as a teaser of what recipes will be coming to my blog soon.
Do you ever scroll through Pinterest or flip through magazines and drool over the beautiful food images you see? Those great shots that make you want to jump in and take a bite. In this next part, I am going to share how I pair different foods with props to get those eye-catching styled recipe photos.
When it comes to styling breakfast foods, or any meal, keep it simple. I like to add a dish towel or a linen napkin for extra color and texture. Make sure when you are picking props, the colors compliment your display. You don’t want a bright yellow napkin or extreme print to take away attention away from your egg casserole.
Show off your ready-to-eat plate by adding a utensil or two and highlighting the main dish. While these images make the dishes look effortless, they are pleasing to the eye and will make the viewer want to put on their apron and start cooking!
Dessert images are my favorite type of food to style. Props can include festive plates, napkins, place mats, candles, party decorations and confetti. While using various props can be fun, you don’t want to lose the dessert in your shot that has too much going on.
Get up close and personal with your dessert and make sure it takes “center stage” in your photos.
You can see here that I paired my Black Bottom cupcake with shades of pink, coral and mint green, pops of gold and a plain white backdrop. I want you to notice the cupcake first; everything else is secondary.
Once you have picked out your food accessories and props it’s time start capturing those photos. Here are some tips for getting just the right look for your food photos with great angles and proper lighting.
You have cooked the most beautiful dinner or baked a delicious batch of cookies and now you want to share a photo on Instagram. Instead of throwing your dish on the kitchen counter and snapping a quick picture, take just a few minutes to show off your delectable creation.
Grab some fun food props, like we talked about previously and find a spot with great natural light. Lighting really is everything!
I have a great window in my loft where I set a table just for taking pictures. I use white foam core boards to bounce the light back onto my display if needed. These are inexpensive and work great! Natural lighting can make all the difference in a photo and it can also save you a lot of editing time.
Now that you have the food, the props and the lighting just right, it’s time to take the picture.
Use the screen on your phone to see what your image will look like. Move around, try different angles, and don't be afraid to change things if something isn't working quite right.
By doing all of this, I can get a variety of fun close-up shots in no time at all. I typically take about 25-30 pictures when I am working on a styled photoshoot. I will then upload those images to my computer, where I can see them on a larger scale. I then go through the images and choose my favorites to use!
My iPhone is truly my BFF when it comes to food photography! So, the next time you want to share a mouth-watering food image, grab your iPhone and give some of these tricks a try. Warning… you may have unexpected guests show up wanting to eat some of your incredible edibles!
Additional recommended tutorial: Food Photography - 6 Tips for Beginners
Do you have any questions or comments about my iPhone Food Photography Tips? Leave us a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you! And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!
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