Food photography from Vienna
Overview of food photography
What used to be still life is now food photography! Not supposedly just for cookbooks, menus or recipe presentations The skillful presentation of food and dishes plays an important role for countless companies. Just imagine our popular American fast-food restaurants without photos of juicy burgers and crispy fries or the famous Sachertorte without the accompanying photographic finery! What would the frozen food shelves in our supermarkets be without pictures of crunchy vegetableshearty home cooking or tempting ice cream flavors on the packaging? Food photography accompanies us every day, whether as a poster of fresh croissants, a flyer of a discount store’s new products or when ordering food online. Nothing is without photographic representation and rightly so, because people are visual
Food photography - food skillfully staged
Whether it’s a restaurant website, food blog, cookbook or packaging design – nothing works without appealing photos that please the eye and make you want more. Some people might think that it can’t be that difficult to photograph food. After all, it doesn’t run out of the picture, doesn’t blink at the wrong moment and doesn’t need to be encouraged to smile. However, if you try it yourself, you will quickly realize that food photography is a real challenge . Here you can find out what the photographic representation of food is all about and how to take the best food photos.
What exactly is food photography?
Food photography belongs to the genre of still life and is particularly relevant for classic and digital food advertising, the illustration of cookbooks, magazines and menus as well as for the online presentation of gastronomic establishments. The focus of this genre is on the photographic depiction of individual foods through to complete menus or cooking situations. The main claim is the skillful staging of food right up to the work of art. Possible objects are fruit and vegetables, spices, meat, fish and seafood, drinks and prepared dishes.
What exactly is food photography?
Food photography belongs to the genre of still life and is particularly relevant for classic and digital food advertising, the illustration of cookbooks, magazines and menus as well as for the online presentation of gastronomic establishments. The focus of this genre is on the photographic depiction of individual foods through to complete menus or cooking situations. The main claim is the skillful staging of food right up to the work of art. Possible objects are fruit and vegetables, spices, meat, fish and seafood, drinks and prepared dishes.
The history of food photography
The forerunner of culinary photography was still life painting, which developed into a genre in its own right at the beginning of the 17th century. In one of the first food photographs, Rodger Fenton’s “Decanter and Fruit” from 1860, there are still clear references to the classic still life. Around the 1930s, food became geometrically abstracted objects, for example in Edward Steichen’s “Moth Balls and Sugar Cubes” from 1927.
Paul Outerbridge brought color into play with his 1936 photograph “Avocado Pears”. Until then, color photos were reserved solely for advertising. As early as 1946, Nickolas Muray used aids such as shaving foam and hairspray for his photographs “Food Spread, Daffodils” published in McCalls magazine. This enabled him to preserve the aesthetics of the food under the hot studio lamps for hours. However, the food itself was no longer edible afterwards.
With his “Frozen Foods” from 1977, Irving Penn was the first photographer to arrange food sculpturally. He matched the tumbling moment to showcase the emerging colors of fruit frozen in ice. In the mid-1990s, Wolfgang Till presented what appeared to be snapshots, but which were composed in detail. He also added a stack of instructions on how exactly which picture should be hung in order to achieve the maximum effect on the viewer. Among the most provocative food photographs of the time were the images from “The Banquet” by Nobuyoshi Araki from 1993, which create a sensual obscenity with their recognizable allusions to female genitalia.
Today, taking photos of food is part of everyday life. We are bombarded with a veritable flood of images, many of them taken “in passing” with a smartphone or a cheap compact camera. However, very few manage to meet the high quality standards of professional food photography and stand out from the crowd in the desired way.
The secret of good food photography
Even though it is becoming easier and easier to take good photos with modern cameras, food photography is not just about the equipment. In addition to know-how and experience, you need a knack for finding the right angle, a feel for image composition and a trained eye for colors and attractive styling.
Successful food photos tell a story, evoke memories and make our mouths water. They create desires, cravings and wishes and play with our longings. In this way, they direct us to certain places where we hope to find what the photo has promised us. We are often not only interested in the food and drink on display, but also in a lifestyle, a mood and an atmosphere.
Food photos should present the food in such a way that the image alone whets the appetite. Fruit and vegetables must look crisp, meat must be juicy and tender and all ingredients must harmonize perfectly with each other. This requires careful preparation and planning of the shoot. First and foremost is food styling, i.e. the optimal presentation of the food. Only when the culinary food creation itself meets the highest standards can maximum image quality be achieved through lighting, perspective and post-processing.
Good preparation is half the photo
A food photo can only be an eye-catcher if the food photographed also looks perfect. That’s why the preparation starts with the purchase. Fruit and vegetables should be free of bruises and have bright colors. Organic quality is recommended for meat and fish, as these products remain voluminous when cooked and do not shrink. Fresh herbs are very suitable for decoration. It is also worth keeping an eye out for unusual ingredients that can be used to enhance the effect of the photos.
Raw food is generally easier to photograph than prepared food. Some foods change over time. Fresh lettuce, for example, wilts very quickly, while the shine of a cake glaze only comes into its own once it has cooled. All of this must be taken into account during preparation. Food photography often works with styling tricks. The ingredients are often only lightly cooked to make vegetables appear crispier and meat and fish juicier.
Once the food is ready, there is no time to lose. Many dishes quickly look unappetizing. The highly polished dishes and all the necessary props should already be ready at this point. It is important to use sauces and side dishes sparingly. On plates that are too richly laden, the details get lost just as quickly as the aesthetics. Attractive food photos are often characterized by a balance between the components of the dish and the empty areas.
Props and accessories complete the composition. Which accompaniments are most suitable depends on the theme of the meal. A cup of coffee or cocoa goes well with a slice of cake, for example, and a bamboo mat with an Asian dish. A bowl of tomato soup goes well with a few crunchy tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Here too, less is more. The decoration should not compete with the actual motif.
Food styling for perfect taste!
Anyone who thinks that food photography is only about photographing food is very much mistaken. As the old saying goes, ‘the devil is in the detail’ and so preparation takes up most of the time in food photography. The photographer and the food stylist therefore work hand in hand as important partners. From the choice of food to the joint purchase with the chef, we take the details of food photography very seriously. We prefer to shop at farmers’ markets, as the food is both regional and very fresh (
http://www.stadtbekannt.at/die-besten-bauernmrkte/
).
Our food stylist works very closely with our chef and ensures that the freshly prepared dishes look perfect in the photos. Sometimes we use a few tricks to make the product look even tastier for the final food photo.
The right light for food photos
Once everything has been cooked and arranged invitingly, it’s time to take the photos. Whether the picture is a success depends largely on the right lighting. Daylight is ideal because it enables true-to-life color reproduction without color casts. However, direct sunlight is less suitable as it creates strong shadows. The use of daylight lamps is recommended for taking pictures in the fall and winter.
The food should be illuminated in such a way that no shadows can be seen in the background. Backlighting or sidelighting is usually used in food photography. Reflectors are generally required for backlighting to ensure optimum illumination. Frontal light is less suitable as it quickly leads to overexposure of the photos. For this reason, the use of the camera flash should also be avoided.
The best angles for food photography
The camera angle has a major influence on the effect and quality of food photos. Which perspective is most suitable depends on the food, the style, the details and the
The top view is widely used in social media. The camera is positioned directly above the object to be photographed and points vertically downwards. As the photo is limited to the top of the subject, there is no depth effect. This makes this perspective ideal for flat dishes such as soups, covered cakes or sliced food.
When shooting at a 45-degree angle from above, only the back remains hidden. This perspective is suitable for almost all foods. Depending on the arrangement of the dish and the overall picture, the shooting angle can vary between 30 and 60 degrees. A slightly higher viewing angle, for example, allows insights into deeper dishes and is also ideal for playing with sharpness and blurriness.
Another option is the frontal shot, which focuses on the front of the subject. It is ideal for emphasizing tall and layered dishes, for example multi-layered desserts in transparent containers. More depth can be achieved with this camera angle through the skillful use of depth of field and blurring in the background.
The best angles for food photography
The camera angle has a major influence on the effect and quality of food photos. Which perspective is most suitable depends on the food, the style, the details and the
The top view is widely used in social media. The camera is positioned directly above the object to be photographed and points vertically downwards. As the photo is limited to the top of the subject, there is no depth effect. This makes this perspective ideal for flat dishes such as soups, covered cakes or sliced food.
When shooting at a 45-degree angle from above, only the back remains hidden. This perspective is suitable for almost all foods. Depending on the arrangement of the dish and the overall picture, the shooting angle can vary between 30 and 60 degrees. A slightly higher viewing angle, for example, allows insights into deeper dishes and is also ideal for playing with sharpness and blurriness.
Another option is the frontal shot, which focuses on the front of the subject. It is ideal for emphasizing tall and layered dishes, for example multi-layered desserts in transparent containers. More depth can be achieved with this camera angle through the skillful use of depth of field and blurring in the background.
Post-processing provides the finishing touches
High-quality image editing programs make it possible to correct the exposure, colors and white balance, remove small and large blemishes or add water droplets, steam and gloss. As a rule of thumb, the less recognizable the retouching is, the better.
Are you looking for a good food photographer?
To skillfully put food in the spotlight, you first need a trained eye. In addition to sound know-how, food photography is based on excellent photographic equipment and, above all, the correct assessment of light conditions and lighting. We can either stage your products in the studio and pay attention to your requirements and all the special features of your advertising line, or we can do so on site, as our equipment enables us to meet the high demands of food photography. Whether consumer goods, food or industrial goods, we are the ideal partner for food photography.
If you use ‘food’ as advertising, your company’s product or service must be presented perfectly and professionally.
ViennaShots - Your partner for professional food photography
Are you looking for a competent photographer whose food photos arouse the curiosity and appetite of the viewer and make you want more? Then you’ve come to the right place. Whether you want to advertise your restaurant, illustrate a cookbook or blog, or showcase the food or drinks you produce – our professional photos are the best way to do it.
