In this article, professional food photographer and Best of Vegan contributor Sarah Kermalli (aka @sculptedkitchen) shares her food photography tutorial that will help you become a pro.
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” — Dorothea Lange
From when I was a child, I would often just retract into my imagination and dream of endless scenarios with my animals on my bed. I was obsessed with stories and storytelling. It’s a bit ironic that storytelling has come back into my life through photography. I’m here to share some tips that I use to create stories through your visual eye and camera lens.
“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” — Destin Sparks
1. Look for inspiration in different places
Find inspiration from places that you may not think would be food-related, such as antique stores and magazines about home decor and creativity. Looking at different magazines and stores will spark creativity and find ways to present food in a fun and exciting way!
Learning a new hobby, going for a walk, traveling, reading a book, keeping a dream journal are all avenues to spark creativity.
“Your inspiration is better if it comes from many different sources and your sensibilities will transform all those influences and inspiration into your own visual world. It’s like reading the book instead of watching the movie.” – Peter Lindbergh
2. Small changes lead to big results
Invest in your craft. Tread on the path of knowledge and immerse yourself in everything related to photography. Every day was an opportunity to learn something new. It could be about food styling. About f stops. About which lighting like sidelight or backlighting would be best for a specific food. Or which lens would be best to capture the essence of the food. I used every single day to learn. I’m still learning. There is so much to learn. Be excited and that excitement will transfer to each photo!
3. You’re never too old or young to learn. Learn from others who have trodden your path before by:
- watching YouTube videos
- reading books on lighting and manuals on Lightroom and photography
- going to conferences or listening to them online
- signing up for free email newsletters from fellow photographers
- asking questions to photographers
- going to a live workshop or signing up for workshops
See yourself as ADDING VALUE to someone’s life
4. Invest in props and backgrounds
Once you’ve learned the ins and outs of your camera and you feel you are ready to invest in your hobby outside of the lens, I would highly suggest investing in some beautiful ceramics and backgrounds. It helps make your photos stand out from others and adds your own personal touch.
Before you purchase, see if the colors go with your style. See if you make a lot of teas, lattes, cakes curries and what sorts of props would work best!
5. Study color charts
For the first 1-2 years on the gram, I would study color charts. Searching color palettes and nature shots is a wonderful way to see what colors go well and resonate with your eyes. I used search engines primarily but I also got paint swatches and books from home renovation stores.
Smoothie and porridge bowls were primarily what I did. It was a great way to combine fruits and smoothies and practice different color combinations.
Find something you LOVE photographing (cakes, drinks, toast) and mix up the color. Have a primary color and, using your color charts, see what garnishes would go well with it. Have fun and be creative.
6. Start to diversify
One of the best pieces of food photography advice I got was to work with different food. I was an expert on porridge and smoothie bowls and it was time to broaden my horizons. It was scary. I didn’t know how to photograph cakes or savory dishes. But I wanted my page to be a reflection of what I eat daily rather than just pretty decorated bowls.
By challenging yourself, you gain more confidence. You get approached by brands who are not in your initial niche to represent them. You also find people who share similar tastes in food and follow along with your journey.
And since this is a journey of learning, you just find joy and passion in realizing how variety can be so much more fun to photograph than the regular norm you’re used to.
7. Put everything together
At this point of my food photography tutorial, you should have a good idea of:
- what food(s) allures you
- the lens that matches best with the angle you wish to photograph
- what colors come together with your props and backgrounds
Now, it’s just a matter of making enchanting photos every day with your little magic touch that makes it unique. Remember, you’re not trying or want to be better than anyone in any craft. You’re just trying to be better than you did yesterday.
the perfect time is now
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Article & photography by Sarah Kermalli (@sculptedkitchen), edited by Kristi Lee.
Great thanks for sharing this post, it’s very helpful.