How to Take Porn-Worthy Photos of Your Food

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How to Take Porn-Worthy Photos of Your Food

If you are a food lover, you probably follow countless pages dedicated to photography, where people send shots of their food. Instagram is probably the first thing on everyone’s mind, and we know how much everyone loves taking photos of their meals and showing what they eat. If you are interested in this type of still life photography, or what is commonly known as food porn, there are a couple of tricks that may help you along the way.

Use Contrasting Colors

The first thing you need to consider is colors. Everyone loves colors, and brighter food looks more attractive. So before you think about taking a picture of your food, consider what you will place on the plate. Ideally, you will find something with a lot of contrast, which will make the photo look incredible.

There is nothing wrong with rearranging your food on the plate before you take the shot, and you can always place contrasting colors next to one another. Of course, you won’t be doing this in a restaurant. It would be quite silly to roll up your sleeves and start rearranging the plate before you make a photograph for your social media accounts.

Contrasting colors will capture viewers’ attention, and it will make your delicious dish drool-worthy.

Play With Angles

If you are taking a food photo, capturing the right angle is essential. If you stick to the same thing over and over again, your viewers will get bored. So try to experiment with angles as much as possible. There are so many different routes you can take in this type of still life photography, and it is what will keep your posts fresh and exciting.

Think about all the possible close-ups; try taking the overhead photos, or you can even try the Dutch angle. There are no limits to your creativity, and you should make every photo different and unique.

Food photography can be exciting, but only if you make it so. Otherwise, you will get the same “template” shot each time that no one will enjoy. In art, it is easy to get caught up in the same routine and repeat something that “works” numerous times. So try to keep it fresh and play with angles as much as you can.

Background

Even though the primary focus of your photography is food, this doesn’t mean that the rest of the photo is irrelevant. This mistake is especially common among beginner and inexperienced photographers. They will place their entire focus on the object and completely forget about the background.

Of course, food is important, but the background should complement the photograph and add more depth to the image you’re taking. Sometimes, the best option is to stick to the one-colored background, like a table or a sheet, where the attention will be kept solely on the meal.

However, there are times where something different would significantly improve the final outcome of the process. Don’t be afraid to attempt different things. Try taking a photo on the uniform background and then change it. See which one suits the moment and which one will improve the overall quality of the image.

Plan Your Frame

Frame and composition are quite important if you are into still life photography. Sometimes, you want to experiment with different surfaces, and there are moments when putting the object on the floor is the best possible idea. Needless to say, you won’t do this at the restaurant. The last thing you should do in such establishments is place the food on the floor.

However, if you are experimenting at home, there is no reason to stick to the same process time and again. The second important part is framing. You will need to think of a bigger picture. Where will you post that image? If you have an Instagram account, you probably know already that the image format is a bit different. So keep that in mind if this is your primary social platform.

You will want to avoid weird crops, and cutting your photo almost always results in a disaster. The best thing to do is think before you act. If you plan on promoting your photography on Instagram, take a picture with that in mind.

Go Easy on Filters

Using filters is fun — there’s no doubt about it. Each platform offers a myriad of different effects you can use, and for a reason. However, using too many of them can decrease the quality of the photograph and make it look fake. Think about it. The better your photo, the fewer effects and filters you’ll need to use.

If you take a look at the best photos ever, they have little to no filters and effects. It’s just about being in the right place at the right time. In this scenario, it means having a beautiful dish in front of you, with incredible light.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should avoid filters like the plague; it just shows that less is more. You don’t need to add too much — a slight color correction or contrast adjustment might be enough. See these Canva filters for food bloggers.

Find Natural Lighting

Using artificial lighting will make your food look fake. That’s the last thing you want. Ideally, you will use natural light since it will make everything look even better. If you are taking photos at home, you can always move everything near the natural light source, like a window. 

This way, you will be able to play with shadows, experiment with light, and make sure that your photo looks stunning. The main problem with LEDs and fluorescent light sources is that they make everything look washed, dull, and unrealistic. Once again, the secret is being natural.

Use Small Plates

Finally, avoid using big plates. With bigger plates, the food will look minuscule and unimpressive. Even though it might look wonderful (and delicious), it will diminish the quality of the image. Instead, try finding smaller plates. They will make the food look bigger and more lavish, and they will help keep it the focal point of the image.

Of course, you don’t need to buy special tiny plates to make incredible photography. Just keep in mind that bigger plates will usually result in unused space, which will make the photo look dull.

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