How to Photograph Food

If you like to cook and share your creations on a personal blog or recipe website, you don't need a lot of special equipment take appealing photographs of food. A sunny window and a little patience can produce great pictures of your meals.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• digital camera
• food
• attractive dish
• plain surface
• sunny window

1. 
    
   The red interior of this bowl complements the red pepper in this stir fry dish.

   Arrange your food in an attractive dish or bowl, making sure you didn't splatter sauce or oil on the sides. Simple, solid colored dishes make good backgrounds. Choose a color that will complement the colors in your food.

2. 
    

   Food looks best when brightly lit, so use the brightest and most economical light source: the sun. Choose a sunny window where you can set up your photo. The afternoon hours usually provide the best lighting.

3. Clear a table, desk or shelf near the window. Set the dish on the table and look through your camera's viewfinder to make sure you can't see anything besides the food in the frame.

4. Get in close. Try to fill the frame with your subject. If your camera has a macro setting, use it.

5. Experiment with angles. Try taking pictures looking directly down at the food or from the side. Also, rotate the dish to find your food's most attractive angle.

6. Upload your photos to your computer and choose the best ones!

Tips & Warnings

• Aiming your camera directly at a bright window will cause your image to come out as a dark silhouette. Positioning yourself so the light is at your back or coming over your shoulder will produce a better food photograph.

[Ruthie]

on 10/2/2009 Great article. Thanks for step 2, about the lighting.