Miami Food Photography

1. Select a story-telling perspective.

You'll notice a trend if you look at enough professional food photography:

The flat-lay shot from above and the low-over-the-table shot from the side are both often utilized angles.

I strongly advise you to begin your composition with these perspectives in mind. But don't choose one at random; instead, think about the angle you want to shoot from.

Why? The sort of tale you tell will be influenced by where you set the camera. Food photography, after all, is all about conveying tales.

So, keep the food in mind while you put up your composition. Take note of the size, form, and height of the object, as well as the characteristics that distinguish it. Then, using the camera at an angle, emphasize these features to the best of your ability.

Here are several fish tacos to consider:

I wanted to display all of the ingredients as well as the lovely shapes the tortillas and filling created. Although the low-angle view is good, the overhead shot tells the narrative better.

2. In Miami, Florida, choose a hero item to encircle.

A basic food photography setup should begin with a hero object, or the main focus of your picture, or the thing you want to emphasize. This is the main course in most cases.

As a result, figure out what your hero item is. It should be placed on a table.

Then, to complement the cuisine, add props. Ingredients, sauces, oils, and cooking tools may all provide information about a dish's creation. Tins, jars, herbs, glasses, textiles, and linens may all hint to the dish's origins or serving season.

Of course, don't go crazy, but a few foreground and background things are a good idea. These will provide physical depth to your composition while also enhancing the narrative of the photo.

My props contribute to the tale in the picture of baklava below. You have the main object, the bowl of food, as well as the ingredients (pistachios) and a few background elements to create depth and establish the atmosphere. The observer is immediately struck by a feeling of location, which depicts the sweet's Arabic roots.

3. For the most attractive food shots, manipulate natural light.

Light reigns supreme in food photography. Your images will be ruined by bad lighting, and your viewers will be turned off. However, if you can master the art of light management, you can take your food photography to new heights in no time.

In Miami, I like to shoot food using natural light. I chose a location near a window with lots of natural light. However, I don't deal with pure light; instead, I use a variety of modifiers to get the most attractive effects.

First and foremost, if you're dealing with direct sunlight, place a diffuser between the window and the food.

Direct sunlight, on the other hand, creates harsh, black shadows as well as dazzling highlights. These may be distracting, but with the addition of a diffuser, you can soften the light, lessen the shadows, and diminish the highlights for a stunning effect. You may get a diffuser at any photography shop for a low price, but you can also create your own diffuser (just hang a thin white bedsheet in front of the window).

Hard, defined shadows may be created by direct natural light (check out the shadow beneath the lemon cake on the left). However, I was able to lighten the shadows with the aid of an inexpensive diffuser (as you can see in the image on the right).

The next step is to get some white and black playing cards. These are made from foam core boards and may be made by you (purchased from pretty much any craft store).

To disclose critical deals, just utilize the white cards to reflect light into dark spots. To add extra contrast, use the black cards to enhance shadows. Experiment with various card kinds and distances until you get the desired effect.

Finally, I'd want to share with you a lighting trick known as blocking. When that bothersome light falls on your backdrop or props, it might make them seem as bright as, if not brighter than, your subject.

This is a major no-no since you want the viewer's attention to be drawn to your topic first, but the answer is simple: use your black cards to prevent light from reaching places that will compete with your subject. (This is also a crucial approach for generating photographs with a darker, low-key look.)

Take a look at the following two photos. Because the backdrop in the picture on the left is too bright, I added a black card to keep the cake the brightest aspect of the image:

With a diffuser softening the window light, a white card filling in the shadow on the lemon icing, and a black card blocking the light in the background, this is the finished image:

For the finest compositions in Miami, use lines and layers.

I've already mentioned how important it is to surround your hero item with props, but you must make sure that these accessories don't take away from the primary topic.

This is when lines and layers, two simple composition tools, come in handy.

You see, by placing your props in lines and layers, you may draw the audience's attention to the important issue. The spectator will no longer be distracted by props; instead, the objects will assist the overall picture.