food photography

Food Photography Tips

I am halfway through my photography course and excited to share what I’ve learned so far. In case you’re new here I signed up for a 6 week online food photography course through Social Fabric. The first week we introduced ourselves and discussed who inspires us. I talked a little bit about the in my first post but I would say Dine and Dish, Whipperberry, and The Pioneer Woman are the top three people I aspire to photograph like. I think their photographs are absolutely stunning with the dark background and vibrant colors.

In the second week we learned about lighting, which is probably the most crucial aspect of a photograph. A poorly lit photograph can be very unappealing. I’ve found it’s best to photograph next to a window with the light hitting the subject’s side. A white piece of paper or foam board is great at reflecting the light back onto the object, erasing any dark shadows. My assignment for week two was to photograph a simple item on a plan white piece of paper. The picture below was taking at almost 8pm. It’s not entirely bright but I did photograph it next to a window and used a white board to reflect the light onto the sprinkles.

Week three was all about the photo editing software Pixlr and photo styling. Some of the tools we learned about were sharpening, dodging, burning, and levels. Another important lesson is to have a well balanced photograph. Balance in a photo is achieved when colors, lines, and shapes are combined correctly. Learning how to style photos has been my favorite part about the course. I have always used scrapbook paper for the majority of my projects. I think the options are endless! If you look back at my pictures from this year you’ll see a “wood” background in a lot of them. I found these wood-like scrapbook pages at Hobby Lobby a couple months ago and really like how they look against food.But I’m starting to venture off and becoming comfortable using random objects around the house. Another favorite background of mine is kraft paper (you can find it at the dollar store).

Right now we’re learning about the rule of thirds and the technical terms in photography. I have to admit learning ISO, aperture, and shutter speed have always been difficult for me. I found that once I actually took the time to play around with my camera and adjust the settings, it’s pretty easy to understand.

Next we’re going to work on combining everything we have learned in the course. I’m excited to put it all together and improve my food photography skills. I will update you again at the end of the course and tell you everything I’ve learned.

When I first started blogging I had no idea what went into having a blog or what drew readers in. What I soon realized was that having clear pictures is very important if you want to get noticed. My problem with this is that I lack knowledge in the photography department, as in I have no clue how to use my DSLR in manual mode. That’s not to say I don’t know how to use my camera at all, it’s just that I have a lot to learn. I feel as if I’ve made a big improvement over the last year and a half, especially within the last few months. For instance here are some recent pictures that I would consider my best.

Twix Trifles

Brownie Bites

Ice Cream Cupcakes

and now in case you weren’t a reader when I first started my blog here’s an example from back then.

You can definitely see a difference, but my skills are not where I would like them to be. As a blogger it’s important for me to learn how to photograph things that will appeal to you, my readers. I want to provide you with tutorials using clear photos. I also want to learn how to become a better photographer to get better images of my children and our activities.
To learn these skills I’ve enrolled in the Food Photography by Sony course in the Social Fabric University. I had the opportunity to enroll this course as part of my membership with Collective Bias. The course is just like an online college course that involves assignments, discussions, quizzes, and grades. The course will cover intermediate camera settings and techniques, lighting, props, and food styling. I’m excited to share learn new things and share with you my progress.

This week we discussed what sites inspire us to be better photographers. Here are my picks:

Whipperberry: is probably the queen of styling in my opinion. Her props are fun and unique. She pays close attention to detail by adding a little something to everything she creates that makes it stand out.

Dine and Dish: I recently met Kristen in NYC and fell in love with her personality and blog. She is an amazing photographer with some of the prettiest pictures I’ve seen on the internet. Some of her photographs are simple featuring only the food without any props. Other times she photographs a recipe with props in the background but with the focus solely on the food. I would love to have a diverse sense of photography style as she has.

The Pioneer Woman-I can’t say enough how beautiful her pictures are! I love how she uses a dark background in most of her pictures yet the color of the food stands out clearly. Another thing that I would like to learn is how to get a clear photograph of ingredients being poured in just like she does.

Tidy Mom-Cheryl is amazing at styling food. I like that her photographs tell a story and make you feel like you are right there sitting at the table enjoying a slice of pie with her. Her photographs look as if they’re out of a magazine with great lighting, focus, and perfect styling.

What are some of you favorite sites with amazing photographs?