Photography Tips
Still life photography tips

Still life photography tips

Photographing still life and food is very fashionable lately. And all largely thanks to the number of television programs dedicated to the world of cooking. But before going crazy, it is convenient to train on blogging, how to write a post, and how to photograph the food that we are going to talk about in our post. In this post, I want to offer you 11 simple tips that you should take into account when photographing still life for your blog.

Why Photograph Still Lifes?

In general, the world of cooking and gastronomy is going through a golden age. There are thousands of recipes and gastronomy blogs that write articles with recipes every day. But if you want your post to be successful, in addition to text and good content, you have to accompany it with some good photos that complement or refer to what is written.

Therefore, it is essential to have very clear basic notions of photographing food in an attractive and palatable way. Let’s go there with those tips!

11 Still life photography tips

1. Planning

Plan your photoshoot. It seems obvious, but like everything in life, photography also requires prior planning. Once you have written your recipe, you must think about how you want to accompany it visually.

Close your eyes and try to visualize how you imagine the scene. Think about the ingredients you have used, think about the end result, think about the colors, the textures. Many times you will need props or accessories to take the picture. Everything you have to take into account.

2. Weather

Time is a very important aspect to take into account. You will not have a problem with time in many cases, especially in recipes such as cakes, cookies, drinks, etc. All of these hold up to any questions that may arise about the placement of our stage.

But in cases like ice cream, souffles, meats, fish, you must be quick because they lose that beautiful texture and begin to dry out or oxidize, as is the case with fruit. Either you have a double for them or you will have to repeat everything.

3. The ingredients

You must choose the best product, the freshest, and not for that reason, the most beautiful. There are ingredients that, even if they have strange shapes or are uglier, it does not matter as long as they look fresh and shiny.

Tip: You can use a spray with water to impregnate the product and give that feeling of freshness.

4. The light

Without light, we wouldn’t have photography, so imagine how important it is. In gastronomic photography, the key for your photography to look one way or another is the correct use of both artificial and natural light.

Keep in mind that sidelight gives food a lot of texture And that the best hours of the day for a photo session are the morning and evening light.

5. Minimalism

It has always been said that less is more. When it comes to photographing still lifes, exactly the same thing happens. When in doubt, it is always better to start with less. Just one element and around it build your scene.

There is always a key piece in every game and the rest is built on it. The funds play an important role here, focusing on the product and not using funds that can mislead. Play with the depth of field. This gives a fantastic result to focus attention on what you want.

6. Shoot without fear

We are in the digital age, so don’t be stingy and don’t settle for a photo. Shoot and don’t stop until you are sure you have what you want. The same scenario can be used to shoot several photos.

Once you have the scene composed, you can take a photograph of it and then go taking photos of the details through cuts. Move around a lot and try. And you will see how you will be surprised.

 7. Lots of space

There is nothing worse than things stacked and tight. Leave a lot of free space. Take into account the negative space, which is nothing more than the space that remains between the frame or edge of the photo and the main object of the photograph.

Use it to highlight the photographed object. However, it would help if you did not abuse a lot because it can give the sensation of crushing the photographed object.

8. Movement

If we add movement to our still life photography, it will be more realistic, close, and human. You will see how your photos come to life. For example, hands may appear kneading, serving a dish, seasoning the recipe, beating an egg … you will see that the result is surprising!

9. The story

In photography, you always have to tell a story. In photography for still lifes too. A photo must convey and for this, you must think about how to do it. Everything you include in the image will do for it, some photographs on the table, an open letter, a wooden background, a diary … throw your imagination.

10. Create your style

You should try to build your own style little by little. It is very good that you look at the great photographers and masters of gastronomic photography, but the most important thing is finding your own style.

You will see that over time your photographs will be recognized for having their own essence and style. That is priceless!

11. Have a lot of fun!

Above all, it is a matter of enjoying what you are doing. Have a great time and make each session a creative moment in which you give your all. Don’t be afraid and take the risk of trying new things. It’s how you really learn.

I hope these 11 still life photography tips have served you and that you keep them in mind when taking your food photographs. Can you think of any advice you want to share with all of us? If so, comment at the bottom.