No-Stress Ideas for Photographing Meals
When you’ve ever dived right into a meals pictures shoot hoping to wing it, issues in all probability went slightly awry as a result of there are such a lot of shifting elements to meals pictures. On this put up, I’ll share my finest ideas for a no-fuss, no-stress meals pictures shoot that can assist you obtain the imaginative and prescient in your thoughts.
When you’re taking pictures in your personal meals weblog, portfolio, or maybe a model collaboration, you would possibly properly be doing all the pieces your self, from the procuring and cooking to styling, taking pictures, and even washing up. On this put up, I am sharing my ideas — discovered by trial and error — on balancing all these roles with out pulling your hair out.
It Begins on the Retailer
Make a grocery listing of all the pieces you’ll want to arrange and cook dinner the dish(es), together with supporting gadgets for styling. There’s nothing worse than not checking what’s in your cabinets, and midway by cooking, you should sprint out to the shop. Ideally, you’ve already made the recipe earlier than shoot day, so you’ve a good suggestion on how lengthy it is going to take to cook dinner, any time-sensitive elements, and the way lengthy it’s a must to {photograph} the dish earlier than it begins to wilt or wants some further consideration.
Plan Out Your Concepts Beforehand
Take into consideration the dish you’re photographing and what angle(s) it is going to look its finest. You might sketch out some concepts on paper or jot down a couple of notes about whether or not you need an motion shot, overhead, 45-degree, or straight-on picture.
Take into consideration the meals and the way it will have a look at its most visually hanging. A pancake stack will look superior straight on so you’ll be able to see the peak and the layers, whereas a cake with some superb particulars on its high would possibly look higher captured at 45 levels so you’ll be able to see each its top, sides, and the small print on the highest.
Take into consideration shade idea in your planning that can assist you pull props and surfaces. You might use analogous, complementary, split-complementary, and even monochrome palettes to assist information your picture. The Adobe shade wheel is a useful gizmo to examine this. Pull a number of props and surfaces you assume will work for the dish beforehand and lay them out in straightforward attain.
This offers you a spot to start out, and if it doesn’t work out the way you deliberate, you’ll be able to adapt as you shoot.
Set Up Your Lighting and Props Earlier than Plating
If there’s a while whereas your dish is baking, simmering, or settling, this could be a great time to arrange your lights and props and take some check pictures. Make sure that the colours will complement your dish and dial in your lighting settings in order that if you plate the dish all the pieces is precisely as you need it and able to go when the meals hits the plate. There’s nothing worse than panicking as your dish begins to look unhappy when you’re wrestling with gentle packing containers, reflectors, and triggers.
Proximity to Kitchen
When you can, arrange with relative proximity to your cooking house so that you just don’t must trek by a number of rooms in your own home or up and down stairs when transporting meals to and out of your set.
Don’t Rush
Generally, you’ll be able to create a false sense of urgency for your self when you’ve plated the dish and put it into your scene. Understandably, you don’t need the dish to wilt, go soggy, look unhappy, and so on. However keep in mind, there are all the time little tips you’ll be able to pull out your sleeve to carry a dish again to life like re-plating it, swapping out any wilted garnish for recent ones, or spritzing some water on salad and greens. When you’re beginning to rush, take a breath, come again to your notes, and proceed calmly.
Overshoot
It’s superior if you get what you assume goes to be your hero shot, and it’s tempting to pack all the pieces away at that time, however I’d advocate altering up your angle and snapping a pair extra pictures. I can’t depend the variety of occasions that I’ve captured the “hero,” continued to mess around with my angles, possibly moved the sunshine, or swapped a prop in or out, and a kind of “further” pictures ended up being my star picture.
Conclusion
Making a no-stress meals shoot lies largely within the planning. Put together totally, take your time, and also you’ll get pleasure from a easy and stress-free photoshoot. I would love to listen to what else you do to arrange for a simple shoot day.