Sony's guide to food photography

You often see it in restaurants: as soon as the colorful pizza or the sumptuous salad plate is on the table, people reach for their cell phones to take a quick snapshot. These snapshots usually only have the subject in common with real food photography. Good photos of food and drinks should whet the appetite of the viewer and place certain demands on the quality of the shots. Photographing food in an appealing way is one of the most demanding areas of photography. That's why Sony is dedicated to food photography in detail with a guide and blog posts by various professionals in this field and publishes them on its own website.

Special features of food photography

You eat with your eyes. That's not just something to say. In fact, the design of a dish influences appetite and even taste perception. Various studies have come to the conclusion that the color of food, for example, creates a certain expectation of its taste. This is also confirmed by a recent study by the German Food Association. An expectation created by the visual perception of a food or drink actually influences the perception of flavor.

Professional food photographers take this aspect into account and present food and dishes in such a way that they become appetizing works of art. Food photography therefore begins with elaborate styling of the subject.

Food styling: an important prerequisite for good results

A steak lying lonely on a plate or a glass with colorful contents alone cannot create the same effect as a detailed motif. It is the details that give the main motif the right frame and have a decisive influence on the composition of the picture. This is why food styling is the most important preparation for a successful photograph.

The composition of the image always depends on the type of subject and the photographer's ideas. It can be minimalist and only show the desired motif against a plain background. Another variation is the artistic design with decorative details such as melting ice cubes in front of a drink, herb leaves on a dish, a special plate and elegant cutlery. The background can be clearly outlined and distinct or extremely softly drawn and restrained. As previously mentioned, colors play an important role. Contrasts and correspondingly contrasting decorations are also helpful.

Depending on the motif and the desired effect, reflections and mirroring can be intentional or deliberately avoided. Matting sprays or glossy oils applied to food, cutlery and other picture elements are helpful for this. A particular challenge is posed by spices trickling onto the food or flowing liquids. They lend additional dynamism to the image. Some photographers work with steam in the background to achieve similar effects. The actual work of the photographer can only begin once the subject has been perfectly framed. Some professional food photographers work with food stylists to compose the image, but many also take on this task themselves.

Those who prepare food styling with great attention to detail should also rely on high-quality equipment solutions. A compact bag with variable compartments offers space for camera, lenses and small props such as lights or reflectors. This means that your most important tools for creative food styling are always to hand, whether at home or at the customer's location.

It's all about the right perspective and the perfect light

After styling the subject, it's all about perspective. When photographing food on a plate, a bird's eye view is the obvious choice. The natural view falls on the plate from above and provides an overview of all the food on it. However, photographs taken from this perspective often produce very flat and unstructured-looking images. This is all the more true if the food is not flat on the plate, but has a certain height. If you photograph a slice of cake from above, for example, the various layers of the cake, which may be multicolored, are not or only marginally visible. The same applies to a burger piled high. The appearance of these dishes becomes more vivid and detailed when photographers adopt a vertical or diagonal shooting position in relation to the food. The subject is given more structure and the food appears more natural.

The angle of incidence and the color of the light are other important factors for successful photographs. This is especially true for food photography. Front light with a flash and a bird's eye view both lead to a flat appearance. If, on the other hand, food is photographed against the light and with appropriate backlighting, the image becomes much more structured and detailed. Daylight is ideal, but warm artificial light also emphasizes the natural colors of the subjects.

Especially in changing light conditions, whether in a restaurant or studio, it is important to transport all lenses and lighting tools safely. A camera bag with sufficient space for spare batteries, filters and a compact flash ensures that you remain flexible and are prepared for any lighting situation.

The ideal Sony camera for appetizing shots?

Many food photographers use Sony cameras for food photography. The SLR cameras in the Sony α7 series are particularly popular. With their precise control and extensive configuration options, they offer the perfect functions for food photography. However, appealing food photos do not necessarily require an SLR camera. The modern mirrorless system cameras from Sony, such as the α6300 model, are also suitable for food photography. Photographers often prefer them for food photography on the go due to their portability.

If you're traveling with a lightweight mirrorless camera, your bag should also support this flexible setup. A lightweight backpack with easy access will protect your equipment on city shoots or in the dining room and is comfortable to carry - perfect if you want to stay mobile.

Best camera settings for food photography

In most cases, pictures of food require a warm light. Therefore, white balance is one of the important camera settings for food photos. Sony recommends test shots with different settings in the guide. Exposure compensation towards more brightness is helpful for backlit shots. As the subject in the foreground should be as sharp as possible, shutter speeds of 1/80 or 1/100 second are ideal.

While many cameras today are already equipped with zoom lenses, Sony recommends lenses with a fixed focal length for food photography, for example in the slightly wide-angle range or as classic normal lenses with a focal length of 50 mm. Compared to zoom lenses, models with fixed focal lengths capture more light and also enable the blur effects for the background that are often desired in food photography.

Further tips for food photography

Professional food photography is used to present food and drinks for cookbooks, advertising brochures, food blogs or menus. However, it is also attractive to obtain technically and artistically sophisticated images for private photography for social media. This is all the more true for restaurants and food suppliers who want to present their dishes in an appealing way on Facebook and the like with their own photos.

Further tips for food photography relate to equipment. Professional studio equipment is not required for amateur photography. However, a tripod is always necessary. In addition to a telescopic tripod, table tripods are ideal for food photography. Ideally, they should have movable elements to achieve the optimum perspective.

So-called softboxes provide the soft lighting required for photography and support backlit shots. Professional studio lighting is also not required for this. Online stores already offer simple softboxes at reasonable prices. Powerful photo editing software is an essential accessory for digital photography. It enables you to optimize your digital food photos.

If you want to perfectly optimize your food images later, you should also focus on quality when it comes to transport solutions. A bag that offers space for a laptop or tablet is ideal here, so you can check and edit images directly on site and present them to your customers.