How to Shoot Mouthwatering Food Photos in 2023

Want to shoot fantastic food photos? We will teach you how to take mouthwatering shots of your cooking, even if you’ve never used a DSLR before.

You’ll be the envy of your friends, family, employees, and social media followers. Follow these easy steps below to learn how to take professional quality shots of tasty dishes in your kitchen with minimal effort.

In this post, you’ll learn how to set up a space with great lighting and props to take better food photos. You’ll also learn about the different techniques you can use for shooting food, as well as how to edit your photos using free or cheap software.

When taking food photos, remember to ensure the food is hot or warm. Cold food does not look appealing. We’d recommend having a heated platter to serve the food on.

There are different ways to set up your space. Set up your food on a tabletop next to a window if you want to shoot with natural lighting or sunlight.

The best times for shooting with natural light are early morning and late afternoon, as this is when the sun will provide the most flattering light for food photography! If you’re shooting indoors and don’t have access to sunlight, use artificial lighting like lamps and LEDs.

It’s tempting to start snapping away without much thought, but if you want your shots to be truly mouthwatering, there is a little more preparation involved.

On a different note, you can try using your phone to take amazing food photos.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started

1) A DSLR camera with manual settings.

This is the most essential ingredient to amazing food photos. If you have a point-and-shoot, it might be time to upgrade if you want to take professional quality food photos.

DSLRs are used by professional photographers, not hobbyists. Otherwise, you can find an entry-level DSLR for around $400 that will be good enough for this tutorial.

2) A wide-angle lens is essential for great food Photos.

The wider the angle of view, the more space you have to work with when shooting food. If you use a zoom lens, it’s always better to get a prime lens if you can afford it because zooms are worse at creating images at wider angles.

Check out these recommendations for food photography lenses.

3) Basic Food photos editing software.

There are two free and easy-to-use options we recommend: VSCO and Snapseed.

4) A tripod, so your shots aren’t blurry.

You might be able to get away with handheld shots when you take pictures of people, but it’ll be harder to get away with a shake in food photography because your hand will shake more when you handle the camera.

5) A smile!

Please take photos of your food and healthy snacks when you’re excited about eating them. This will give you better photos to share with your friends, family, and followers.

Follow along for this tutorial, and we’ll show you how to take great shots of food with your DSLR camera!

Step 1: Set up Your Food Photos Shooting Space

You can’t take professional-looking pictures of food if the lighting is wrong or the props are poorly chosen.

Therefore, you should spend some time setting up your shooting space to make sure it’s perfect. We’ll walk you through the steps for how to light your kitchen, and then we’ll share some tips on how to decorate your kitchen with props and ingredients that will help you take professional-looking photos of food.

Lighting your Food Photos Space

Lighting is the most important thing to consider when you’re planning out your setup. The first step is to identify the primary light source in your kitchen and try to eliminate it as much as possible.

This will allow you to use side lighting to create shadows that enhance the look of your food.

If you’re starting with food photography, one of the easiest ways to shoot is by using natural light coming in through a window. You’ll need to be shooting around noontime with the sun directly overhead.

Please make sure any light sources are on your left or right when you’re shooting so they don’t directly hit your subject. This will make it easier for you to see more detail in your image.

Shooting Food When it is Cloudy

If you’re shooting during winter, then you’ll need to find a workaround for shooting on a cloudy day. You can either move your food outside or put up some paper as diffusion panels on the side of your window.

Doing this will eliminate some of the shadows and make it easier to see more detail in your shot.

If you’re taking pictures inside, make sure you have a room with large windows. If you live in an apartment or condo, then try to find the biggest window possible.

Using natural light can give your images a great look. If you’re using artificial light, make sure it’s coming from either the upper right or left corners of your space. You can even use fluorescent lights for this purpose.

You want to light your subject using the upper corners because it will cast the shadows away from your food. Your goal is to create shadows that help set off your food.

Remember that you don’t have to use natural light or artificial light. You can mix the two, but keeping your primary light source on one side of your subject is essential.

If you’re taking pictures of food on a white background, then be sure to use a large aperture of f/8 or higher so that you can get creative with depth of field.

Step 2: Set Up Your Food Photos Shot

Setting up your shot is one of the most creative parts of the photography process. This is the time where you can think about what props and ingredients to include in your photo.

You’ll notice that there are a lot of images on Instagram and in magazines with straightforward backgrounds. The images look like they’re taken in a private kitchen, but in reality, many famous food photographers only use a piece of paper or cloth for their background.

For more excellent contrast in your image, you should do the same when setting up your shot. The ideal background should be dark-colored to increase the contrast.

It would be best if you also considered using a large whiteboard to take your food photos on. This will allow you to place any ingredients or props in your image not to seem so cluttered. The board can also be used as a background for your image.

Think about using curved lines to help enhance the overall look of your photo.

Try to think of a way that you can use your food or ingredients as a prop. This will allow you to take professional-looking photos without going through a lot of effort.

Many people take a photo with their food on a plate, but it’s best to use natural props if you want the shots to look better.

Step 3: Shooting Your Food Photos

Before taking your pictures, you should set up your camera settings. If you’re taking photos in auto mode, make sure the ISO and aperture settings are at their lowest.

You’ll want to shoot with a high shutter speed. Make this possible by using a tripod. You can also use a remote control to take the shot instead of using the camera’s timer mode. The higher your shutter speed is, the less shaking there will be when you take the shot.

The next thing you should do is take a photo of your subject to see how it looks. You can use this as a reference if you’re taking the shot correctly.

If you’re using natural light, point the camera towards your work surface and start shooting. If you’re using artificial light, then place your subject in the corner of your room and start taking shots just like you would with natural light.

You could also use a small reflector so that you don’t have to direct much light towards your subject. It will still create a nice look, but it will eliminate the need for a tripod.

Expose your image to make sure the shot doesn’t come out too dark or too bright. If you’re shooting with artificial light and you can’t see much detail, then make sure your subject is well lit. If you’re shooting with natural light, then move your food closer to the window.

If you’re trying to take a photo of a dessert, try adding an item that’s darker than the dessert itself to help balance out your image.

Step 4: Editing Your Food Photos

Now that you’ve taken the photo, it’s time to edit your food photos. If you’re shooting in natural light, then your editing process is pretty simple. You can crop out any unwanted distractions and get rid of any extra noise.

If you’re using artificial light, you’ll need to do some editing using Photoshop or another photo editing software. You can use this software to adjust the brightness of your image without degrading the quality too much.

You might also want to adjust the contrast or saturation of your image. If you’re shooting by artificial light, try to make that work for you instead of against you.

If you’re not familiar with Photoshop yet, then don’t stress. There are also free photo editing apps that can help with your food photography process. You should check out Snapseed or VSCO Cam for these purposes.

These apps can be used to take your food photos and then adjust the settings afterward. They’re easy to use, and they save you a lot of time. You can also use these apps to edit any other photos that you might take in the future.

Step 5: Share Your Food Photos

Now that your food photography process is complete, it’s time to share this photo on Instagram or another social network. It’s a good idea to post a few of your shots as you’re editing them. This way, you can get some feedback from your followers.

You can also post a photo from this process as a “behind the scenes” image to show what you’ve been up to as well. You can also share images of your food photography process on Pinterest or other social networks.

It’s essential to use the hashtag #food #photography #foodpics in your post so that people can easily find it. You can use this hashtag to keep track of which photo is your most popular.

Final Thoughts on Food Photography

Now that you know the basics of food photography, you can start taking photos of your meals and share them on social media. Your efforts might not always be immediately rewarding, but they’re worth it in the long term.

You’ll get more followers, and they’ll start enjoying your work even more than before. You can use these photos to start a business or become famous on the Internet.

Remember that food photography is a fun hobby that doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re looking for a way to spend an afternoon outdoors, then this is the perfect hobby for you. Take a few shots with a simple setup and enjoy the added benefits of food photography.

Check out our advice on why you should take engagement photos and how to pose for photos.

Happy shooting!