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Rather than solely relying on the existing windows in my home and natural light. By using an artificial lighted faux window, I can create something more rustic at any time of the day.

Shopping for props is one of my favorite things to do (aside from taking pictures). Browsing local antique stores is a great way to find hidden treasures. Thoughtfully chosen props create depth and visual interest that can help strengthen the story you are trying to convey.

I am going to walk you through how I’ve used this window as a tool for storytelling when styling this scene of fresh-baked mini cherry pies.

Gear List:

• Canon 6D Mark II
• 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens
• Vanguard Alta Pro Tripod
• Godox AD200 Pro Pocket Flash at Full Power
• Large Soft Box Modifier with Diffusion & Grid
• Tabletop V-Fat

One treasure I found while antiquing was an old rustic window with peeling dirty white paint and intact glass panels…. simply perfection!

Adding this window to my prop collection allows for more versatility in the types of scenes I can create.

Step 1: Secure The Window Before Artificially Lighting

Usually, I will either prop the window up against something sturdy or will physically hold it in place while shooting with a remote. This time, however, I wanted to make life easier, so I put together a quick DIY stand to hold the window securely in place.

To make this DIY stand:

• I grabbed precut wood and a few brackets from a home improvement store and screwed them in place.
• Choosing this bracketing method creates ease of storage and the option of standing the window vertically, or horizontally.
• Depending on the window you use and its weight you may be able to secure it using different methods or even hang it from a c-stand using clamps. 

Step 2: Artificially Light the Faux Window and the Scene

Let’s set our scene starting with our lighted faux window!

To light this scene, I used a Godox AD200 Pro Pocket Flash at full power paired. A large 28” x 39” softbox, double diffused and gridded to soften and direct the light through the window and to prevent extra light from spilling outside of the window.

Then I placed a few plants between the window and the light to simulate a yard or garden scene outside. Finally, I worked on the main composition with the pies.

I had 3 mini pies and knew I wanted to vary the heights of each. I used a pedestal, a stack of 4 small plates as well as one plate to hold one slice of pie. Including a bowl of cherry pie filling and a bowl of ice cream was essential to add visual interest. I also included utensils, a linen napkin, and crumbs to help the viewer imagine themselves in the scene.

Quick tip: The larger the light source, the softer the quality of light. 

I added the tabletop v-flat, with the silver side placed opposite the window and light to reflect light back into the scene to ensure the pie slice was well lit as that was the hero of the image.

Once I was happy with the arrangement of all the elements, I then added a few scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzled some cherry sauce on top!

Step 3: You’ve Lighted the Faux Window – Take the shot!

My camera settings were, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 1/125, Aperture F/7.1; I did vary the aperture and shutter speed a bit before landing on these settings but kept ISO at 100 and the light at full power.

My camera was placed on a tripod and angled towards the light. Using a remote trigger, I captured a variety of shots, both portrait and landscape as well as closeups of the hero.

Nicole wrote this post. Thank you Nicole for sharing your tips on artificially lighting a faux window scene. Grab Nicole’s Bite-Sized Guide for Better Food Photography here!

 Nicole J. Leverett

Photographer & Visual Artist

Nicole is a multi-faceted graphic designer turned photographer, passionate about creating captivating images and teaching others how to do the same!

New Jersey native, wife, dog mom, bonus mom, daughter, sister obsessed with good food, a good workout and good images. Come say Hi on Instagram or STAY N FOCUS.

The post How to Create an Artificially Lighted Faux Window Scene appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

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Moody Martinis just taste (and look) better.

For this moody martini shot, I wanted to imitate a dark, cloudy day with just a little bit of light coming through a window. This isn’t exactly hard to do since living in the Pacific Northwest it’s fairly cloudy 9 months out of the year.

However dark, cloudy window light isn’t always the best lighting for capturing drinks and making small details stand out, so I opted to create the look I wanted in my garage studio using a couple of strobe lights.

Read on to find out how to create your very own, moody martini shots!

Gear Used:

• Sony a7R IV with a Sony 90mm macro lens
• Godox X-Pro Wireless trigger with 2x Godox ad1200 Pro strobes
• Glow-EZ 31×47” soft box
• Westcott Optical Spot/Snoot by Lindsay Adler w/ “Window Blinds” gobo insert
• Erickson Surfaces

Shaping the Light for a Moody Martini Shot

First, I used an optical snoot on one of my strobes with a metal insert (or “gobo”) that shapes the light to look like it’s showing through window blinds.

That part is pretty easy, however, using this light alone was far too dark and shadowy and obscured the details of the Martini.

I placed a second strobe behind the subject in a large softbox and flagged it off slightly with a black poster board. This strobe provided more light to illuminate the glass and the details of the moody martini drink and make it stand out from the grey surface.

Emphasize Moody Drink Texture with Backlight

Backlighting is always really flattering for capturing most cocktails, as it helps emphasize the drink’s texture (such as the droplets on the glass, and lemon oil on the surface).

When used properly, backlighting can also give a cocktail a subtle “glow” that really makes the drink pop and look extra inviting.

Flagging off this backlight with a poster board added a bit more drama and shadow vs. if the strobe wasn’t flagged off at all. Also, adding in more shadow allowed the “window blind” effect from the snoot to appear more pronounced when both lights were used together for the final image.

I went for a nearly monochromatic look. The gold cocktail pick and dull green olive really are the only other colors in the image. I was able to capture a ton of detail using a 90mm macro lens. Thanks to the 1200 watt strobes, I kept my ISO at 100 and stop down my aperture to f/16.

Use Depth of Field for Your Moody Martini Shots

Depth of field can be nice in cocktail imagery. However, I can’t stand drink images where just the rim of the glass is crisp. The focus falls off too quickly due to a low aperture, blurring the rest of the drink.

With drink photography, I’m generally looking for ways to:

• Stop down my aperture to get a broader focus area with more details in perfect focus.
• Shooting at f/16 kept my entire cocktail looking incredibly crisp and sharp.

Although it’s a darker, moodier image, the moody martini itself is still really striking

Like the majority of my work, this is a relatively minimalist image. No other props or styling elements were used to frame the subject.

I try to use light and texture to make the drink I’m photographing look as dynamic and interesting as possible. Even with a drink as simple and familiar as a Moody Martini.

Jordan wrote this post. Thank you, Jordan for sharing your tips on moody martini shots using artificial light. Interested to find out more from Jordan, join the Cocktail Camera Pro Enrolment waitlist here!

 Jordan Hughes

Photographer + Educator

Jordan Hughes is a full-time creative in the food and beverage industry. He works as a photographer, recipe developer and media consultant for respected brands, bars and restaurant groups. Founder + Educator at Cocktail Camera.

Come say hi on Instagram.

The post Pro Lighting Gear: Imitate Dark Window Light to Photograph Moody Martinis appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

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How to avoid reflections in photography is something we all want to know. One of the most often asked questions I receive is “how do I manage reflections when shooting drinks?”.

Today I’ll walk you through this virgin amaretto sour photoshoot. Along with sharing key strategies I employ that help simplify the challenges I face when photographing reflective glassware.

I primarily work with artificial light because of the control and consistency it offers. This particular photoshoot took place at 4 pm in late February, being in the northern hemisphere, meant a 6 pm sunset. I didn’t feel rushed, however, because I wasn’t relying on window light to illuminate my scene.

So let’s dive in!

Lighting Gear Used in This Tutorial

• Godox AD600 Pro
• 31’’ x 47’’ Glow EZ lock softbox 
• Rosco Cinegel #3000 Filter
• Tough Rolux 48’’ x 25’
• C-stand
• Foam Boards & Clamps

I love Godox AD600 Pro-light for its ability to run either on battery power or an AC plug (for continued power), allowing me to shoot all day. It’s also powerful enough for nearly all food and product photography I do at 600WS.

Avoid Reflections in Photography by Selecting the Right Modifier

The magic when working with artificial light isn’t the light itself. It’s all about the modifier. The tool we use to shape and modify the light to get the look we desire. 

There are endless options depending on what your aesthetic preferences are for lighting drinks. There’s no universal standard, only personal preferences and tastes.

I love soft light that reflects a clean straight line in the glassware and a nice subtle gradient fall off both in the highlights reflected in the glassware as well as the shadows in the overall scene.

To achieve this look, I utilise:

1. A large rectangular softbox. In this case, a 31’’ x 47’’ Glow EZ lock softbox attached to my light via a bowens mount.
2. As well as a large sheet of full-stop diffusion paper. I used this Rosco Cinegel #3000 Filter, Tough Rolux 48’’ x 25’ hung from the boom arm of a c-stand.

The softbox is large so it provides soft, yet defined directional light to project onto our scene.  But the addition of the paper is the secret weapon that helps to further soften the light. It also helps to smooth out the reflections.  

Sometimes when working with softboxes and nylon diffusion material there can be small wrinkles or creases in them. When photographing highly reflective objects, these wrinkles will be visible. 

I once photographed super shiny chocolate candies for a chocolatier. All I could see in the reflections were the wrinkles in the scrim I was using. I avoid that issue altogether by using paper diffusion.

By Blocking Light You Can Avoid Reflections in Photography

One additional tool I used in this lighting setup was a strip of black foam core, positioned at the right rear of the scene. This helped to block the light entering at the back of the scene and created a shadowy effect in the background. 

I prop up my foam core with a-clamps from the hardware store.  You can purchase black foam core at craft and office supply stores. Then simply cut it down to the size you desire.

Positioning the Light: Angle The Light For Thinner Reflections

Notice how I have positioned the light relative to the diffusion paper in this setup.  Do you see how I have angled the light?  It’s not placed parallel to the paper.  

You certainly could place it in a more parallel fashion. However, by placing it on this angle, it spreads the light so that more intense light is falling towards the rear of the scene and the rear edge of the subject. 

Then as the light falls off as it stretches to the edge of the diffusion paper near the front of the scene, it similarly falls off in the reflected highlights, creating a soft gradient of light. You can especially see this effect in the bottles in the background. 

This positioning also creates a thinner reflection on the glassware as opposed to a wider band, which you see reflected as a thin strip on the right front of the hero glass. 

Dramatically impact the look of your scene.

Subtle adjustments in the position of the light can dramatically impact the look of your scene. In addition, the little thin reflection on the left front of the glass, that’s actually the reflection from the jigger placed in the foreground. 

To eliminate that reflection, aside from removing the jigger which I think adds a nice atmosphere to the scene, it could be easily removed in Photoshop.

Choosing The Right Glassware Helps us to Control Highlights

When trying to avoid reflections in photography, lighting is the primary key to controlled highlights in any beverage scene. The glassware we pick will also have an impact. When I have the choice, I will choose a glass that’s easier to photograph and minimize reflections.

I started this shoot with an elegant, thin-walled old fashioned glass, appropriate for a drink like this virgin amaretto sour. 

Once I poured the drink and added the garnish, the scene felt a little too simple and boring to me. I took this as an opportunity to try different glasses. 

Next was an old fashioned glass with some texture, but still, I wasn’t in love with the shot. 

I wondered if something with a stem might better fit the mood of the scene and create the visual interest I was craving? 

My grandmother’s antique glassware was just what the shot needed in my mind! 

Also, notice, how the light interacts differently with the straight old-fashioned glass versus the textured old-fashioned versus the stemmed glass?  Whenever there is texture or variation in the surface of the glass, it will break up the highlights and minimize the issue of reflection.  

Granted, our lighting flattered the straight glass. If, however, you find yourself in a situation where the highlights in your current selection are giving you fits, and you have the flexibility to choose a different glass, opt for something with texture to make your shoot easier.

Next time someone asks you, “how to avoid reflections in photography when shooting drinks?” you can tell them it’s all a matter of lighting and glassware. 

Joanie Simon wrote this post. Thank you Joanie for sharing your tips on reflection in beverage photography.

 Joanie Simon

Commercial & Editorial Food Photographer

Creator of the popular educational platform The Bite Shot, which is a fun, vibrant, global community of photographers who love food and photography. Her signature online course, Artificial Academy, is a place for people with no prior lighting experience to learn to use artificial light for natural-looking and dynamic results.

You can enjoy additional education from Joanie on YouTube and at The Bite Shot.

The post Must Know: How to Avoid Reflections in Beverage Photography appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

Curious about Photoshop composite ideas and how you can use them as a food photographer? We’ve got you covered! There are a number of ways you can use composites and once you get a few ideas, I hope that you’ll use them often like I do.

Before I share some composite ideas, I want to make sure you know what a composite is and why we use it in food photography.

A Composite Combines Images & Helps us be Creative

Firstly, a composite is a process of combining two or more images in Photoshop to create one final image. This process allows us to both be creative and have control over the final look of our image. It helps us to problem solve certain issues that are hard to capture in one single image. I.e. reflections, lighting or styling constraints.

Now that you know what a composite is, let’s take a look at some Photoshop composite ideas.

Photoshop Composite Ideas

There are quite a large number of ways we can use Photoshop to composite images of food. Let’s take a look at some Photoshop composite ideas you can use on your next food shoot! In a nutshell, here are five quick ways you can use Photoshop to create composites in food photography:

1. Food Gathering
2. Depth of Field & Focus Stacking
3. Perfect Lighting
4. Liquor Bottle & Beverages
5. Complex Removals

To learn more about how to capture assets in-camera to create composites and how to put them together in Photoshop in minutes, check out my Retouching Food Photography masterclass.

1 – Photoshop Composite Ideas: A Food Gathering But Your Shooting Solo

A common Photoshop composite idea for food photographers is the ability to create a food gather scene when you’re working solo. That’s right, you only need yourself to be able to do this.

It works by setting up your self-timer and taking a number of photos with your hands in different places. You can then composite a few images together to make it look like there was a gathering of people.

2 – Depth of Field Composites & Focus Stacking

While some cameras have focus stacking capabilities built-in, sometimes you might want more control over depth of field and what’s in focus vs what has a nice blur.

You can use photoshop composites to selectively brush in areas you want to be in focus and areas you don’t. I often do this for client work when shooting beverages at 45-degree angles. I like to use my 105mm macro lens, capture both subjects in focus and have a nice bokeh. In this case, I will use Photoshop as I like the control it gives me.

3 – Perfect Lighting With Photoshop Composites

We all know that photography is about lighting and we are always striving for the perfect lighting. What some people don’t know is that with certain subjects and photoshoots, a single image can be made up of multiple images with different light. Another Photoshop composite idea is to craft the desired lighting in a photo.

You can change your lighting and take a number of shots and composite them together in Photoshop. Although we ideally want to get the perfect lighting in-camera, sometimes it’s just not possible.

4 – Liquor Bottle & Beverage Composites

A lot of beverage photography is done using composites. This is an example where getting the perfect lighting for liquor bottles is only possible with composites. In order to manage reflections and illuminate the bottles in a way that highlights the colour of the liquid and entices the buyer to purchase.

Bottle composites can sometimes be up to 10 shots combined, especially at the commercial level.

In my Photoshop masterclass, Retouching Food Photography, I can teach you how to composite a bottle shot for the perfect commercial look with minimal reflections.

5 – Composites Are Used in Complex Removals

Have you ever had something large and hard to remove from a photo? One way to get around this is to composite two or more images together. Just take this shot for example. I was shooting for a restaurant when an orange car pulled up outside the window just as I was pouring salted caramel onto the dessert.

The best way to remove this was two composite two shots together. Pretty neat huh!

If you’re ready to learn how to start composting and get creative, check out my Photoshop Retouching Food Photography masterclass.

The post 5 Incredibly Useful Photoshop Composite Ideas For Food Photographers appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

I was honoured to be able to co-host a training on color with Capture One and David Grover. We focused on Appetising vs Correct Color in food photography, diving into some of the tools that we can use in Capture One to correct and enhance colour.

Correct color in food photography comes down to how food should look to make it appetising.

Press play to watch!

Food photography is bursting with colour. Our job as photographers is to capture and edit colour to be appetising. In this training, we’ll explore appetising vs ‘correct colour’ as we search for the best edits to enhance colours in food.

From bold to desaturated colours, we’ll uncover how to edit the colour ranges in a number of colour foods. From stewed rhubarb to chocolate cake. Learn which tools to use to edit food photography, as well as different workflows and ways to think about editing colour.

Tips for Editing Correct Color in Food Photography in Capture One

When you edit color in food photography, there are few key things to think about. Our human brains are very astute at figuring out what colors food should be. At a primal level, it helps us to eat the right, safe and ripe food vs the poisonous or food that has been spoiled.

Here are some tips from the training when it comes to colour:

• Bold colours need to be managed separately using different tools.
• Colours in food don’t have to be saturated to be beautiful. Sometimes we need to desaturate colours.
• Colours work together, there is rarely a pure colour when it comes to food.
• We see a lot of ‘analogous’ colours in food, and so we often have to edit colours sitting next to each other on the colour wheel.
• Exposure and contrast affect colours, I work on appetising colours at the end of my workflow

Chocolate is a Color & Needs Mulitple Color Corrections

Most photographers struggle to photograph and edit chocolate because we often think of it as a brown food. While it is, it’s also made up of hues from red to orange, yellow and sometimes even green.

Next time you need to edit chocolate, think about if you can see these colors in your photo and use the Color Editor – Basic Tool to alter (or enhance) the presence of the chocolate color.

Desaturating Colors Can be Beautiful

A lot of us think about color as being bright and bold. Food is often so colorful that we can forget that we don’t always have to desaturate a color for it to have an impact. I tend to think about color in terms of what draws the eye.

Sometimes too much color or a vast range of colors can feel confusing and overwhelming. Selectively saturating and desaturating is how we show the viewer what’s the most important element in our image or food story.

Just take a look at these White Wine Poached Pear shots. They are both beautiful for different reasons. One is more saturated and one is desatured. Can you notice texture differently in these shots?

Did you enjoy this training? Interested in learning more about Capture One? Join my Capture One Magic Masterclass today.

For more training and tips on Capture One, check out these posts.

18 Top Tips New Capture One Pro Users Need to Know.

Lightroom vs Capture One: Important Differences You Need to Know

Switching From Lightroom to Capture One: When & Who Should

The post Free Class: Appetising vs Correct Color Food Photography in Capture One appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

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Drinks have all kinds of different textures in photography. It’s our job to communicate what the drink might feel like when it hit our mouths and it’s one of the main reasons I love photographing them.

Backlight can help emphasise texture with clear (or almost clear) liquids that have pulp, bubbles or another ingredient that needs to be highlighted. ⁠⁠Whereas the glass you use can emphasise or hide texture.

Your camera angle is another important element to either elevate or eliminate drink texture in photography.

Be sure to ask yourself, is the shape, colour or pattern of the glass hindering or helping texture? Play around with a variety of angles to find the angle that will exaggerate the best texture.

Let’s dive into the nine ways we can feel and see the textures in our photography.

When it comes to shooting drinks my top drink tip is to focus on highlighting liquid texture.

1 – Frozen Drink Texture in Photography

Add height and swirls to frozen cocktails with a small spoon to help the viewer understand the texture. With white frozen drinks, use shadows to enhance the textures.

2 – Thick Drink Textures

One of my favourite textures in photography when shooting drinks is the thick winter style of a hot chocolate. From the colour of the milk to the thick layer of foam. All of the textures give a feeling of heavy comfort.

3 – Pulpy: Provides a Unique Textural Feeling

Pulpy drinks, like a Lychee Frose, has a different feeling texturally to other thick drinks. Highlighting flecks of the fruit help reveal its pulpy texture.

4 – Impressive Creamy Textures in Photography

The billowiness of this Ramos Fizz can be seen as the cream is shaken to almost resemble meringue. Capturing the foam spilling over the glass with sidelight reveals the thick creaminess of this cocktail.

5 – Silky Textures: A Must Have

Chilled whiskey on the rocks is the ultimate silky smooth drink. Highlighting an ultra-smooth feeling, it feels and looks light as air.

6 – Icy Textures in Photography

Ice feels different from frozen. It’s grainer and crunchier. Crushed ice helps add a different feel to a frozen drink. Using clarity in editing helps enhance this texture.

7 – Smooth

Backlight shine helps give a cocktail a smooth feeling. This is especially important for clear spirit-based cocktails like a martini.

8 – Bubbly

Bubbles help cocktails feel alive! It adds such a fun and unique texture to drinks. Make sure to capture it freshly poured with a fast shutter speed to freeze motion.  

9️ – Drink Texture Show Stopper: Foamy⁠⁠

Foamy drinks are the show stoppers. Using sidelight can help to reveal the bubbles or foam. Capture the foam separating as the cocktail sits (within the first two minutes) for even more interesting textures. 

Is there a drink texture in photography I missed? Let me know what other textures you could capture in your drink shots in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this post on Texture in Drink Photos, make sure you also check out How to Layer Drinks. And for more ways to style photogenic drinks, be sure to grab my e-guide.

The post Texture In Photography: 9 Ways to Photograph Texture in Drinks appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

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Composition in food photography is an art form, but one out of every two photographers say they struggle with composition and that improving their styling, will help them find their signature style.

Improving your composition improves your photos. It’s as simple as that!

In this post, I’m going to cover some simple composition in food photography tips directly from my masterclass, Composition Essentials. I am positive that if you take action today with these tips, you’ll be ahead of the game.

An amazing photograph is never a fluke. So let’s make some art!

Tip 1 – Find The Hero Side

Make sure the ‘hero side’ is facing the camera. To find the hero side, simply put your food on set and spin or turn the plate or bowl. When you think you’ve found the best side, position that side so it faces the camera.

Tip 2 – Composition in Food Photography Tip: Use Complementary Colours

Using complementary colours is an easy way to create harmony and movement in our images. For example, blue and orange is a common complementary colour palette that pairs best with baked goods and cooler-toned images.

Tip 3 – My 5 Foolproof Ways to Style Napkins

Napkins can be hard to style, I get it! They often don’t fold the way we want them to, which can leave you wondering what to do with them and how to use them to add value to your images. I have 5 foolproof ways you can style napkins to create composition in your food photography images.

These 5 styles are:

1. The Fold + Tuck
2. The ‘Peeking’ In
3. The Scrunch
4. The Knot Tie
5. The Flow

Tip 4 – Composition in Food Photography: Use Repetition for Many Subjects

Repetition is a strong composition technique for creating emotion. Think about it, when you repeat something, it becomes larger and more interesting.

This type of composition technique can work really well when you have many food subjects that you have to style and it feels overwhelming. When you have multiple subjects to style, emphasise patterns and repetition by using a tight crop, so the emphasis is on this visual element.

Tip 5 – Focus on Texture With Brown Food

When I first started as a food photographer, I was scared of brown. It’s not the most appealing colour, or is it?

Through my years as a photographer, I learned a few tricks along the way. So next time you’re face to face with brown food, stop for a sec and look at all the texture there is to capture. Ask yourself, could I use a tight crop and repetition to focus on the texture in brown foods?

Tip 6 – Use Different Focal Lengths

The focal length, lens and angle that you pair together helps a photographer build their style. Explore different focal lengths when creating your composition food photos, with different subjects to find out what you like.

“Exploration is curiosity put into action.” – Don Walsh

Tip 7 – Create Diptychs to Tell Food Stories

A diptych is a presentation of two images together that combined, tell a story. This is a great way to showcase your work in your portfolio or on Instagram. The biggest consideration when creating a diptych is deciding what story you want to tell with your images.

Tip 8 – Layering: The Most Important Composition Technique in Food Photography

Add layering with your food and props to create more interest around your subject. If your dish doesn’t look right, the chances are you need to focus on getting your layers right. I recommend using 3-4 layers of interest, excluding the food.

For example, napkin, dish, garnish would be three layers and would appear on top of one another.

Always think, how could I make this more interesting? Add layers of interest.

Tip 9 – Create a Custom Background

The backdrop that you choose is the backbone of your food scene. It will set the tone of the story you are trying to capture. Create a colour story with your food by painting a custom DIY background.

Tip 10 – Use Triangles for Your Compostion in Food Photos

Incorporating triangles into your images is a powerful way to unite your subjects together and create movement around the important elements in the frame.

I hope you enjoyed these tips on Composition in Food Photography. Remember composition does take practice, so it’s important to enjoy the journey!

If you have any questions or want to share your journey so far with composition drop me a comment below. If you enjoyed this post on techniques for composition, make sure you also check out more resources on styling.

The post 10 Essential but Simple Techniques for Composition in Food Photography. appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

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Hi there! This is Kelly from A Side of Sweet. I’ve been photographing and styling food for almost seven years and I’m proud to say I’m completely self-taught. Everything I know I’ve learned by doing.

I’m grateful Rachel is letting me pop over here to Two Loves Studios blog and share pieces of what I’ve learned along the way. Despite having cabinets stuffed to the brim with all sorts of props, there are certain items that I reach for over and over, aka essential food photography props!

By choosing essential food photography props that work in a variety of situations you can save money, space and also be more efficient while you work.

For more of my photography, original recipes and blogging tutorials, head over to my website when you’re done reading this article! You can also find me on Instagram.

#1 Essential Food Photography Prop: Clear Thin-Wall Drinking Glasses

The trick to picking out glassware that will photograph well is looking for thin walls. Delicate glassware looks much better in photos as you don’t get any discolouration or distortion of the food.

This doesn’t mean it has to be expensive! I bought my glasses at Daiso, which is a Japanese discount store. Glasses were only a couple of dollars each.

Williams-Sonoma also has a gorgeous set of thin-walled cocktail glasses.

#2 Vintage Teacups: An Essential Food Photography Prop

I collect teacups, not only because they are pretty, but because they make great food photography props!

Check out your local thrift or antique store. They usually have ample options for all price ranges. Etsy is also an option, but usually does require shipping, which means the costs can add up quickly.

I always look for teacups that have chips or cosmetic defects to save money.

More tips on 10 Food Styling Prop Tips That’ll Save You Money.

#3 Gold Flatware for Food Photography Styling

Gold flatware instantly adds a bit of fancy to any food photography styling.

The set I purchased is from Sur La Table, which unfortunately is no longer available. Luckily, gold flatware is so trendy you can find it everywhere. Some of my other favourite store to find flatware are Target to Anthropologie.

Gold flatware, especially if you get a cheap set, will easily tarnish or scratch off. Be sure you only wash them by hand in warm water then dry them immediately.

PRO TIP: To save money, you can also spray paint an old set of silverware to use for styling.

#4 Minimalist White Bowls for Food Photography

White bowls are an obvious choice for a food photographer. What better way to highlight a beautiful dish than a clean white styling palette?

I look for bowls that don’t have a base so the sides are smooth all the way down and there is nothing to distract the viewer from the food being photographed. West Elm and Target have some great options.

I love pairing a bright white bowl on a white shooting surface with a colourful recipe so the food really pops.

#5 A Must Have Food Photography Prop: Matte White Plates

Just like white bowls, white plates are a must for any food photographer. Similar to white bowls, look for smooth plates with a matte finish and no rim (if you can find them).

Glossy plates will reflect light and are harder to photograph. I find it easier to style food on a dessert plate rather than a dinner plate. They are easier to fit on my photography backdrops and easier to fill with a serving of food.

I’ve only been able to find matte plates by speciality ceramics shops but West Elm has a good not-too-shiny option.

#6 Add Character to Photos with Off-White Stoneware Plates:

Another great surface for styling food is an off-white stoneware plate. It lends a charming rustic feel to photos.

The more unique the plate, the better. Etsy is a great resource for unique photography props. The ones you see in this photo I purchased at a small antique shop in Japan.

My favorite souvenirs when I’m traveling are new props for photography!

#7 Essential Food Photography Prop: Rustic Wood Slabs & Cutting Boards

A great way to add interest when you’re styling food is to add layers. I aim for 5 to 7 layers in my photos. No one has ever accused me of being a minimalist!

Typically this involves a combination of the following – a shooting surface, a piece of wood or platter, a tea towel, the dish holding the food, a utensil, the food itself and garnish.

Cutting boards and rustic pieces of wood are an easy way to add a layer. The old wooden cutting board you see in these photos was $5 in a forgotten corner of an antique shop.

Etsy is another great place to find something with character. The more beat up the better. Look for wood that doesn’t have yellow undertones as this is more flattering for food photography.

#8 Enamelware Plates & Bowls

Enamelware plates and bowls in classic white with a colorful rim make awesome essential food photography props! As an added bonus they also stack easily, aren’t breakable and don’t take up too much storage space.

Check out Williams-Sonoma and Urban Outfitters have some good options, or for pieces with more character, check out Etsy or antique stores.

Shop Some of My Favorite Food Props!

What are some food photography props that you find yourself over and over? Let me know in the comments below!

I hope you found this article helpful! You can find more blogging and photography tutorials on my blog, like this article on finding Cheap Backdrops for Photography.

P.S. – Love this article about food photography props? Make sure you pin it for later!

Two Loves Studio was not paid to write this post, however, it may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from an affiliate link, we do get a commission on the sale which helps us run this site. Only affiliates for products/services we believe in appear on this site.

The post 8 Essential Food Photography Props You Need on Any Budget. appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

This post may contain affiliate links from products and services we love and trust.

Hi all! I’m really looking forward to sharing my natural light set-up in this behind-the-scenes sneak peek with you. I use, pretty much exclusively, natural lighting in my images. I love natural light because it’s low-hassle in terms of set-up and inexpensive for the physical equipment you need.

Let’s dive into a breakdown of how I lit the below scene.

My Process and Shooting List for Natural Lighting:

For my set-up, I use several 5-in-1 diffuser/reflector/blocking screens in various sizes in my work. I love them because they’re easy to compress and store when you’re not shooting.

• 79-inch Oval 5-in-1 Diffuser/Reflector/Blocker
• 43-inch Triangle 5-in-1 Diffuser/Reflector/Blocker
• 48-inch Oval 5-in-1 Diffuser/Reflector/Blocker

In this behind-the-scenes post, I set up and took these shots in front of a large south-facing window in my studio that’s about 3 feet wide x 6 feet tall.

I placed my shooting surface about 6 inches away from the window to get as much natural light as possible onto the surface.

When it’s sunny out, I use a diffusion screen (from my 79-inch 5-in-1 diffuser/reflector/blocker) to cover the window to soften the light.

TIP: For overcast days, the clouds are doing the diffusion for me. I don’t need to put a diffuser in front of the window.

How to Block and Shape Natural Light

Depending on the mood of the scene, I will use the black side of another one of my 79-inch 5-in-1’s to block and shape the natural light coming from the window.

For this particular flat lay shot, I wanted to make the top of the image a bit darker and shadowy, so I blocked the light on the right-hand side of the window by leaning my 5-in-1 in front of it.

This is basically an element of the chiaroscuro lighting technique, which involves blocking the natural light sources to shape the light into a more pronounced and dramatic beam or streak, rather than an even amount of light falling across the whole scene.

Trouble Shooting with a Natural Light Setup

I wanted to show the edge of the table dropping off on the left-hand side of the flat lay, but because of how close the table is to the window it would just show the bright window underneath the table.

To fix this, I use the black sides of one or two smaller 5-in-1’s to block the natural light coming from the lower half of the window, so that it just looks black and dark on the area to the left of the tabletop where the table drops off.

Direct Light Vs Dramatic Light

This subject I was shooting is a tea-based beverage (a Hot Toddy, to be precise), and being a sunny day, I wanted to experiment with what direct harsh light would look like in this shooting situation.

I love the way direct light can cast a bejewelled look to the shadows of liquid-filled glasses, especially when the liquid has a colored tint to it that comes through in the shadows as well.

In the example images of the scene, you can see there are two versions.

1. One with soft light had the diffusion screen in place.
2. The one with the bright intense streak of natural light across the frame had the diffusion screen removed from in front of the window.
3. Both images still had the black side of the 5-in-1 in place to block and shape the light to fall over the centre area of the frame with the beverages.

Honestly, I really like them both, for different reasons. This shows how you can create vastly different-looking images by shifting a single low-cost element (like a diffusion screen).

Understanding the Fundamentals of Shaping Natural Light

I’m a strong believer in using simple tools because they force you to have a deeper understanding of the fundamental elements you’re dealing with.

They help you build up the most important piece of equipment you have, which is your mind. I’m still able to create a wide variety of different moods and looks. Both bright and dark by using simple tools to light my scenes.

You could have fancy, high-end lighting equipment, however, if you don’t understand how to shape, control, and sculpt light, it’s not going to be any more useful than a piece of cardboard.

• First, invest your time in practising.
• Second, start investing in advanced equipment once you feel and understand the limitations of your current gear.

Hope you’ve enjoyed checking out my lighting process for this Hot Toddy shot. I hope it’s encouraged you to experiment and play with the natural light fundamentals. Such as blocking and shaping the light by using everyday, inexpensive tools.

Thanks so much, Rachel for having me here and have fun creating, friends!!

My Photography / Styling / Branding course is a great resource for folks looking to create beautiful images. You can learn more about what’s inside here!

For further reading: Check out the below for more articles about Lighting tips:

Simple One Light Photography Setup: Moody Black Forest Cupcake

Natural Lighting Food Photo Tips You Need To Know For Chiaroscuro Effect

Photography Flags: Add Stunning Dimension & Contrast to Your Food Photos.

Eva Kosmas wrote this post. Thank you, Eva, for sharing your tips on natural lighting.

Eva Kosmas

Food Photographer

Eva Kosmas Flores is an educator, photographer, cookbook author, and blogger based in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not out digging in the garden or hovering over a pot in the kitchen, she can be found curled up in her living room with a pile of knitting + a small chihuahua on her lap.

Come check out my website or stop by on Instagram!

The post Simple Tools to Shape Natural Light: Behind The Scenes Look. appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

This post may contain affiliate links from products and services we love and trust.

Tripods are an essential piece of equipment for food photography and still life photography.

I have blogged about how to choose the best food photography tripod in this ultimate guide. There are a lot of considerations and I know that some photographers just want to buy the same gear I use.

This is therefore a quick food photography tripod guide. It’s a simple list of the gear that I have when it comes to all things tripods.

RELATED: Ultimate Guide: Best Tripod For Food Photography

3 Piece Professional Studio Tripod Setup

For my go-to studio photography tripod, I use a tall Manfrotto tripod with a geared head and overhead arm. This setup allows me to do all of my in-studio work seamlessly. I couldn’t be happier with this setup.

1. Manfrotto 058B Triaut Tripod
2. Manfrotto 131DB Overhead Arm
3. Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head

Method 1: Quick Toggle Switching: The backslash key [\] is the quickest way to see Before and After in Lightroom. With this approach, you can use a keyboard shortcut to switch between the original and edited photo. On most keyboards, the Backslash key is normally located above the Return or Enter key. Once you press the button, you’ll view the original image without any edits. If you tap it again, the image will restore to its previous state. This is available in both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC.

Lightweight On-Location Food Photography Tripod

This tripod has been in our photography family for some time and was originally purchased as a tripod for nature photography. Whereas both my husband and I have moved into different niches, we still use it for on-location shoots.

The exact model we used is discontinued, I have recommended the newer alternative below.

• Gitzo GT2542 Mountaineer Tripod Series 2
• Acratech Ultimate GP Ball Head
• Acratech 1138 Universal L Bracket

A word of advice is to spend a little more money and get the best (or right!) tripod from the get-go. For example, buying a $300 tripod probably won’t get you what you need and you’ll end up spending more money in the long run. That was my mistake.

If you want to be empowered to know all the ins and outs of which tripod to buy for your photography, read the Ultimate Guide: Best Tripod For Food Photography that I have put together.

If you have a question about how I use my tripod, drop me a comment below.

The post Best Food Photography Tripod: Quick Guide appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

In this post, we’ll share our favourite 5 essential composition tips. So, if you want to enhance your food photography compositions, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in.

1. Play with Perspective

When starting out, most beginner food photographers shoot food straight on. That’s because they take it from a familiar angle like someone who is sitting or standing at a table. While this can work, it can also make an image seem boring or expected.

So the first composition tip is to consider a different perspective. Pick one that emphasizes the dish’s most exciting qualities or spotlights key characteristics. Choose your angle based on the food.

A top-down method, such as shooting from above with the sensor parallel to the plate, is an excellent way to emphasize all the food and different elements of the dish while also adding aesthetic flair. This is often best for food that is flat and is most interesting on its surface.

On the other hand, shooting from a low angle or from the side gives the viewer a distinct viewpoint and highlights the food’s intricacies. This is great for food that’s made up of layers and doesn’t have an interesting surface. The lower your angle, the more towering your subject will appear to be.

Of course, that’s just two angles. There are many more angles to choose from. And the angle isn’t the only way of changing perspectives. Moving towards or away from your subject will change how the various elements interact with each other.

Get in close and throw on a wide lens. Or move further away and put on a telephoto. Have a play. This is why prime lenses may be a better choice because they force you to move instead of just zooming.

So whenever you finish a shoot, take your camera off the tripod and play around with some different perspectives. Move around! You might find a new hero angle to shoot, or to keep in mind for next time.

2. Arrange the Elements

In order to arrange the elements, first, you must think of your frame as a collection of imaginary lines. This composition tip is a game-changer!

We begin at the most essential point of interest and make our way around the scene. Do the lines in your photography allow the eye to effortlessly bounce around the frame to take it all in? Or do they stop the eye with something that’s visually big and heavy?

You’ll want to create diagonals (more on this later), curves, and other forms of leading lines to help accentuate your subject. Bear these imaginary lines in mind as you create your food photograph.

It helps to understand how your eyes move through a picture.

People’s attention is drawn to the scene’s brightest, most contrasty, and most colourful elements. So, making sure your subject has one, or all three of these things is a good place to start.

Next, arrange the elements by “reading” the food image. In the West, we read from left to right. This means that the viewer’s eye travels from left to right after they look at the main subject.

3. Optimize your Orientation

As you’re probably aware, you can photograph food in either portrait or landscape orientation, but don’t just stick your camera in one position and call it a day. Instead, think about which way will best highlight the food or scene.

Also, consider your output. Are you shooting just for Instagram? Or maybe you’re shooting for a magazine that needs both 1 and 2-page spreads.

So, rotate your camera to see if a vertical (portrait orientation) or horizontal (landscape orientation) will work best.

Horizontal frames are often great for capturing scenes that need to tell a bigger story. On the other hand, a vertical composition may improve the photo by removing distracting things from around the main subject.

4. Embrace Negative Space

Negative and Passive space are powerful composition tips. They will bring the viewer’s attention to the subject immediately when applied effectively.

Negative space isn’t simply a plain backdrop; it can also be a component of an image if the props are neutral or have a colour that compliments rather than detracts from the food. It gives an image a sense of purity and simplicity while also adding harmony.

Experienced photographers also use it to help move the viewer’s eye through the frame. And both commercial and editorial photographers use it because it allows the client to strategically place copy (what people in the industry call text).

5. Dabble with Diagonals

Another common thing beginner food photographers do is line everything up so that it’s parallel to the edges of the frame. This creates vertical and horizontal lines in the frame.

We’re used to organizing things in a straight line, which is useful in real life since it symbolizes order and cleanliness, and we prefer living in a clean environment. It can also denote strength and stability.

However, when it comes to food photography, using only parallel lines can be boring and lack attractiveness and vitality.

So our final composition tip is to use diagonals.

Diagonals can be a very successful composition strategy since they produce movement and dynamic tension. It’s a great compositional tool to play with.

When we see diagonal lines in nature, it implies that if something was put on it, it would roll down the diagonal. That’s why photographers say that diagonal lines add movement to the frame. It’s not real movement, it’s the movement that the human eye infers. So, think about how your elements are working together to create diagonal lines in the frame.

That doesn’t mean you can’t ever use vertical and horizontal lines, just be conscious of when and why you use them.

Composition Tips are a great way to improve your food photos

Composition & Styling are two of the most important aspects of food photography. It can make or break a photo.

Composition tips are a great way to start, and truly understanding all the different aspects of composition is what can take your photos to the next level. That’s why we created our Composition Essentials Masterclass.

Instead of spending an endless hour searching the web for the best food photography composition tips & tricks, join us at Two Loves Studio where you’ll find lots of great information on food photography.

Then get out there and try what you’ve learned. It is the best way to find your unique photography style.

The post 5 Essential Composition Tips For Food Photography appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

It’s always best to have a few backdrop ideas for a shoot since they are ideal for achieving a distinctive appearance in your photographs. They do not just improve the quality of your food photography, but they’re also inexpensive or perhaps sometimes free!

Food photography backdrops are the backbone of every food photo. They can make or break a shot. Finding and using backdrops with textures and colours can instantly improve a photo.

So, where do you find a food photography background? We’ll teach you how to add to your collection in six different ways with these ideas!

Baking trays are inexpensive and have lots of texture

If you have some decent baking trays lying around, don’t throw them away. They are one of the easiest backdrop ideas and are fantastic for food photography.

Baking trays can have a lovely vintage look that will add variety to the food photography depending on what metal. However, what sets them apart is that they lack thick patterns that might be annoying.

Baking trays look fantastic close-up or from a length as a photography background. However, you may use them as accessories in your culinary tale.

You may frequently get baking trays at a reasonable price at secondary or antique stores.

Online marketplaces like Etsy and eBay are also good places to look. One thing to note is that the metal should be matte and not reflective.

Tile backgrounds add interest and bring a sense of luxury

Porcelain or ceramic tile is another lovely yet essential backdrop. It’s available at Home Depot, Homebase, and other local home improvement retailers.

Ceramic tiles are both affordable and attractive. They’re also easily cleanable, which comes in handy when coping with drops and spillage in food photography.

One great hack is that you can buy vinyl backgrounds with tile patterns. The benefit is that they are lightweight and don’t require tools or grout to create. The patterns and colours are endless.

Some of my favourite tiled backgrounds are from Bessie Bakes Backdrops and Captured by Lucy Backdrops.

Try to use neutral colours and stay away from orangish backdrops. These might make food look unappealing. Black, grey, and white are the best colours to use. Brown tones such as taupe are other options.

Linen Tablecloth adds a sense of homeliness

Each food blogger and photographer should have a selection of linens available. Linens come in a wide variety of styles. From natural linen to softly printed linen tablecloths, there’s something for everyone.

It’s better off sticking to neutral colours or blue tints in general. However, you might go for a more vibrant color or anything with a pattern. It all relies on your desired aesthetic. You’ll get more use out of neutral colours, so go simple if the budget is tight.

The critical thing to remember is that your food photography backdrops should not compete with or distract from your main subject.

You could use the linen to cover a section of another neutral photographic background or cover the entire backdrop. When using a sheet of linen or a tablecloth to cover a whole area, one piece of advice is to use a second layer of fabric below. This thickens up the linen and gives it a more appealing appearance.

Creases and wrinkles in linen also add a nice touch of texture and interest. So don’t get out the iron too quickly.

Wooden Tabletops add a touch of nostalgia

Depending on its size, a wooden tabletop may be used as a food photography backdrop or can center as a subject in a large table scene.

But never fear, you don’t have to actually buy a table to get a tabletop look. While it’s nice to have a rustic table in any photography studio, you can easily buy wooden tabletop food photography backdrops from backdrop companies. Either as physical boards or roll-up vinyl.

Here is a shot with a physical wooden board on a wooden table, and one taken with a vintage table I have in my studio.

Look for boards that have a rough texture and avoid an orange, warm or yellow colour. Cutting boards are one of the easiest backdrop ideas and come in all shapes and sizes.

Sheet of Metal that’s slightly rusty for drama

Another excellent, low-cost food photography background idea is the used metal sheet. Sheet pans may be found at yard sales or on eBay. Because they have structure and flair, distressed metal sheets provide a fantastic backdrop as they have unique textures.

You may also use these as a background by propping them up as using them as a vertical backdrop at straight angles.

One tip is to make sure the metal sheet is large enough for a flat lay. Look for something that is at least 2” x 3” in size.

Vinyl Marble is timeless and therefore a food photography backdrop staple

Vinyl Marble offers a beautiful and reasonably priced food photography backdrop. They’re timeless and will stand the test of time. Look for vinyl that features a matte, non-shiny texture that’s perfect for food photography.

You can get marble in whites, creams, beige and light greens. The best thing about vinyl marble is that it isn’t expensive, heavy, and can withstand food stains.

My favourite marble vinyl is from backdrop companies like Bessie Bakes Backdrops, Poppy Bee Surfaces, and Captured By Lucy Backdrops.

There are a plethora of options for creating fantastic food photography backdrops. You can save money by looking for your desired textures as vinyl roll-up backdrops.

How will you use these backdrop ideas?

How do you plan to use these backdrop ideas? Let us know in the comments below.

Play around with the things you already have. The outcomes may surprise you!

Are you looking for courses to learn food photography skills? Contact us and take the free 7-day food photography email course with tips that’ll help.

The post 6 Easy Backdrop Ideas To Enhance Your Food Photographs appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

Backlight is a great way to get a ‘wow effect’ in your food photos because there is something magical about it. Great light is the key to great photos. It’s one of the fundamentals of food photography.

This post shows you how to use the backlight properly in your food photography.

What is Backlight?

Backlight is when light shines from behind the subject of an image from the camera’s perspective. It’s most magical when your subject is shiny, transparent, or translucent.

It’s most often found 45-degree angles or lower. You won’t find backlight in overhead images unless the table itself is glowing!

Set up your Backlight

Only a single window or light source is required. Natural light is a great way to get started.

The light must be falling from behind the subject, almost directly across from the camera. So put your subject in between your light source and the camera. If you imagine the light as a clock face, it should appear between 11:00 and 1:00 on the clock when you are behind the camera.

How the backlight renders will depend on the quantity of light. If using natural light, pay attention to how the size, shape, materials, and details of your window impact the look. You’ll also get different results on different days and times of the day due to how the light changes outside the window.

You can move your background (or surface) towards and away from the window to get different shadows, light falloff, and wrap. So experiment with it and see what happens when you move it around.

Exposing for Backlit scenes

Backlighting can be a complex technique to master in photography since you need to know how to operate your camera and set a good exposure. If you use automatic settings, you’ll likely have suboptimal exposure.

That’s because the light can confuse the camera’s light meter into thinking it is a bright scene. If the camera exposes the bright backlight, the food will be dark, grainy, or lacking in detail. So Step 1 is to pick the right metering mode.

Step 2 is that you have to get out of automatic mode. Start with either Aperture or Shutter speed priority. Note, that these modes are still partially automatic, so you’ll have to change your exposure compensation. With backlit scenes, you’ll often have to increase (+) your exposure compensation so that your subject is exposed well enough.

For the most control, switch your camera to manual mode. This will help even more if you’re adding or taking away objects in the frame. That’s because aperture and shutter speed priority modes will still be automatically calculating your exposure based on what the meter is reading and your exposure compensation.

With manual mode, you are in control of all of the settings. So adding or removing objects won’t change the exposure. This will allow you to control your histogram and make sure that you’re not losing any details in the highlights or the shadows.

Start with a Dark Room

Your backlight will not work if there are other sources of light that are brighter. Also, since house lights are a colour temperature to daylight, you might have trouble getting the perfect white balance when you edit.

So start in a dark room with a single light source and see how that looks. If your subject is too dark on the camera side (front), then you can either bounce in some light or use a scrim. Or both!

Bounce in some Light

You’ll get some incredibly dazzling bright areas and some gloomy spots even if you overexpose. That’s when a bounce comes in handy. You can experiment here to see what appeals to you the most. In comparison to backlight or sidelight, I’ve discovered that a person can be more proactive with the concept of light bouncing in the backlight.

Use a Scrim

If you find that you’re pushing the edges of your histogram, a scrim will help remove the extremes brightness and darkness so that you have the best data to edit your food photos. Using it will help prevent clipping the highlights or the shadows. Both Lightroom and Capture One have clipping warnings that you can use when tethering.

It can also help If you find that the reflections being created are distracting, or that you are seeing something outside that you don’t want to see you’ll need a scrim.

A scrim is any fabric that appears opaque until it is lit from behind. So you can use a thin white cloth in the window to soften the sunlight. Even on gloomy days and at the time of peak winters, you can do this. It will diffuse the light more and lighten your shadows.

You can use a scrim if you’re using artificial light as well. If you have a hard source it will help to soften and diffuse the light.

Final Editing

Once you’ve captured your backlit photo, it’s time to edit it. This can allow you to take a regular looking photo and make it magical.

As long as you haven’t lost details in the shadows and highlights, and if your subject’s exposure is bright enough that you can pull out some details, then you’re well on your way to creating a ‘wow effect’ in your food photo.

Using Backlight is Fun

Using a backlight in food photography can be lots of fun if you know how to do it. Use this post and some trial and error to help discover your unique food photography style.

Learn more about Food Photography lighting and other Photography Fundamentals here at Two Loves Studio.

The post How to Use a Backlight to Create a Wow Effect in Your Food Photos appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

This post may contain affiliate links from products and services we love and trust.

When I started out as a food photographer, I was just so excited to get started! Yet, I had no equipment for food photography. I was lucky, however, because my dad had a second-hand camera and lenses I could borrow. So that’s what I did.

I used borrowed or second-hand cameras for almost 8 years! You don’t need a lot to get started. What’s more important is having a camera that gives you control, software to process your images and your creativity.

Here’s an equipment list for beginner food photographers (in no particular order).

Table of Contents

1. Second hand DSLR Camera
2. 18-55mm kit lens
3. 50mm 1.8 lens (Full frame cameras)
4. 35mm 1.8 lens (cropped sensor cameras)
5. Lightroom CC with storage
6. 4” x 6” Diffuser
7. White & Black foam boards (2 of each)
8. Photo Clamps
9. Vinyl backdrops

Let’s take a look at each one of these in more detail. I’ve also got two bonus recommendations at the bottom of the list if you have a little bit more budget.

Thrifty Equipment for Food Photography: Second-hand DSLR Camera

Guess what? You don’t need a brand new, expensive camera to take great photos of food. If you’re just starting out, I would recommend buying (or borrowing) a second-hand DSLR. Either Canon, Sony or Nikon.

Either cropped sensor or full-frame, at the beginning of your food photography journey it doesn’t make too much difference. I suggest buying a second-hand DSLR because the way of the future is mirrorless cameras. Get a used DSLR now and save for a new mirrorless a few years down the line.

If you want to read more about what I recommend looking for in a camera, read these tips for buying a camera.

18-55mm Lens Kit

It’s very common for entry-level DSLRs to come with what is known as a ‘kit lens’. It’s a zoom lens that covers focal lengths of 18mm to 55mm.  If you find a deal that comes with this lens, it’s an inexpensive lens to get you started.

If you do have a little more budget for food photography equipment, there are two better lenses I recommend investing in.

Lens Quiz

Which Lens Matches Your Food Photography Style?

TAKE THE QUIZ

35mm 1.8 Lens (Cropped Sensor Cameras)

If you purchase a cropped sensor camera, you’ll want to get a 35mm focal length. You can read more about the difference between a cropped sensor and full-frame here.

On a cropped sensor camera, a 35mm lens is the equivalent of a 50mm. Which is a great focal length to get started. You’ll be able to capture flat lays (overhead) and 45-degree shots.

I recommend getting a lens that has a high aperture of 1.8 so that you can tackle low light conditions. In this post, I go through the two lenses I recommend for cropped sensor cameras.

TIP: make sure to buy a lens that will grow with you and can also work on a full-frame camera.

50mm 1.8 Lens (Full-frame Cameras)

If you’re looking to purchase a full-frame camera to add to your food photography equipment, the lens I recommend getting started with is the 50mm 1.8. It’s called a ’nifty fifty’ because it’s inexpensive and of great quality for the price point.

TIP: make sure to buy a lens that will grow with you and can also work on a full-frame camera.

A 50mm on a full-frame camera is a great all-rounder and is wonderful for capturing flatlays. Read more about the 50mm and food photography.

Lightroom CC With Storage

As soon as you can, I recommend shooting RAW files (over jpegs). RAW files obtain all the data of your image which allows you full control over your post-production.

If you shoot RAW files, you will need to edit them in a RAW editor like Lightroom. Lightroom CC is a great way to get started. With a simple and intuitive interface, you can easily get started with editing.

Adobe also offers storage plans with Lightroom CC to help you store your files in the cloud. Check out their Photography package rates for the latest details.

To learn more about post-processing in Lightroom, check out my masterclass Lightroom Magic.

4” x 6” Diffuser For Lighting

Using natural light is the easiest way to get started with food photography. It’s free, beautiful and readily available.

RELATED: Basic Lighting Setup For Food Photography

The one main piece of equipment for food photography I recommend to help you tame natural light is a diffuser. This will issue the light into something soft and pretty to photographing food.

I recommend a large 4” x 6” diffuser, this is the one I have, as it will provide you with better results. It will pack into a small(-ish) bag and is great to also use if you move to artificial light later on.

Get one that also has a black cover so you can block light when you need to.

Essential Food Photography Equipment: White & Black Foam Boards (2 of each)

A very cheap staple that you will use throughout your photography journey. Even as a professional, white and black foam boards are essential. You can use them to reflect and block light as you need. This will help you get better depth in your images.

They are super cheap and readily available at craft or stationery stores. I recommend getting two of each.

Help Shape Light with Photo Clamps

When it comes to food photography equipment, small plastic clamps are great for helping you fix and stand up foam boards so you can keep your hands free for taking photos. These are the ones I use.

If you attach them to the bottom edge of your foam boards, they can easily stand up to help you shape light.

Must Have for Food Photography Equipment: Vinyl backdrops

Backgrounds in food photography are a must. Using a backdrop with subtle colours and textures add depth and interest to our food story. 

If you’re just getting started, then you might not have a lot of space to store your new gear. Good quality vinyl can be a great choice because you can roll it up and store it. Not all vinyl is created equal though. You’ll encounter really great vinyl or poor quality.

The vinyl backdrops for food photography that I recommend checking out are:

• Bessie Bakes Backdrops
• Captured by Lucy
• MyLucie
• BackdropshopRS

Lens Quiz

Which Lens Matches Your Food Photography Style?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Now, if you have the budget or would like to add two items to your wish list, here are two things I recommend acquiring.

Seagate Slim Hard Drive 1TB

At some point, you will run out of space on your computer and entry-level cloud storage. You always want to have your photos backed up into two places.

I use these hard drives and always backup onto two external hard drives. To check out my backup and storage process, read this post I’ve just linked to.

Sturdy Tripod With Overhead Arm

Tripods are an essential piece of equipment for still life photography. You don’t need one immediately when you start taking photos of food, but as you progress and learn more composition skills, a tripod is a must.

Most people don’t want to spend the money a good quality tripod will cost. The mistake here is that you will end up spending just as much by getting two or three poor quality ones.

If you can, save up for a tripod that has some good height, is sturdy and can take a considerable payload, and also has an overhead arm.

To learn more about tripods, check out my Ultimate Tripod Guide for Food Photographers.

I hope this post was helpful and gave you some great options of food photography equipment to buy. If you’re curious, check out the food photography gear I have. There are also links throughout this post to learn more about the gear I recommend.

If this was helpful, let me know in the comments below.

Two Loves Studio was not paid to write this post, however, it may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from an affiliate link, we do get a commission on the sale which helps us run this site. Only affiliates for products/services we believe in appear on this site.

The post Simple & Affordable Must Have Food Photography Equipment for Beginners. appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

This post may contain affiliate links from products and services we love and trust.

Let’s discuss Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras. Mirrorless cameras are the way of the future. Camera companies are investing in this new technology, with the features available to photographers getting greater and greater. This doesn’t mean the DSLR camera is dead, (at least not yet anyway), but I do believe there will be a point where they will be obsolete.

The pros of mirrorless cameras, they have very few drawbacks, along with their performance, makes them a great candidate for food photographers. In this post, I am going to talk to you about why I recommend investing in a mirrorless vs DSLR camera (and what to do if you can’t afford one just yet).

What is a Mirrorless vs DSLR Camera

The name ‘mirrorless’ comes from the lack of mirrors in the camera. With a DSLR, light comes through your lens and reflects off a mirror and into your viewfinder. To capture the shot, pressing the shutter will cause the mirror to flip up and the light is captured by the sensor producing the final image.

With a mirrorless camera, the light comes through the lens and straight onto the sensor to be processed. The image is then displayed on the electronic viewfinder.

Removing the mirror has allowed for a number of benefits and innovations in the digital camera space.

Lens Quiz

Which Lens Matches Your Food Photography Style?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Mirrorless VS DSLR: Mirrorless Advantages & DSLR Limitations

Mirrorless cameras bring a comprehensive, modern feature set where DSLRs were falling behind. Like superlative AF tracking performance, 4k video an IBIS (in-body image stabilisation).

By taking away the mirror, mirrorless cameras give you several advantages (and few disadvantages). Here’s a quick look at the mirrorless advantages over DSLR limitations.

If you’re interested in diving into more about each of these, Photography Life has a great article.

Best Mirrorless Camera Features for Food Photography

Mirrorless VS DSLR camera. The main thing I love about my mirrorless cameras is the workflow they allow and their size. For me, the best features and ones I’ve grown to love so much I don’t want to live without are:

Thinking back to when I first started learning photography, an EFV and live exposure/Histogram would have made so much more sense in terms of changing settings. I think everyone should learn on a mirrorless camera vs DSLR.

Lens Quiz

Which Lens Matches Your Food Photography Style?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Why invest in a Mirrorless Camera?

Mirrorless is really the way of the future. I like to buy the newest and best camera available at the time because I know it will last me a long time. The camera I had (a DSLR) before I upgraded to mirrorless lasted for 8 years.

I needed a new camera as the technology had improved so much. I decided to get a mirrorless for the benefits outlined in this table above. Also because camera companies are investing a lot of resources into mirrorless and I think it’s the best system.

I’m a small business owner and I think it makes the most sense at this point to get into mirrorless. Even for new or beginning photographers. But what happens if you can’t afford it?

For Tight Budgets: Buy a Second Hand DSLR and Save for a Mirrorless

Not everyone has the money to buy a new mirrorless camera. As they are relatively new it might be hard to find a second hand one. In that case, my advice has always been this:

Save for a mirrorless and get a second-hand DSLR (full-frame if possible) in the meantime.

Main Drawbacks of Mirrorless

Some of the drawbacks you might read are currently due to new technology. Experts say that drawbacks at time of writing are addressable and camera companies will work to eliminate any potential issues.

These include:

• Current Electronic View Finder (EVF) lag
• Continuous Autofocus/ Subject Tracking compared to some DSLR models
• Battery life is much worse on mirrorless due to powering the EVF (my main complaint)
• Strong EVF contrast

For food photography, the biggest drawback I face is the battery life. Especially as I tether. I go through batteries more often. However, some cameras can also USB charge when the camera is off. Which is a bonus.

Use an Lens Adaptor to Use your DSLR Lenses

It’s a major consideration when thinking about investing in a mirrorless camera vs DSLR camera. You’ve likely spent years, or your whole career investing in lenses that fit your DSLR and can’t afford to replace all of them.

No problem! Camera companies know this is a major deterrent so they have a solution, which I use.

The post Mirrorless VS DSLR Camera: Which is better for Food Photographers? appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

Want to know how you can create blurry backgrounds in food photography? You’re in the right place.

Background blur is a common technique in portrait photography, but it can work magic on food photos as well. This is because blurring the background removes any distracting elements, allowing the eye to focus solely on the clean, crisp in-focus subject.

But, exactly, how can you create a blurry background? It’s done using a combination of equipment, settings, and subject distance relative to the background.

What You’ll Need to Create a Blurred Background in Food Photography

• Wide Aperture Lens: The lens’ aperture is one factor that contributes to the background blur. Various lenses, however, have different aperture settings. If you want to blur a background, choose a lens with an aperture of at least f/2.8. If you want to get an even blurrier background, then a prime lens with a wide aperture will create a shallower depth of field. Pick one that opens up to f/2, f/1.8, f/1.4 or (if you want to go super shallow) f/1.2.

• Camera With a Larger Sensor: The larger the camera sensor, the more easily the background blur can be achieved. That’s why, in portrait modes, smartphone manufacturers use software to create a faux backdrop blur. Because the sensors are so small, creating such background blur in-camera is tough. Rachel uses a full frame sensor.

• Telephoto Lens (Optional): A greater focal length lens does not produce more blur, but it does magnify any blur that is occurring, making the background appear blurrier than one shot with a wider lens.

How To Take A Picture With A Blurred Background:

When you blur your backgrounds, the focus is drawn to the vital elements – the hero of your food photo! Here are some steps to get started:

1. Choose whether you’ll use your camera’s Aperture Priority (A or AV) or manual (M) mode. While manual mode gives you complete control, aperture priority mode is an automatic mode where you tell the camera what aperture you want, and the camera chooses the shutter speed.
2. Pick a lens that will give you’re the perspective you’re looking for. Longer telephoto lenses will magnify any blur that’s being created. That’s because you’ll only capture a smaller region of the backdrop, making the blur seem larger and less focused.
3. Make the aperture as large as possible by choosing a low f-stop number. Remember, the lower the f-stop number, the larger the aperture.
   Your lens’ aperture will be wide open at the lowest attainable f-stop number, such as f/2.8, giving you the shallowest depth of field. If that’s too much blur, then close your aperture down by increasing your f-stop to a larger number like f/4.0 or f/5.6. The aperture shrinks as the f-number rises, increasing the depth of field (that means more is in focus).
4. For a stronger blur, get closer to the subject than the subject is to the background. This can be done by moving closer to your subject, moving your background further away or both.
   Depth of field decreases with a short focus distance and increases when the thing you are focusing on is far away. If your subject is close to your background, then there won’t be enough difference in distance to create that look of separation.
5. Take the picture!

Step it up

If you find it hard to see the full effect of the blur using the small screen on the back of your camera, you might just be ready to upgrade to tethering during your photoshoot. Tethering allows you to more easily review the settings and make any required changes.  

Want to know more? Learn more about depth of field and the plane of focus here.

In Conclusion

Gear, aperture, and subject placement are all used to create a blurred background. To get the most backdrop blur, photographers might combine all three. Remember, its not just about getting the most blur, its actually about getting the right amount of blur to fulfil your vision.

That means your job is to mix and combine what you’ve learned from this post to get the shot you want.  Once you have the shot, then it’s time to edit your images using Lightroom or Capture One.

To learn more about food photography, visit twolovesstudio.com

The post Getting Blurry Backgrounds in Food Photography; A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

What are transparent backgrounds?

Transparent backgrounds are parts of an image where the pixels are “clear” and let anything below/behind them show through. They are often used by graphic designers for things like logos and other website elements.

Food photographers can make use of images with transparent backgrounds as well to both help in composition when you’re tethering or during retouching.

Here’s why:

Why use transparent backgrounds in food photography?

There are a variety of reasons why you might wish to use Photoshop to create a translucent background for food photography:

• Placing your food photo onto a different background. You’ll need to keep an eye on lighting, colour and perspective.
• Sometimes ecommerce clients will require transparent backgrounds or pure white backgrounds after the fact. So cutting out the product from the backgrounds means you can place it on whatever background colour you want.
• Often product packaging makes use of transparent backgrounds to layer together the food photographs and other graphic and text elements.
• When you’re compositing two images together, you’ll use it to layer different elements together.
• When you need to multiply an element in your frame.
• If you want your food photo to interact with a background element on your website in a responsive way.
• Creating and using compositional guides, magazine layouts and mock-ups in both Lightroom and Capture One is a great way of getting the best composition for your clients.

Making transparent backgrounds in Photoshop:

When in photoshop, transparent elements are made visible with a small grey and white checkerboard pattern.

If you’re starting a new document from scratch, you can make the background any colour you want, or make it transparent. This is great for creating compositional guides or mock magazine layouts.

New blank layers added to a Photoshop document are going to be transparent by default. These layers are often used for cleaning and healing your image during the retouching process. But they can also be used to paste elements when compositing.

You can also cut out your subject from a background in an existing image you have in Photoshop. This is a process that graphic designers often refer to as “punching out the background.”

Sometimes, it can be quick and easy. Especially if you plan ahead.

However, depending on the subject you’re seeking to isolate, it can be time-consuming and difficult. It all boils down to how much detail between the foreground and background overlaps.

There are many tools in Photoshop to help food photographers make the best selection of the subject to punch out the background.

Sometimes you can use a single tool like the Object Selection, Quick Selection or Magic Wand tools. If you need more precision, the Pen tool can be great.

For more complex selection, you’ll likely use a combination of tools and techniques to get the best results.

That’s something we cover in our Retouching Course for Food Photographers.

Best file format export transparent backgrounds

In Photoshop, your layered PSD or TIFF will support transparency. But how do you export this?

When you export your image, not all file types support transparency. For example JPEGs, which are the most popular image type, do not support transparency. If you export an image with transparency as a JPEG, the transparent area will turn solid white.

GIFs allow transparency, but only of one colour. That means you can sometimes get weird effects along the edges of gradients if you use transparent GIFs. They also only support 256 (8-bit) colours which can impact the quality. The only time we use GIFs is when we want to make a lightweight web-animation.

To get the best quality for transparent images then PNGs are your best export option. This is because they have a high quality, up to 16.7 million (24-bit) colours and allow for variable levels of transparency. That means that you can include transparent gradients.

Transparent Backgrounds in Food Photography

Now you know some of the different ways you can use transparency in food photography. How do you plan to use it? Let us know in the comments below.

If you want to learn how to take better photos, read the Two Loves Studio Blog, or take one of our courses on food photography.

The post Why use Transparent Backgrounds in Food Photography? appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

Learning new software can be overwhelming and every brand does things a little differently. If you’re used to using Adobe products, you’ll probably find there are things you do that are second nature that don’t translate to other editing software like Capture One.

If you’re a new Capture One user, here are 18 tips that will help you navigate the program, speed up your workflow and get the most out of your edits.

#1 Use The Migration Workspace to Resemble Lightroom’s Workspace

You might have just started using Capture One but are used to navigating Lightroom’s interface. If this is the case, I’d suggest using the Migration Workspace while you adjust. This Workspace preset resembles Lightroom’s workspace and can help make the adjustment easier for those coming from Lightroom.

#2 Capture One Calls Styles Presets

Does your workflow contain a lot of preset use? The good news is that Capture One also has presets, although they call them ‘Styles’ (A Style is a pre-defined adjustment of multiple tools used to create a look). You can find them in the ‘Adjustment Tool Tab’.

If you’re looking for adjustment presets, Capture One has those too with the ability to save them directly into each tool.

#3 The HSL Panel & Color Grading Panel Are Located in Basic Color Editor Tool

Capture One has a number of colour adjustment tools. If you like to use Lightroom’s HSL Panel, then you can find an equivalent in Capture One in the Basic Color Editor in the Color Tool Tab.

The interface looks the same and the function and use of the tool are the same too.

In 2020, Lightroom scrapped the Split Toning Tool and introduced Color Grading. While Capture One is well known for this tool they, however, call it ‘Color Balance‘. You can also find it in the Color Tool Tab.

The ideas of colour grading are the same but the interface is slightly different in Capture One.

#4 Keyboard Shortcuts or Hotkeys is Simple in Capture One Pro

Capture One makes it very easy to customise your keyboard shortcuts. You can do it straight in the software itself with a simple and easy to use interface. No going through the backend and changing settings that seem impossible to understand.

You can also click ‘List Shortcuts’ or ‘Summarize’ (depending on your version) at the bottom of those screens to get a list of your customised shortcuts.

#5 Use Key ‘V’ to Exit Out of Any Cursor Tools.

Capture One has a range of Cursor Tools that you will use to make adjustments. It’s more in line with how Photoshop works, in that you’ll be changing your cursor to use certain tools like cropping, masks, spot removal, rotation, overlays, erasing and the eyedropper tool.

If you accidentally use a cursor tool you didn’t intend to, you can’t always press ‘Enter’ or ‘Esc’ to get out of the tool.

The simplest way to exit out of unwanted cursor tools is to press ‘V’ to get back to the main Selector Cursor Tool.

#6 Quickly Return to Original Crop

To quickly return back to the original crop, press the ‘C’ key to select the cropping cursor and however it outside the cropped area until you see a ‘plus’ sign. Click it to return to the original crop.

#7 Capture One Pro Feature Enable ‘Edit Selected’

Capture One gives you the flexibility to ‘edit selected’ images. Meaning that if you have two or more images selected at the same time, you can either choose to edit them separately or together (depending on what you’re trying to do). For example, you can export multiple selected images individually by making sure ‘edit selected’ is disabled.

#8 Copy/Paste or Sync Adjustments with the Copy/Paste Tool

You can easily copy and paste entire edits between photo(s) easily without having to navigate away from the main interface. Simply use the Copy/Paste Tool in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

It’ll automatically apply the adjustments you’ve selected in the Adjustment Clipboard Tool.

#9 Capture One Pro’s Workaround For No ‘History of Edits Tool’

Capture One doesn’t have a History of Edits Tool like Lightroom does. While there is no equivalent tool, Capture One’s workaround for this feature allows you to see which edits were made to a tool, all in one place.

To see what edits were made to a particular image:

• Head to the Adjustment Clipboard in the Adjustment Tool Tab > select the ‘additional adjustment menu’ (three dots icon) > Autoselect > Adjusted.
• Then click Select Adjusted.

#10 Capture One Export Function Known as Export Recipes

As a food photographer, I love that Capture One calls its export function, ‘Export Recipes’.

Depending on which version you use, they might be located in different places, however, it’s a powerful export tool with lots of customisation options to streamline your workflow.

#11 Easily Find Your Session Location By Right-Clicking on Session Name

If you’re unsure where your Sessions are saved, or if you’re new to Capture One and need to get your head around the file management system, you can easily find where your Session is located.

Simply right-click on the Session name and then select the folder for the Session. It’ll open up a Finder Window (Mac) and show you where the Session is located.

#12 Sessions Can be Imported to Catalogues in Capture One

The great thing about using Capture One Sessions is that they can integrate with Catalogues. You can import any finalised Session into the desired catalogue. I show how to manage this workflow in my Capture One Magic course.

Changes you make to a Session imported into a catalogue, will be reflected in the catalogue, but NOT vice versa.

Note: Changes made in a catalogue will not be reflected in a Session.

#13 You Can Open & Edit Multiple Session at Once

If you need to, you can open multiple sessions and even edit them at one time. I often do this when I need to match a recent shoot to an older shoot. This works well if you have a large photo monitor like mine.

Press ‘Option Key’ when hovering over the ‘Full Screen’ Icon in the top left-hand corner you can split the screen between the two Sessions.

#14 Camera Not Selected in Tethering: Unselect & Reselect

If you find you can’t connect your camera or another session when using the camera connecting, I find the simplest way to get it to connect to your current session is to unselect and reselect in the Camera Tool.

#15 Enabale Auto-Hide Mode for Tools, Viewer or Broswer

Sometimes it’s nice to just be with your image and have auto-hide mode on for the Tool menu, the Browser or Viewer. By selecting ‘View’ in the menu, you can enable auto-hide mode for each of these tool functions.

These also have keyboard shortcuts that you can customise as well if that’s your preference.

#16 Use ‘F’ for Full Screen Mode. Even Edit in Full Screen Mode

On occasion, I edit in Full-Screen Mode. If you drag any tool into the View then hit ‘F’, you can then use that tool in Full-Screen Mode without any distractions. I find this useful for editing colours with the Advanced Color Editor.

#17 Change the Colour of the View by Right-Clicking

To change the colour of the Viewer, from white through grey to black, simply right-click anywhere in the Viewer area and select the tone you want to use.

#18 Quickly Find Client Selected Image Using The Select By Function

Clients will usually give me a list of images from a contact sheet I provide them. To quickly find these images, you can use the ‘Select By’ function rather than scrolling through hundreds of individual images.

Go to Select > Select By > File Name List. Type the name of the files then click OK. This will bring up, on the screen the selects which you can then rate, flag or star.

Interested in learning more? Here are some other articles you can read on moving to Capture One.

Lightroom vs Capture One: Important Differences You Need to Know

My 2-year Experiment: From Lightroom to Capture One

Why I Started Using Capture One Pro: What You Need to Know

Got questions? Let me know in the comments below.

Two Loves Studio was not paid to write this post, however, it may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from an affiliate link, we do get a commission on the sale which helps us run this site. Only affiliates for products/services we believe in appear on this site.

The post 18 Top Tips New Capture One Pro Users Need to Know. appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

With so many photographers out there, what sets us apart is our style and personality. As a new photographer, it is often something you think about.

You most likely have taken up food photography as you’ve been inspired by images you’ve come across in your day to day life. Now, you’re asking yourself, what’s my food photography style?

Some people have a clear idea of what they want their style to be from other creative fields they’ve pursued in life. For others, this feels completely new!

Just remember that we all start from the same place and finding our style is something every photography needs to go through. In this post, I want to share 5 steps to take to discover your food photography style.

Discover Your Food Photography Style

At the point where you decide that you want to be a photographer, whether professional or as a hobby, something shifts within you and you’re eager to start creating imagery, stories, works of art.

Yet at the beginning, something is missing. You stare at the images and they don’t quite feel right.

Not to say that you aren’t proud of the work you’re producing or how you are progressing, but the images don’t quite feel like yours yet.

Finding your style in photography is like any worthwhile relationship. It takes time to build.

If I look back on my food photography journey I would say it took me a few years to work out what my style is. Some of that was because social media wasn’t huge for food photography when I started and there were nearly zero resources on it, (which is one of the reasons why I started this blog).

After shooting for 10 years, my food photography style has even evolved over that period of time. It’s like fashion, it’s never finished. I find that exciting because it means there are always new ideas for me to discover. Just like life, it is about the journey and not the destination.

One of the key things to remember is that you want to have fun discovering your style during that time.

Let’s take a look at the five steps to discover your food photography style.

STEP 1: Get Comfortable with Photography Technique

Food photographers have a tough gig. Creating an entire still life scene from nothing is hard! Not only that, but we have to cook and style the food too. Wearing four hats, photographer, stylist, chef and food stylist!

So that you can focus on finding your food photography style, I recommend getting comfortable with photography techniques so it becomes second nature.

Learn how to shoot on manual mode, understand the best aperture to use for food and what camera settings will get you to your creative vision. Until you have figured this out, your style won’t be able to fully develop.

Then you can focus your energy on playing with different compositions and styles.

If you need to brush up on your photography technique you can take my Photography Fundamentals Blog Series for free.

If shots you like, involve capturing movement then you will need to understand your camera settings and technique in order to capture them.

STEP 2: Find What Truly Inspires Your Food Photography Style

Inspiration is all around us, all the time. Yet, it can take a keen and well-trained eye to decipher what you actually find inspiring about an image. When you find that image that really moves you, gets that fire burning inside of you, that’s when you know you are on the right path to unleashing your food photography style.

What most new photographers don’t yet understand is it’s usually not the entire photo that inspires them, but elements within that photo.

If you find an image that you love, that doesn’t give you permission to copy that image and pass it off as your own. Your challenge instead is to break down that image and find what about the image is inspiring. This is where Step 3 comes in, but we will get there in a moment.

I suggest that you start a mood or inspiration board. You can use Pinterest or Instagram for this, but I like to use Bublup. One of the reasons that I like Bublup is that I can save anything from around the web or on my computer to a mood board folder. 

Check out the blog post I did on How to Create a Professional Moodboard.

If you start to look at images every day, your subconscious will start to absorb all sorts of things that your creative brain will come to use later.

STEP 3: Reading Images That Inspire You

Now that you have a bunch of images saved to a mood board that inspire you, we are ready to pinpoint ‘what’ it is about the image that intrigues you so much. These will be the elements that you’ll want to pursue on your journey to finding your food photography style, now that technique is becoming your second nature.

What exactly do I mean by ‘reading images’? Reading the image is a way to determine how the photographer captured and styled the shot. Ask yourself:

• What angle is this shot at? (Straight on, 45 degrees, overhead)
• What depth of field has been used?
• Where is the light coming from? (side light, backlight)
• Are there shadows and are they harsh or diffused?
• Is the image bright or dark?
• What props has the photographer used?
• Is the image highly stylised, or minimalist?
• What interesting details are present in the food?
• What textures are present in the props and background?

Look at all the images that really speak to you and work out if there is a trend in these elements you are seeing.

STEP 4: Do it Better – Make it Your Food Photography Style

In The Passionate Photographer by Steve Simon, Steve made an interesting point that there are very limited new ideas out there in photography that haven’t already been explored, (maybe that saddens you?), but the greatest thing is that there is only one you and no one can do it as you can.

Once you have read a bunch of images that you connect with, pick some of the elements to play around with – do it better. The point is not to necessarily be groundbreaking, but to create something better by letting the process be true to you. Make it yours, in other words.

Stick with exploring the elements that interest you, not all of the image features, and over time you’ll start to see a pattern with how you execute those elements. This will be your food photography style, finally.

Trust is also a huge element. Trust that with time and practice you will find your style. How long it will take is unique and personal to each photographer.

Bea Lubas is a huge inspiration for me. I am always taking elements from her photos and making them my own. Here are some examples.

I was so inspired by the colours in this image, that I embarked on creating a photo that included pink, yellow and blue for a completely different subject. Also, I like the moody lighting, so kept that idea with the image I created. Being inspired doesn’t mean that you should re-create the entire image as is.

Please note: There is a fine line between copying another photographers work and using the elements of an image as a base to explore. I think all honest and passionate photographers know the difference. If you copy an image for educational purposes, don’t pass it off as your own. Maybe you won’t be publicly sharing this image. Use it as an educational exercise only.

STEP 5: Act, Practice and Enjoy

It does take time to find your style, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy this time!

If you’re like me and a lot of other humans, we just want to read something, take something or have a magic wand and boom. We are better or proficient at something.

Finding your style doesn’t happen that way. The good news is that photography is a journey and there will be many hours with your camera and editing that you will simply just enjoy. The bad news is that your first 10,000-15,000 images will be your worst. So you’ll want to get cracking on chipping away at that number.

Practising photography should be enjoyable and the best way to do this is to find or create a project you are not only passionate about but one that is going to challenge you.

I think the turning point for me in terms of finding what style I really wanted to shoot was when I shot an entire cookbook with 55+ recipes every weekend for a month.

With almost no budget and little time, I created some great images, but deep down I knew they weren’t exactly what made my heart sing. It was through this challenging project I worked out what it was I really wanted to create.

Since then I’ve sought creative projects to explore ideas, learn and evolve my food photography style.

I set out to discover texture by undertaking a black and white food photography project.

5 Actions to Discover Your Food Photography Style

1 – Read a Food Photography Book Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardan

There are a number of great books you can read on food photography (in addition to this blog!). My top three recommendations are:

• How to Photograph Food by Bea Lubas
• Picture Perfect Food by Joanie Simon
• Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin.

2 – Create a Free Mood Board on Bublup

Save anything from around the web into one place so you can find images that you love. Make sure to add images you aspire to create. Click this post to learn more about Mood Boards.

3 – Find elements in images that interest you

Once you have your Mood Board set up, pick a couple of similar images and find out what those elements are. Write them down in order of difficulty (if you can) and interest.

4 – Put those elements into practice

Put regular time aside to practice those elements that you wrote down. This might include doing a bit of research online and practising. Get your hands on some delicious baked goods, cakes, cupcakes, sourdough loaves, they make for simple and beautiful subjects so you can focus on exploring the elements.

5 – Create a project to practice those elements

Once you have put some time aside to explore those elements, create yourself a project for you to practice and build upon. This might look like working on an image for your Instagram daily, a 365 day project on your blog or an A-Z project undertaken each week.

Remember to have fun and frustration is a sign that you are challenging yourself. So make sure not to be too hard on yourself.

The post 5 Steps to Discover Your Unique Food Photography Style. appeared first on Two Loves Studio.

Blacklight, often known as ultraviolet light, is invisible to the human eye. Light from the sun and light from a light bulb are included in the visible light spectrum. On the other hand, UV light is not included in this range. An unremarkable landscape or photograph can be converted into a vibrant visual full of neon colors using black lights. If you love to take food photographs, your studio may be transformed into a rave or a spacecraft with just a few black light accessories. Here are six tips on how to use blacklights for food photography.

Choose Your Lights Carefully: Standard desk or ceiling lamps can employ UV bulbs with bayonet or screw connectors, although larger strip lights or LED lamps perform better. Two 20W bulbs are required for a better effect. There are blacklight bulbs that fit into standard light fixtures. Replace the white light bulb in your nightstand lamp with a UV light bulb. Two black light bulbs can give your photos a surprising new look. And you can accomplish a lot with just a few pieces of equipment.

Make A Photography Studio In The Dark: If there is another light source present, your black lights will not fulfill their task. The white light will blind them. If you want to get the most out of your UV lights, you’ll need to operate in a dark environment. You may have access to light-blocking screens and blinds if you work in a photography studio.

Select A Shutter Speed That Is Slow: When photographing food images in the sun, the natural light will overpower the black light. It means you’ll have to shoot your food photography under black light in a studio. It’s necessary to have manual shutter speed options. Due to the low light levels from UV illumination, you’ll require a slow shutter speed. The exposure time could be from a fraction of a second to several minutes. You may have to use the manual shutter option on your camera. It’s best to use a DSLR or mirrorless camera. A tripod is also required. You incur the risk of camera shake and motion blur when using a slow shutter speed.

Set The Sharpness: Because the lights are low, you’ll need to increase the ISO to at least 800 and open the aperture to f/4 or broader in a blacked-out room. Exposures are typically half a second to a second long. Obtain a large number of frames to obtain some that are sharp. To double-check your work, zoom in on the LCD.

Experiment With Different Equipment: To ensure that your food photographs are well lit, set reflector lights near the food. A white or silver reflector can be used to bounce some light back. You may get a variety of equipment at home or in the studio to help you take better photographs. So begin your search.

Experiment With Different Materials: Because it’s impossible to predict which material will react best to UV rays, it’s worth trying out a few different items. Some artificial fabrics light up in blacklight (some do not), which can help if placed near food items. As an outcome, you must continue to experiment.

Blacklight food photography is a lot of fun and requires a lot of experimentation. You can generate distinctive images full of color with some essential digital camera equipment and a few accessories. Follow the food photography suggestions above to capture a moment in time that you’ll remember for years to come. For more information, contact us.

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