Photographing and styling food is one of my favorite things to do, but I have learned over the years that not all foods are as easy to work with as other foods and I am here to share some of that knowledge with you today. The most common “tricky culprits” that require a little extra love are seafood, meat and soups! Generally not the most appealing foods to the general public if not styled in a thoughtful, enticing way with careful attention to how you’re lighting the subject. Don’t worry, though. There are are simple things that you can do to make these foods shine!
Tip #1: Light Tricky Foods From The Side or the Back
Soups, meats and seafood are commonly shiny and reflective and those specular highlights that appear thanks to your beautiful light bouncing off the subject can always be manipulated to work in your favor rather than against you. By lighting these foods from the side or the back, you allow the shiny spots to accent the food in an appetizing way rather than creating blow out highlights or unappealing shine. Another bonus of lighting this way is that you allow the light to create shadows in the natural texture of the food and provide a realistic, natural image.
Tip #2: Use Bounce Cards + Diffusers!
An easy way to minimize those specular highlights is to utilize diffusers and bounce cards. Whether you’re using natural light or flash, you can create a more diffused look by placing your subject further from the light source and placing your diffuser between the light source and the food. If you’re using flash, try bouncing your flash a white bounce card or surface to help spread the light out rather than placing direct light onto your subject. You’ll see below that the specular highlights are VERY soft in these images!
Tip #3: Leave Room at the Top of Your Serving Plates + Bowls
If you leave a little bit of extra room at the top of your serving vessel, so that the light from the back or the side can’t quite hit the subject if placed at the right angle, you can reduce those shiny spots. You’ll see below that these soup dishes has nearly zero shine on the top of the dishes themselves! If desired, simply strategically add ingredients to the top of the dish that you’d like to feature and those placed elements will capture the light and become the hero.
Tip #4: Utilize Fresh Ingredients for Color and Interest!
Sometimes these kinds of foods can appear a little dull. Simply adding in colorful elements like salads, fresh herbs, spices and even colorful dishes can help bring your subject to life!