Photos

It’s pretty easy to take bad photos of downright good food. I’ve done it more than a few times while photographing dishes for Midwest Neurotica and my previous DC food blog. I knew that it was possible for people with more knife than camera skills (i.e. an amateur like me), to improve her food photography, but I didn’t know where to start. Staging and in-person appeal I get – vary color and textures, add height, use neutral dishes – but aperture means what?

I knew my camera had the power to get the job done, so I was lacking proper accessories and knowledge of any settings on my camera other than “On” and “Auto.” For those of you that are interested, I have a Fujifilm S5000. It’s a few years old now (only 3.1 MP), but with a 10X optical zoom, full manual settings and a lens adapter, I knew that it should be solid workhorse. As it turns out, I am pretty impressed with it’s capabilities.

I started by googling around for tips and tricks, but didn’t come up with a lot. I needed 101-level and I needed to rely on my camera. I wasn’t going to buy (and learn) a digital SLR. I am still learning, but I think I’ve learned some key ideas for making my recipes look as good as they taste.

First, I want to illustrate the difference with a dish from last week. My Spicy Sausage & Lentil Stew isn’t that visually appealing to start with. There is not a lot of excitement going on with two brown things over some white stuff. But, in my opinion, the “after” version looks three times as tasty as the “before”, despite it being leftovers. You can see the individual grains of rice, the lentils and the sausage. Yum!

Before

After

Tip #1. Do not use the flash
This was the first thing I learned and it immediately helped. Unfortunately, I cook mostly at night and must rely on my kitchen lights. I found that my stove light adds a nice glow, complementing the overhead lighting. If possible, use natural light for the best results. If you absolutely must use the flash, put a piece of semi-transparent tape over it to reduce the glare.

Tip #2. Use a macro lens
This is what really made the difference. I am using a 10X macro lens in combination with the macro setting in my camera. I still have it in auto mode, and I am pretty satisfied with the results. I can get super-close and maintain focus. I’ve been running around taking pictures of q-tips, my mouse, my cat and my feet. I finally had the chance to shoot some food when I re-heated the above-shown leftovers. What excitement!

As I learn more, I will be able to tinker with the settings to make you want to cook my recipes even more! But, these two tips have taken me from pure novice to solid amateur. Stay tuned for more better-photo-goodness, including non-food photos on Wednesdays this month!

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