Culinary Travel Food Photography Tips and Tricks

Ten Steps to Better Photography of Food and Drink on Film or File

© Maddalena Delli

Jan 14, 2009

Food photography on the road poses special challenges, and you will need to learn some tricks of the trade in order to make up for the intrinsic environmental shortcomings you will be facing.

Top Ten Culinary Travel Photography Tips & Tricks

1. Whatever you do, don't use your camera's built-in flash. Flash light is harsh and flattens the subject, killing depth, shape, details and texture, as well as creating unappealing shadows. Additionally, the tableware is guaranteed to throw back the flash light, causing unwanted glares. Besides, it's rude to other customers.
2. Take advantage of daylight. Whenever possible, dine out at lunchtime instead of dinner time. Sit outdoors or near a window, but avoid direct sunlight which will cause harsh shadows.
3. In dim light conditions, a tripod is any photographer's best friend. Using a tripod allows the photographer to make subtle changes between frames while keeping the shots steady. Always carry at least a mini table-top tripod in your camera bag, and if you don't have one, try reducing camera shake by bracing your elbows on the table as firmly as possible.
4. Think outside of the box: street food, food markets, etc. are just as intriguing settings for food photography as restaurants.
5. Under normal circumstances, shallow focus works best for food photography. Yet, the setting is sometimes vital to capture the flavor, so try taking a few shots that show the food in context.
6. Shoot at such an angle that lets all three dimensions of your food appear. Shooting at the same level as the plate, or directly from the top, will take one dimension from your photo, to the detriment of the overall effect.
7. Don't forget the basics of travel photography etiquette for foodies, including rules applying specifically to the country you are visiting, and its culture. In any case, never assume the staff, and least of all your fellow diners are ok with your taking pictures. Be discreet and considerate. Ask first. In fact, asking might even secure you a table better placed for your purposes!
8. Snap, snap, snap. Quantity greatly increases your chances to attain quality. By definition, you won't have a second chance, so make the most of the one you have.
9. With a bit of luck, the average point-and-shoot or camera phone will possibly provide publishable photos for private memories or amateur blogging purposes. In fact, some Olympus point-and-shot camera models now even come with a specific macro setting called "cuisine" which apparently boosts saturation, sharpness, and contrast especially for close-ups of food. But any traveling foodie with serious intentions as a food photographer should invest in a good DSLR, or at least have a high-end compact digital camera.
10. If you are shooting digital and your camera allows, shoot as RAW file format. This will provide better chances for you to be able to improve your shots when post-processing in Photoshop, Lightroom or any other photo editing software.

Shoot Outdoors for Best Results

Markets and Street Food Vendors Are Great Subjects

Provide a Sense of Place: Capture Food in Context

Ask for a Table Suitable for Unobtrusive Snapping

For Better Photo Editing (Bottom), Shoot RAW (Top)

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