FOODIE FRIDAY: PICTURE PERFECT FOOD

I fell in love with food and fashion as a kid. My mom Rita is a self taught designer who worked as a first production patternmaker on fashion's 7th Avenue.  Always stylish Rita remains fashionable even at the age of 83.  My mom is also an amazing cook. Meals were made from fresh ingredients and being from the caribbean  dishes were filled with lots of heat and spice.  When I met photographer Winnie Jeng at New York Fashion Week 2012 I found that we both shared a passion for food and fashion.


For today's Foodie Friday, photographer Winnie Jeng shares a few tips on the best way to get a picture perfect photo of your favorite dish.

By Winnie Jeng

With incredible role that the internet plays, imagery has only become an even more integral part of the food world. When food photography used to only be in books and on walls (admittedly before my time!), it played a much more limited role. Cookbooks used to show carefully faked food photos, perfect and meticulously styled. Think about those 50’s cookbooks! Now, the trend is much more towards a more realistic feel.

When I first began food photography, this was already all changing. With the internet, the first time we “taste” a dish at a restaurant is by looking at pictures of the food. It’s our first impression and very often the deciding factor in whether we want to eat somewhere. Reviewers often spend a long time taking a photo of every dish they eat, and bloggers love to upload pictures of food they create and eat. Our world has become saturated with food imagery.

And for that reason, food photography has become more important than ever. While professionals use a lot of equipment, often in conjunction with a food stylist, there are a number of easy things that you can do to make your own food photography better, whether you use a cellphone or a dSLR. Hope you find these tips helpful; I’ve split them up by different phases of photo work.
 Setting up the shot:

         1. Keep your stuff clean.

This is one of the number one reasons that ruin an otherwise perfect food photo. You have to work clean, because even a tiny smudge on a fork makes a difference in the photo. Because viewers are looking at a still image, they’ll catch every little thing in there. It doesn’t take much time to take a cheesecloth and a spritz of vodka to clean up a smear. Alcohol based cleaners are better to use since it won’t leave streaks.


2. Find a large light source.

Light is one of the most important parts of food photography. If you don’t have fancy strobes, don’t worry. A large window will work just as well. The “clean” feeling you get from a lot of food photos is from a relatively large light source softening shadows. If you want a bluer light, use the window in the morning. A warmer/yellower light, try late afternoon or evening for an extremely golden light. Never use the pop-up flash.


3. Smooth over your process.

Make sure that there’s a clear path for the food to get in front of the camera, with a minimum amount of fuss. With many foods, you have a very limited time in which it looks fresh. Greens will wilt and cold things will melt, so you want to make sure that it doesn’t take long to set up.


4. If the shadows look too black, add a reflector.

If one side of the picture is looking too dark, one way you can easily make the whole thing light up more is by using a reflector. You can use any white or reflective surface as a reflector: a white foamboard, a white shirt, a mirror or silvered surface. This is also a good way to get light over to a different area if you can’t set up right next to a window. Remember, light travels in straight lines.


5. If it’s still too dark, use a tripod.

The basic rule of exposure is that there are three factors involved. Generally speaking, if you don’t have a dSLR, you can’t control them. Still, there are ways you can work around this, and one of these ways is by keeping very still. If you don’t have enough light, put your camera on a tripod or lean your wrist against something to keep it very still. This works for dark restaurants too.

        Taking the shot:

          1. Set your camera to macro mode, or use a macro lens.

Food photography embraces close-ups of food. Even if you’re getting the whole dish, chances are it will be very close to your lens. Using a macro-mode on your camera (or a macro lens) will help you make this look way better. Not getting enough blur? Move closer to the window or use more light.


2. Study what other people do.

Take a look at your favorite food blogs and food photography. See what they do! This is great especially if you’re having trouble with deciding how to make a particular dish look good. Chances are, someone else has done it too, so why not check out how they’ve done it? Then, you can try variations to decide what works best for you.


3. Shoot from sitting eye height.

Generally speaking, most food photos are taken from slightly above level, from where you would sit. This is the way most people see food, and are going to respond well to it. It’s a good, safe angle. Still, don’t be afraid to try something new either, no one has to see it if it doesn’t turn out.


4. Try a variety of compositions.

Don’t be afraid to get in close or zoom way out. Sometimes food can look radically different depending on how close you are. Try different distances to see what looks best to you. Often times, if the food is textural, it will look more interesting up close. Fill the frame, whether that’s with the food itself, or the plate, or the entire surrounding environment.


5. Try different photographing in different phases.

You don’t have to just show the food perfect out of the kitchen. You can also show it in various stages, whether that’s preparation, or with a bite out of it. This gives the food context and shows viewers that yes, this is real food.

I hope that these tips were helpful! Remember, the best way to improve your photography is just to go out and do it.

Winnie Jeng is an NYC photographer with a specialization in food and fashion. She was first introduced to photography early in college, where she fell in love with both film and digital work. Now, she works hard with clients to produce commercial work, and likes to do her own photographic artwork in her spare time. Check out Winnie at www.winniejeng.com and follow her on Twitter @winniejeng

TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards committee.
If you are a food blogger interested in television placement or connecting with brands follow Debbie Mitchell @TVProducerDeb or email Ready4Airtv@gmail.com .


And if you want to get ready4air check out last week's Foodie Friday COOKING FOR THE CAMERA.