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Tips to Take Better Thanksgiving Food Photography
Mon, Nov 25, 24
Food Photography Tips for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is ripe with creative possibilities for photographers. With the big feast just a few days away, we wanted to share some tips for taking drool-worthy photos of all the food for your family album or social media posts.
Lighting
Thanksgiving photos are often tricky because November is too cold to eat a nice dinner out on the patio in most areas. Try to avoid using your camera’s built-in flash since this direct light flattens the subject and reduces texture and depth. It’s better to use the available light from lamps and lighting fixtures in the room. Better yet, find a window and claim the seat closest to it. Move the plate over to the natural light before taking that food shot. Indoor lighting means using wide apertures and higher ISOs on your digital camera from Beachcamera.com, but you can also improve your shots by using natural light from a window.
It’s All in the Details
What are your favorite memories of Thanksgiving? Often, the smaller details make up some of that list. Get a close-up of the steam coming off that turkey. Fill the frame with a pair of hands slicing the turkey. Zoom in on the centerpiece. Take a macro shot of the whipped cream curling on top of that scrumptious pumpkin pie. You can’t photograph the smell of Thanksgiving, but you can get pretty close to capturing the emotions felt by getting up close.
Composition
Try to have a main point of interest in your image. Avoid using too many objects that crowd the space and distract attention from the main subject. Keep it simple since less is more when it comes to food photography. Compose your photograph to draw the viewer’s eye to it. Lower and raise the camera from Beachcamera.com to obtain unique perspectives. Get closer and crop into the subject to create a unique view and a dramatic effect.
Styling the Food
Strive to obtain contrasting colors, shapes and height of the food items. Be prepared to shoot as soon as the food is ready so that it looks fresh, moist, and hot. Lightly brush the food with vegetable oil to add shine and highlights. Manipulate small food elements with tweezers. Clean up crumbs and food particles on the plates or elsewhere with Q-tips and paper towels.
After the Shots
Use photo editing software to touch up and enhance your favorite photos. Adjust your image to ensure there is detail in your highlights and shadows. Remove small unwanted marks or distracting elements with the clone or stamp tool. Reduce the image size to 6″x8″ at 72 dpi and save as a jpeg for emailing or for posting to social media sites. Don’t forget to sharpen the image when you decrease the size.
Make the most of Thanksgiving this year. Grab your camera, and start creating your holiday memories!
Thanksgiving photos are often tricky because November is too cold to eat a nice dinner out on the patio in most areas. Try to avoid using your camera’s built-in flash since this direct light flattens the subject and reduces texture and depth. It’s better to use the available light from lamps and lighting fixtures in the room. Better yet, find a window and claim the seat closest to it. Move the plate over to the natural light before taking that food shot. Indoor lighting means using wide apertures and higher ISOs on your digital camera from Beachcamera.com, but you can also improve your shots by using natural light from a window.
It’s All in the Details
What are your favorite memories of Thanksgiving? Often, the smaller details make up some of that list. Get a close-up of the steam coming off that turkey. Fill the frame with a pair of hands slicing the turkey. Zoom in on the centerpiece. Take a macro shot of the whipped cream curling on top of that scrumptious pumpkin pie. You can’t photograph the smell of Thanksgiving, but you can get pretty close to capturing the emotions felt by getting up close.
Try to have a main point of interest in your image. Avoid using too many objects that crowd the space and distract attention from the main subject. Keep it simple since less is more when it comes to food photography. Compose your photograph to draw the viewer’s eye to it. Lower and raise the camera from Beachcamera.com to obtain unique perspectives. Get closer and crop into the subject to create a unique view and a dramatic effect.
Styling the Food
Strive to obtain contrasting colors, shapes and height of the food items. Be prepared to shoot as soon as the food is ready so that it looks fresh, moist, and hot. Lightly brush the food with vegetable oil to add shine and highlights. Manipulate small food elements with tweezers. Clean up crumbs and food particles on the plates or elsewhere with Q-tips and paper towels.
After the Shots
Use photo editing software to touch up and enhance your favorite photos. Adjust your image to ensure there is detail in your highlights and shadows. Remove small unwanted marks or distracting elements with the clone or stamp tool. Reduce the image size to 6″x8″ at 72 dpi and save as a jpeg for emailing or for posting to social media sites. Don’t forget to sharpen the image when you decrease the size.
Make the most of Thanksgiving this year. Grab your camera, and start creating your holiday memories!
