Food Photography
Is very similar to photographing people in a sense that each person has her best side.
Considering the variety of food out there, diverse cooking and presentation styles, the final
results are endless. This array of unique subjects creates an opportunity for infinite camera
angle choices.
What is the best angle? Here are my Top 10 Angles for
Food Photography:
Angle 1: Head-on Zen:
The camera is completely centered to the subject. This created a very clean contemporary look
and feel. Tip: Keep the props to the minimum.
Angle 2. From Above:
Camera is positioned directly above the subject and perfectly centered. This angle produces a
very contemporary, graphic look.
Angle 3. Lost in Space:
For this shot, food was placed directly onto the white plexiglass surface, a soft box was
positioned below the plexi. This created a seamless and shadow-less environment. When you
do not have a point of reference (no horizon line, no plate, no sense of environment) you can
shoot from most unusual angles and get away with it.
Angle 4. Tilt Towards:
Camera is tilted right, so the subject tilts counterclockwise and the dish is welcoming you in,
motivating the spectator to indulge in image.
Angle 5. Tilt Away:
Camera is tilted left, so the subject tilts clockwise, pulling away from you, engaging the viewer
the desire to follow.
Angle 6. Close up and personal
Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject. It won’t bite. Or will it? When you are shooting close
ups, the point of reference loses its importance, so any camera angle will produce an appetizing
image or not?
Angle 7. Above with Perspective:
The camera is positioned above the front of the subjectd, then the camera is tilted up until the
subject fills the frame. The photograph will maintain a graphic dynamic composition that will
engaging the eye to scan the image from the foreground to the background.
Angle 8. Diagonal:
Turn you camera so the subject starts in one corner and ends in the opposite corner, breaking
the space diagonally.
Angle 9. With respect to the Line:
When looking through the viewfinder align the edge of the frame to any line you see in your
subject. In this case I chose to align three parallel lines (left and right edges of the slice). So I
turned the camera until these 3 lines ware parallel to the vertical edge of the frame. This created
a very monumental and unusual composition, granting unprecedented importance to this slice of
a regular cheese cake.
Angle 10. Gentle tilt:
The camera was tilted just slightly to the left. Why? Because the human brain likes to scan
things by section. If the camera had been leveled, then the middle wedge would create a
horizontal line that would divide the composition in two sections and forcing the eye to travel
away from the center. But in this case, I wanted the eye to flow freely though the whole image
while stopping only at the focal point. So “gentle tilt” solved the problem.
Conclusion:
Try to forget about the rule of thirds and everything you just learned, just move around your
subject and really try to see it and when you see it, draw the camera to your eye and start
framing. Keep your mind clear, no thinking. When you start getting a warm fuzzy feeling entering
through your stomach and spreading to your chest, just push the button.
Turn in as : YourNameProjectName --- Food (as a .jpg)
Top Ten Angles taken from the following website.
http://digital-photography-school.com/angles-for-food-photography/