Food Photography 101: Take Better Food Photos!

I know that most beginning photographers are so excited to capture photos that they set their camera on all auto settings and start clicking. And then they are disappointed with the results.

Knowing how to use your camera's settings is super-important, especially with food photography!

So I have structured this course to start with instruction on the technical aspects of food photography, and I encourage you to start here before diving into the creative sections.

So this technical considerations section will help you learn the fundamental technical decisions you need to take before you begin to photograph your subject.

Learn about your camera's exposure meter and how you can use it to take better food photos.

Note: in the video I show you how to use the focus spot/exposure meter using live view on the LCD on my Fuji mirrorless camera. Your camera may be different, and you may not use the live view feature. But you should be able to see the focus spot in your viewfinder when you press the shutter half-way. That's what is important. Learn how to change the location of your focus spot on your particular camera, just like I move it around on my Fuji. If you have questions, go ahead and use the Udemy Q&A feature so I can respond to you and all students.

Tip: Watch this video now, and then come back and watch it again after you've finished Lecture 10. It may be confusing the first time but it should make more sense after you move through the other lessons.

This lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

Get an introduction to what perfect exposure means, before you move on to the next videos.

This lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

Learn how shutter speed decisions can help you get perfect exposure, and help you create better food photos.

This lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

(Additional photo credits: Pixabay, Hassan OUAJBIR, JESHOOTS.COM, palu)

Learn what ISO means, and how ISO decisions can help you get perfect exposure, and help you create better food photos.

This lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

Learn what aperture means, and how aperture decisions can help you get perfect exposure, and help you create better food photos.

Tip: After you've finished this lecture, go back and view Lecture 5 again. You may understand how the exposure meter works now that you understand the how shutter speed, ISO and aperture work together to create perfect exposure.

This lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

(Aperture Image Source: http://jimmccarthy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DepthofField_Aperture.pdf)

Learn what white balance means, then add in some tips and tricks to get perfect white balance so your food photos are better.

Photography means painting with light, so lighting is one of the most important aspects to think about when you want to create great food photos.

This lesson bridges the gap between technical and creative decision making, giving you tips and tricks on how to strategically use natural lighting and other simple tools to create a well-lit scene for your food photos.

In this lesson, I deconstruct several food photos to teach you about:

• tripods vs. aperture settings

• diffused lighting

• side lighting

• backlighting

• highlights & shadows

• dark locations

This lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

And, I've also included a couple of set-up samples showing:

• north window lighting with foam core to bounce light back on the subject

• south window lighting with foam core plus diffusion (shower curtain) taped to the window

I know you're excited to be done with the technical information, it's time to get creative! That's what you really want to know, right?

Well congratulations for getting through the technical considerations. I know it can be boring and daunting, but when you have the knowledge and get good at making all the right technical decisions before you click your shutter, I know you will take better photos.

In this lesson, I deconstruct several food photos to show you different compositional rules and techniques, and how you can use them, or break them, to create great food photos. We will cover:

• backgrounds

• rule of thirds

• horizon line

• negative space

• odd numbers

• animation

• framing

• angle of view

• leading lines

• diagonals

And this lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

Learn how the creative use of props and styling can dramatically affect the overall outcome of your photographs.

In this lesson, I deconstruct several food photos to give you an idea of how props and styling choices can help you create better food photos. You will learn about:

• simplicity

• color

• texture

• other food

• dishes, utensils, linens

• other props

And this lesson includes a downloadable graphic that you can save to your mobile phone to have handy during your food photo shoots.

(Additional photo credits: Dmitry Zvolskiy, Hiago Italo, Aditya Moses, Duong Nhan)

One of the most fun aspects of doing food photography is buying props! In this bonus lesson I unwrap some props bought at a vintage market, and explain why each piece caught my eye and how I might use them in styling a food photo.

Thank-you for taking my Food Photography 101 course. I hope you have learned a lot of information that will help you take great food photos.

As a little gift for sticking through to the end, I've added a final download with a list of my top tips for food photography. Keep this handy as you move forward in your journey.

One of the first students who completed Food Photography 101 made a very good suggestion.

He said, “What I think would be helpful for me, and possibly other users, is to add a [lesson] where you construct all the pieces of the photo starting with the story, background, lighting, what aperture, shutter speed and ISO to select and why, then onto props and styling.”

Well, I thought that was a very good idea!

In this bonus lecture, I walk through a food photo shoot from start to finish. In a series of downloadable resources you will learn about:

• setting the vision for the story you want to tell

• what pre-production tasks have to be done ahead of time

• why test shots on location help you choose the right camera gear and settings for the lighting situation you are in

• what kinds of shots to make sure you take

• what post-production tasks to do when you're done shooting

Here is another bonus lesson where I walk through a food photo shoot from start to finish, from pre-production to clicking the shutter.

And this time it's another annual event where food is central to the celebrations -- Christmas!