Singapore Restaurant Week 2016 begins today on the 22nd October, for a period of 9 days till 30th October. We Singaporeans are food lovers, from swearing by our favourite local hawker food to the various international cuisines from around the world that are here in Singapore today. Not only do we love to eat the food, we are also food photography fans and enthusiasts. We love to look at food photos on social media and we also take many photos of our food!
As you begin your Singapore Restaurant Week 2016, I would like to share some food photography tips shared by Canon Imaging Academy of Canon Singapore! They are very useful food photography tips even for me a seasoned photographer like myself! I myself love to take food photographs too even though I do not take that many of them! I have covered photography projects and collaborations with my friends food business too!
Food lovers, would you like to take food photographs that look so great and delicious? Now, for you food lovers out there, let me present to you Food Photography Tips by Canon Singapore, now let me bring you through this special and personalised Menu course for your food photography adventure that you can practice during Singapore Restaurant Week 2016 (and beyond, in your home cooking too!).
Alright food lovers … Let’s go right in !! I would be sharing some of my food photographs (Oh yes, I have a small humble food photography collection in my Flickr!) that I took with my Canon DSLR along with the tips here below !!
Fresh Fare
Camera
While you certainly can take good shots on a simple point-and-shoot camera, cameras with manual settings will give you more control over your shot.
Lens
Macro lenses are great for capturing detail in food photography. Pick something that can give you a focal length of at least 50mm, like the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens for example.
Flash
Using direct flash is not recommended for food photography, as the lighting produced can be too harsh and throw off the natural balance of colours.
Hor’Doeuvres
A Bite-Sized Plan
Before you start, take note of what you’re working with. What’s the lighting like? How is the food plated? What kind of backgrounds do you have available to you? And how does the food texture react to temperature changes – will it harden or curdle, for example? These factors determine how much time you have to capture your shot.
Entree
Stew Over It
Once you have a good grasp of what you’re working with, make use of your surroundings (both on the plate and off it) to create your shot. For better results, take note of the hue of your food and don’t be shy to move things around and play up the contrast between your food and its background.
Salade
Dress It Up
If you’re using a DSLR, we recommend the “Program” (P) mode as this allows the photographer to focus on ISO and exposure compensation, while the camera handles the rest of the details. Since most food photography takes place indoors, you’ll want to keep your ISO between 800 and 1,600 for optimum effect. On a digital compact camera such as the PowerShot G7 X Mark II, try the zoom or macro setting to get up close and personal with your food. Yum.
Fromages
Say Cheeseeee!
Experiment with depth of field (that’s the distance between your nearest and furthest object in your frame) to create that creamy, blurred background also known as the “Bokeh” effect. If you’re using a DSLR, try out the “Aperture Priority” (AV) mode and adjust your aperture for selective focus (between f/3.5 to f/5.6 for kit lenses).
Dessert
Sweeten The Deal
Try out different angles – top-down shots for example may be good if you want to give the picture context. Or perhaps a low angle if you want to capture the layers of a burger for example. If your camera comes with a tilt or vari-angle screen function, make full use of it to capture unusual shots.
Promos
To add that extra oomph to your shot, consider adding textures such as a ribbed tablecloth in the background, or using the table’s wood grain to give your shot a nice contrast. This works particularly well if you’re taking the picture at an angle. Finally, have fun with the creative process of snapping that perfect shot, but don’t forget to enjoy your food before it turns cold! Bon appétit!
Food lovers, enjoy your food, enjoy Singapore Restaurant Week 2016, take more photos and share it with your family and friends!
* I would like to thank Canon Singapore for providing these personalised photography tips to share with fellow food lovers / enthusiasts / photographers in Singapore ! *