Delicious!

"Delicious" food photos are not that difficult to achieve: a beautifully arranged plate (not exactly goulash, but more patisserie or sushi), the right light and angle - and maybe a reflector.

Sometimes the plate is a baking tray or a children's birthday table. And the light comes from the south-facing window through a diffuser - or from one or more Speedlite flashes.

Depth of field
Food shots look even better when you use depth of field. This is possible with a Canon EOS with an APS-C sensor, as well as with a full-frame camera. A fast 50mm or 85mm prime lens is a good choice, as is a macro lens such as the EF 100mm F2.8L USM Macro. As you want to control the aperture for these shots, it is best to select Av aperture priority or M manual mode.

Light

If you have a north-facing window or other window without direct sunlight, the photos will be particularly easy to take. But a window with direct sunlight is also good if you use a diffuser to soften the light. Backlighting is another good choice for food. In most cases, you will be successful if you arrange the setup so that the main light source acts as a backlight or a spotlight. This is how the first three examples were created. We placed the subject indoors in front of a balcony door and were able to use the light as a backlight for the melon prosecco and mint cocktails. The beautiful reflection on the prawns is also due to the backlighting.

Lighting with Speedlite flashes

Canon Speedlite flashes come in to play when photographing food in the evening hours. The photos of the sushi and the fresh prawns were taken simply with a Speedlite unleashed. For the sushi, the flash was positioned to the left behind the plate and covered with a napkin for a softer light. For the prawns, the flash shone through the flowing water from behind, without a light shaper. This allowed the individual drops of water to be frozen and the scene to sparkle beautifully in the hard, direct light.

Arrangement and colours

When arranging and decorating the photos, lines leading into the picture are important. Another creative trick is repetition, as in the three glasses of melon and prosecco. The mint cocktail with peach ice cream combines a side view with a top view. Colours are also important. A complementary contrast works well, as in our examples: Green-red and bluish-yellow. But an analogue contrast, such as the orange-yellow-red of the prawns, can also be a good choice.