Tips for great food photography

In this Canon Academy Tip, food and people photographer Cliff Kapatais gives you valuable tips on how to get the perfect food and drink shot - not just for Christmas.

All photos: Cliff Kapatais

Choose simple dishes

Simple and beautiful dishes are especially helpful when starting out in food photography. Ideally, you'll have someone to help you cook and serve the food. That way you can concentrate on taking the photos.

Use the right light

Light is an important design element in food photography. Unlike many other types of photography, the light in food photography tends to come from behind or from the side, rather than directly from the front.

Composition

Of course, the classic rules of composition also apply to food photography: use striking lines, repetition and framing.

Contrast through colour, shape or texture

Contrast makes an image exciting. In food photography, this means working with contrasting colours, different shapes and textures in your compositions.

Well cleaned means time saved

The few minutes you invest in carefully polishing glasses and cutlery before the shoot will pay off immensely, saving you a lot of time-consuming retouching in post-production.