With the Great British Bakeoff coming back to our screens, I do get enthusiastic about cooking and well taking cute photos of it. The Bake off may not be the same but I have to say that the food still looks delicious. And truth be told I am still enthusiastic about watching the series.
And I’ll be honest if I do manage to cook something inspired by the show, or from one of my favourite cookbooks then I do want to take some pretty pictures of it – as they say if I didn’t photograph it did it really happen đ
So when I was sent some fab food photography tips from Jessops, I knew that I just had to share them as you might pick up some tips like I did – and well hopefully, you see some improvement in my food pics!
Food Photography Tips
Double Bake
This requires a little planning, but itâs worth it if youâre taking your cake shots seriously. Always try to make two of your chosen recipe so youâve got a âstunt doubleâ for the camera. This means you can prod, poke, slice and dice your model, and still have a delicious untouched version to tuck into later on. Trust us: your cake might look delicious once itâs come out of the oven, but no-one will want to
eat it once itâs spent time being prodded in front of your lens. Now with this one – if I can make something yummy once then I may not be able to recreate so I will leave this one to the expert cooks among you.
Natural Light
The easiest light to work with is natural: site your impromptu studio near a large window out of direct sunlight and you should have plenty of illumination to make your cake shine on camera. Careful if youâre shooting something super-glossy, as you might spot your window frame reflected in the cakeâs icing.
Set the Scene
Your cake might look the part, but your plates and table need to be on point as well. Make sure theyâre not letting the side down by selecting your cleanest, chip-free crockery (a quick wipe with a vinegar-soaked cloth will remove any smudges or finger-marks and donât choose patterns thatâll make the scene too busy. A folded (clean) tea towel is a great way to add colour to a shot without making it too complicated.
Change your point of view
So many food bloggers simply take shots of their creations from where theyâre sitting. Change your point of view for a more interesting photograph: try getting down to the cakeâs level and shooting alongside it, or standing above the deck and taking a flat-lay style photograph. You could choose a lifestyle background such as a marble slab or wooden panels â plain backgrounds work more
effectively with complicated subjects. If youâve created macarons of many colours then try a simple, clean background to ensure they stand out from the crowd.
Fill the Frame:
If youâve baked something in vast numbers (such as cookies or fairy cakes) then make sure theyâre filling the frame: having a couple hanging off the edges of the photos will make it look as though your cakes go on and on foreverâŚ
I hope that you found these as useful as I did – let me know if you use them đ
Nothing to declare – just sharing some tips I received from Jessops!
