Food photography is one of the most popular forms photography. In this article we delve into the world of professional food photography and share some examples by Martin Creates. At Martin Creates, we have a wide range of experience in food photography and videography. This ranges from bakery and pastry photography, restaurants, cafes, granola, healthy nutrition and more.
Food art is not a recent trend thanks to technology; the first known paintings of food date back to civilisations as ancient as the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. They often portrayed scenes of feasting or offering to the Gods. Even today, a lot of food photographers and videographers will study paintings from the Renaissance period and apply these inspirations to compositions during photoshoots. This is because, although technology has advanced significantly, e.g. colour science, speed of production, lighting, printed material, etc., we as humans still process geometrical shapes, textures, contrasts and symmetry in a similar way. In fact, pretty much everything the human eye sees is a combination of various shapes, colours and textures, and our brain will process and interpret these into identifiable objects quicker than we realise.
Where is your attention most drawn to when you look at this photo? What do you feel and why?
Food photography at Martin Creates is all about evoking human emotions. Taken by Martin Creates at Katz's Deli.
If there is a tray of brown cookies, and one cookie is a triangle with pink edges, that will disrupt the harmony of the layout. Sometimes disruption is good and it's the aim of the shoot. However, that is why when styling a product or menu photoshoot, a trained photographer will arrange props and items in a way that is appealing to the human eye. At Martin Creates, we explore a wide range of photography and videography styles for food photoshoots and when it comes to making a mood board, we never go to a shoot without a vision or a plan.
At Martin Creates, we believe there is artistry to capturing even a food menu.
Think about the shapes and textures when considering the best camera angle. Taken by Martin Creates.
Using popular composition techniques such as the 45 degree angle, overhead view, rules of thirds, leading lines, and all the other well-known food photography tips will enrich your photoshoot massively.
There is no secret sauce, just practice and patience.
If done correctly, food photography can be one of the most appealing forms of photography to look at complicated due to the need to balance aesthetics, storytelling, trends and technical considerations like lighting and composition, all while ensuring the food looks appetising and inviting. Bakery and pastry photography, in particular, require special attention because of their delicate textures, vibrant colours, the timing (after it's baked) and intricate details.
Photography for Manna Dew, a gluten-free bakery, by Martin Creates
You can see that this image is ideal for a bakery because the focus goes primarily on showing the unique feature; gluten-free pastries can also rise and host amazing textures. The layering is impressive and satisfying because the photography represents abundance and richness.
In conclusion, we will often see a pattern in amazing photos of food and thinking about what makes them look amazing. The biggest advice from Martin Creates, is respect food photography by being humble and constantly learning. Improvements are always possible - there is no such thing as perfection - and being able to eat and work with so many amazing flavours is a blessing that we will continue to enjoy at Martin Creates.
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