As Easy Food’s resident food photographer, Sophie Barr is responsible for all the drool-worthy photos you see in the magazine every month.

Although here at Easy Food headquarters we have all the right tools to do so, it’s possible to take great food photography images at home – and you most likely already have what is needed!

Here are Sophie’s top tips for taking great food pictures in the comfort of your home. 

Natural light

Natural light

Good light will make your photograph, and you definitely don’t need fancy studio lights to create beautiful images! All you need is a window that you can place your dish next to so the light is coming from the side; this will be your light source.

Adding shadows, contrasts and highlights

Holding a piece of white or black paper can create a huge difference in how your food will photograph. Holding black paper to the side of the food opposite the window will create shadows and more mood to your image, while holding white will add more light, creating a brighter look.

Diffusing harsh light

Diffusing harsh natural light

If there is too much sunlight coming through your window on a bright day, placing some greaseproof paper over the window will diffuse the light so it flows in much more evenly and softly over your dish.

Angle

The two most common angles for photographing food are from above or from eye level. Depending on the subject and height of the food, one angle will often be much stronger than the other. A burger or stack of cookies will always look stronger photographed straight on, rather than overhead. However, a pizza — which is so flat — will look stronger from above.

Creating a story

Creating a story

Adding in props such as cutlery, napkins or drinks can complement the food and add more context to the overall image. If photographing food on a table, natural wood always looks great. Coloured backgrounds, paper or fabrics can also work really well. It’s all about experimenting!

Camera

Smartphones these days perform so well that a professional camera is not needed at home to take great images. If using a DSLR camera, a tripod can be a helpful tool to keep everything sharp and your camera locked into position.

READ MORE: Shannon’s tips for easy baking