So, for starters, what is food photography? What is a food photo like? Or better yet: how could it be? The answer is: it can be many different things! In this article, I delve a little deeper into ways to photograph food.
We see so many images every day while doing Product food photography in UAE. Even unconsciously. If you’re interested in food as a topic, marketers will likely slap you in the face with food images. They will make you hungry, make you cook or even annoy you. This food photography overload can be overwhelming if you are looking for a photographer to take food photos.
Let me help you describe the basics of photographing food.
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1. PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY OR PACKSHOTS
A product food photograph is an image of the product itself. It can be pulled from the background in post-production. These product photos are now transparent and can be placed over any new background color.
Photos of food products can be used for packaging design. The props and background used, if any, are mostly pre-made and made to fit the design.
Thanks to their transparent background, product photos are very flexible in their use. Its purpose is to show the product food photography in Dubai, for example, in virtual stores, catalogs, flyers, etc.’
This is a type of technical photography that requires professional lighting, attention to detail, style, and photo editing skills. That’s why we always photograph the products in our studio.
2. ADVERTISING
The purpose of an advertising photo is to promote a product. They can be used in banners, catalogues, billboards and online advertisements such as Instagram promoted posts and Facebook ads.
In most cases, the photographer will work closely with an art director and the client to fulfill the creative brief.
On some occasions, the photographer has the responsibility to present the creative concept. This is especially the case in small projects. In our case, Eveline – the photographer – is an experienced and creative cross-media graphic designer. He likes to develop a creative concept for advertising campaigns.
EDITORIAL
Editorial photography is more about depicting a state of mind. Tell a story.
There are different uses of editorial food photography. For example, an image of a recipe to accompany the text of a cooking magazine, a photograph from a cookbook, a documentary, and the kind of image that whet your appetite when you browse social media.
With editorial product food photography in Abu Dhabi, there is a synergy between the style of the food, the medium, the lighting, and the composition. When these are good, even the toughest foods can make your mouth water.
3. PRODUCT IN MOOD
A product food photography in Sharjah can be far more difficult because of the hot weather if a product that stays in a basket, placed on a cutting board, packed with fresh fruit on the side. They all represent a state of mind, but they don’t turn into a recipe. For example, a jar or jam can be accompanied by fresh strawberries to show that it is made from fruit. A tea caddy might have a steaming cup of tea on the side and a few empty cups at the bottom, as if to say “we are ready for afternoon tea with friends”.
4. RECIPE
The products that are made into a recipe are photographed for editorial purposes. This is the type of food photography that consumers encounter most often these days. We see it in magazines, cookbooks, social networks, brochures, emails… It is also the most popular type of photography among food photography enthusiasts, hobbyists and bloggers.
5. LIFESTYLE
A lifestyle image attempts to show the use of a product in a real-life situation, usually with people in the scene. The key to a good lifestyle image is to make it look as natural as possible, while the food looks good. The product itself is no longer the main subject, but part of the story.
6. DOCUMENTARY
The reports or documentary photos are images of a real situation. The image is not a staging, but the capture of a precise moment. A photographer can give these images personality because they choose what they capture through the lens and what information they leave out. A documentary is basically a series of images combined to tell the story behind the product or food, how it was made, where its ingredients come from, etc.