June 2010
Tips and Tricks of Food Photography
by Mary Gerlach, R.D.
Registered Dietician
My favorite cookbooks are always loaded with pictures of the prepared recipes. Not only do I want the recipe to ‘sound’ scrumptious when I read it, I want it to ‘look’ as good as it sounds. Delicious looking desserts on the cover are a great way to sell cookbooks. It takes a gifted photographer to capture the true ‘flavor’ of a recipe in a picture. But how do those talented photographers take such mouth-watering photos?
As with any still-life photograph, lighting is one key ingredient. One of the best places to photograph food is by a window with plenty of natural light to help the food look more natural. Support the daylight with a flash to bounce off the wall or ceiling to give more balanced lighting and eliminate deep shadows.
Pay attention to the arrangement and balance of the food in the shot. The way the food is presented, as well as the blend of colors and shapes of the food, and its surroundings are all important.
Keep it simple and uncluttered. Fancy patterned dishes and tablecloths are beautiful, but take the eye off what is supposed to be the focus of the photo—the food! Use a plain white plate or bowl with a single glistening utensil on a solid colored tablecloth or placemat.
Crop it tightly. The tighter you move in on the shot of the food, the less there is to distract the eye and the better you’ll see the texture and detail of the food.
Get the right things in focus, but not everything. Let the background objects fade to an attractive mass of colored tone rather than readily identifiable.
Be prepared before the food arrives. Food doesn’t keep its appetizing looks for too long after it has been cooked before it wilts, melts, collapses, or fades in color. Use a stand-in plate to prepare your shot and adjust the lighting, then substitute the ‘real thing’ when you’re ready. Some food “stylists” shoot partially cooked or raw dishes to enhance the color of the food, while others coat the top with oil so it glistens in the light.
Shoot from a lower angle than you think you should. Many beginning food photographers make the mistake of shooting down on the food from directly above it. In most cases, you’ll get a better photo by taking the shot from down at the plate level or just above it. From a low angle, the food’s thickness and height is more apparent, making it look more majestic!
Steam coming off the food makes it look like it just arrived from the oven to the table, but it is hard to achieve naturally. Talk about having to work quickly! One ‘trick of the trade’ is to soak cotton balls in water, microwave them and place them behind the food prior to taking the photo. This could be done a few times to keep the steam coming while you take several shots.
You get the idea! Look through your favorite cookbooks to see how the pros do it. Then get your camera out and try your hand at it.
Grilled Lime Garlic Halibut Steaks
Fish on the grill makes a quick and easy weeknight meal.¹/3 cup lime juice
2 Tb. olive oil, divided
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 halibut (or tuna) steaks, about 1 inch thick (¾ to 1 pound)
2 Tb. chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ tsp. grated lime peel
In shallow glass dish or resealable plastic freezer bag, mix lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and hot sauce. Add fish; turn several times to coat with marinade. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate 20 minutes. Meanwhile, brush grill rack with oil. Light grill.
Remove fish from marinade; reserve marinade. Grill fish 4 to 6 inches from medium heat about 10 minutes, turning once and brushing with marinade, until fish flakes easily with fork. Discard any remaining marinade. Cut down sides of limes, grill 2 to 3 minutes (heating helps release the juices). Sprinkle fish with parsley and lime zest. Serve with grilled lime halves. Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition Information per serving: Calories 220; Carbohydrate 1 gm; Protein 43 gm; Fat 5 gm; Cholesterol 120 mg; Sodium 290 mg.
Kabobs with Plum Sauce and Apricot-Rosemary Salsa
Let guests skewer their own kabobs.Plum Barbecue Sauce
1 (16.5-ounce) can purple plums, drained
1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
¼ cup butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup prepared chili sauce
1 Tb. Dijon mustard
Apricot-Rosemary Salsa
1 (15.5-ounce) can apricot nectar
½ cup chopped dried apricots
1 Tb. chopped shallot
¾ cup chopped Roma tomatoes
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or ½ tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tb. chopped fresh parsley
Kabobs
½ pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ pound uncooked large shrimp in shells, thawed if frozen
16 small potatoes, cooked until tender
16 fresh whole mushrooms
3 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch slices
1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 24 pieces
Italian dressing (for basting)
Plum Sauce:
In blender, place plums and lemonade concentrate. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth; set aside. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir plum mixture and remaining sauce ingredients into onions. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Apricot-Rosemary Salsa:
In 2-quart saucepan, mix apricot nectar, apricots and shallots. Heat to boiling over medium heat; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes or until most of nectar is absorbed. Stir in remaining salsa ingredients except parsley; heat through. Stir in parsley.
Kabobs:
Heat gas or charcoal grill. Thread 4 or 5 meat pieces alternately with potatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper and onion on each of 8 large (15-inch) or 16 small metal or bamboo skewers, leaving space between each piece. Cover and grill kabobs over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, turning and brushing 2 or 3 times with Italian dressing, until meats are done. When done, beef, chicken and sausage are no longer pink in center and shrimp are pink and firm. Serve kabobs with warm or cold sauce and salsa. Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition Information per serving: Calories 650; Carbohydrate 94 gm; Protein 30 gm; Fat 17 gm; Cholesterol 105 mg; Sodium 560 mg.