Food Photography: Any tips?

Hello chaps. Tomorrow I'm photographing a restaurants new menu - about 40 different plates of food. I'll be mainly using the Sigma 105mm macro with 2 lightstands each with an umbrella and a head with 4 bulbs which can be switched on 2 at a time or all 4 together.

I've done food shots on my own a couple of times, and looking at the work of their last photographer (who has apparently gone on to bigger and better things) I think I can step into the role fairly easily.

Ultimately - was wondering if anyone out there had really useful tips which I should heed.

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Don't eat it !

Some basic guidance as a starting point. The first place to start in relation to good food photography, is the presentation and dressing of the food, just like make up for portraits, you can practice with sandwiches and learn how to layer and stack food bringing certain elements of the food forward. For example if you look at the king of fast food (The Golden M) Their burgers never look like they do on the menu, this is because they are dressed to make them look good.

Lighting wise you can create some great lighting using white foam board and bouncing light from different angles. The link below will certainly help and has lots of links and ideas and guidance

http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/food-photography-made-easy-lunch-box.html

Hope this info helps.

You beat me to it.

John

I don't know if it will be helpful to you but we had a food photography competition at my club recently, it was judged by Wendy Sweetser and Tony Robins, both food industry stylists and photographers, Wendy's advice on food photogpahy was....

"Wendy advised that images of food have to compensate for not having the immediate appeal of smell and taste, so have to 'leap off the page', to be appetising to the viewer."

Thanks everyone - some great tips/things to keep in mind!

I'll let you know how it went.

That was going to be my tip