Stay at Home

Understand what elements go into creating a stylish food photograph as Niamh Cottle creates a series of bird’s eye view lifestyle images

More photo fun to enjoy indoors, plus the best reader images of the month

We all enjoy cooking and eating food – so why not go a step further and photograph your culinary creations? A lot of detail and time can go into making just one food photograph, but I’ll show you how to style and position food, how to set up your camera and light the scene, and how to edit the images.

In this project I will explore different ways to photograph food while using inexpensive equipment. I will show you how to use everyday kitchen objects to manipulate the light produced by an external flash, and teach you how to style and position your food, for example by adding condiments to the image to create a narrative. I will also take you through some basic edits when it comes to processing your captures, including adjustments to contrast, brightness and colour balance.

I’m using ‘flat lay’ setups to shoot the images from above, using a tripod with a centre column that converts to a horizontal boom to slide out and extend over the scene.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Digital camera

Standard lens

External flashgun

Tripod

Remote shutter release (or camera’s self-timer)

Reflector (I used the bottom of a baking tray)

Flat surfaces (baking tray, chopping board or cake tin)

Selection of food to photograph

Time: One hour