“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” ~ Harriet Van Horne๏ปฟ
Food and photography make a beautiful match. Food provides vivid colors and varying textures naturally for photographers. From shooting ingredients, to prep work in a kitchen, to the finished product, and even nibbled on creation, the shooting possibilities are endless. I personally find photographing food a challenge, but being passionate about both makes me strive to take better food shots. A beautiful photo of a dish instantly draws me in. I have made many a recipe, and bought many a food magazine, or cookbook simply from falling in love with someone else’s photographs. When I pick up a new cookbook the first thing I do is thumb through the pages in hopes of seeing beautiful food, if I find that then I am compelled to dive in. Some photographers have a signature style when it comes to photographing food. I think a lot of that has to do with composition and styling. The perfect plate, linens, glassware, really add to a photo. From the rustic farm table, to the refined china, I am continually inspired.
Lets have a feast for our eyes today. Share a favorite food shot and your thoughts on the subject. Do you style food shots? Do you have a favorite table, cup, plate that you find yourself photographing again and again? Do you find that you are more passionate about food from photos?
Let’s celebrate all that is sweet, spicy, steamy and down right delicious. Tempt me please!
Jennifรฉe says
Totally agree that carrots are a feast for the eye – they've such a vibrant colour that I really love. I love shooting food, but don't have the knowhow – yet – to style it first. My best technique is to shoot muffins and cakes and things when they're cooling on the stovetop, since it's directly underneath a light there. My favourite example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85057042@N00/5171991279
Jote says
I love the way pictures of food can summon up feelings of comfort and contentment. Around our place, homemade tortillas are comfort food…
I don't really style any of my photos but I definitely do have a favorite kitchen window that I like to use. ๐
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blessherheart/5531617172/
Chantal says
Garlic can make it spicy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/1631426641/
A steamed red onion to go with it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/1632348606/
A steamy hot pie for desert: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/1936192358/
And downright delicious: a fresh ice tea: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/2217631551/
meredith says
I am definitely more drawn to a cookbook with beautiful photos of the finished recipes. I'm trying to learn how to take good food photos, here's one of a rutabaga that didn't turn out too bad. I like how I can see the hairy fibers and a bit of dirt.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppy-in-provence/5150762252/
Marcie says
Recently – I've been using fruit and other foods in my 'still lifes':
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/home/2011/3/15/pears-and-other-girls.html
Annika Christine says
I don't style food but I do move them into the light. If it's too dark in the kitchen why not to try the windowsell in the living room? The good thing about photographing food: it does not move, it's patient and I can try a lot. ๐
So here are some tomatos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikachristine/5514614174/
some cakes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikachristine/4897129582/in/set-72157622988004781/
and a muffin http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikachristine/4893385592/in/set-72157622988004781/
Kathleen O. says
I don't style any food shots, although I have been known to move a dish or mug around to find the perfect spot of sunlight. For me, taking pics of food is something I don't do that often, but when I do it is all about the memory that goes along with the food – like making muffins with my kid or creating holiday fare. Or making a warm breakfast before school (quite a rarity on a weekday) on a chilly day…http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/5495355421/
Kristin says
Our family loves spaghetti. We eat several times a week, often with vegetables and parmesan, or tomato sauce, olives, capers and Parmesan cheese. Thus, it is not always the same, I try every now and then from one another spaghetti recipe.
http://liundbelle.blogspot.com/2010/12/spaghetti-mit-krauterfrischkase.html#links
Jess says
Wonderful color in your photograph. I can taste those carrot. One night, I was cooking a family favorite and I decided it looked kind of pretty. I grabbed my camera and had a little fun.
http://jessicavescera.blogspot.com/2011/02/dinner.html
Amy says
I love to take pictures of food, as you can tell from these recent shots!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531386057/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531378095/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531953116/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531945868/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531937742/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531345211/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531342601/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531337539/
ccap says
I am with you there! I looove cookbooks that have delicious photos in them. I have some I've never cooked from but I've certainly paged through the photos from time to time. Here are some of my creations:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyblue/5278177344/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyblue/5278173486/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyblue/5277569241/
ccap says
Also… I love the light on your carrots!
sam says
One of my favorite things to do…….aside from the cooking…..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samanthaspics/5525263110/
Beth says
Usually I love photographing baked goods – they're just so sweet and fun and colorful. But recently I was at a "make your own sushi" party and all of the sushi-making ingredients were just so gorgeous –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14632491@N07/5490186815/
Lillian says
Love this post! I've been trying to learn food photography a ton lately and playing around with it a lot – it's hard! Favorites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5513266867/in/set-72157625076688009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5513266867/in/set-72157625076688009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5096916669/in/set-72157625076688009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5430925285/in/set-72157625076688009/
Misty says
The garden. It's bountiful beauty. And the baskets used to collect that bounty are a nice touch too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dontforgetthehorse/4930709638/in/photostream/lightbox/
Susan says
I guess I am one of the very few who has no food photos to share! but I had to say how much your shot of these gorgeous carrots just made my morning sparkle! Thanks, I really needed a shot of color.
jodi says
i'm not much of a cook — yet. but i do love to wander around the farmers market and snap photos of all the gorgeous produce. this is one of my favorites from a sunny day in june.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodimckee/3603478523/
marina says
I love photographing the preparation of food, even if I don't do it often. Bread making, for example, which I find moving when done without machines, as in this shot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mar_s/5531533239/
Katrina Kennedy says
Lovely carrots!
I love shooting on square plates on my washing machine. The light is just right and the square plate adds such a nice angle. http://captureyour365.com/2010/02/photographing-dinner/
Sometimes I like the contrast of the white plate against my cutting board. A bit more caught in real time, as we cook. http://captureyour365.com/2010/07/from-my-home-garden-to-my-dinner-table/
C Blore says
Love the post! Photographing food is one of my passionate hobbies I love photographing that perfect plating (which I can't seem to achieve).
I guess I style my shots…I use white… a lot. Surfaces, plates, cups you name it…in part because it doesn't draw the eye away from the food.
I love photographing all stages of a dish. Prep, cooking and finished result.
Here's one of my favourites;
http://winnipegweddingphotographybycoral.blogspot.com/2011/03/food.html
Sonja says
Definitely my German Chocolate Cake recipe… mhhmm it was good!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55696962@N07/5530807460/
Denise says
Food photos are so much fun! I love being able to "taste" and "smell" the food just by looking at the photo.
Here are a few of mine:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deniselivingston/5532190452/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deniselivingston/5269805422/
autumn sun says
i have a set devoted entirely to breakfast on the weekends at my table. i love the light there and love how whatever happens to be on the table tells a story of the season or whatever.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/4873886979/in/set-72157624567007889/
many times it's simply what i'm eating
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5401455915/in/set-72157624567007889/
i get excited when i look and the color in the book i'm reading matches perfectly to the bowl i'm using for my cereal.
there's very little purposeful styling but so many times it appears as if i planned it. such as this – one my daughter laughed at me saying i planned it that way – seriously i did not.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5462953700/in/set-72157624567007889/
bridge says
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/5388649827/
there are so many dishes and recipes that I feel I must photograph don;t know why yet. just know I must.
joey says
My husband loves to cook and I love to take pictures. For a short while, we teamed up for a food blog, but didn't have enough time to keep it going. I still photograph his food masterpieces. These are older shots, but were the first ones I could find. Mmmmm.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19379573@N06/5531641729/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19379573@N06/5532227494/
Laine says
I've been reading this blog for a few months now. I love all the variety in photography and looking through all the contributed photographs. It inspires me in my own photography and keeps those artistic juices flowing. I haven't posted any of my own photos before but thought today would be "the day" to stop lurking in the shadows. Here is a photograph I took of an orange slice. I love how it looks almost like a stained glass window. http://lainethomasphotography.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/slice-of-light/
Brenda says
The most styling I do is to move a dish to more favorable light and maybe put a fork
in the shot as well. I like to be able to eat what I've just shot! lol
http://www.pbase.com/skiingrn1/image/110430494
http://www.pbase.com/skiingrn1/image/120972455
http://www.pbase.com/skiingrn1/image/89544481
JC says
I love photographing food that I've taken a long time to make or that was particularly tasty. I had to capture these bacon biscuits.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justycinmd/5510565823/in/set-72157625807762695/
Jenny says
I'm not much of a baker because I have such a ferocious sweet tooth! I would eat everything, which is a pretty bad idea. Instead, we enjoy sweets a little at a time. I took this picture last summer at the best doughnut shop in the known world – Voodoo Donuts. Yummo!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/climbermom/4865297668/in/set-72157624373687467/
Brenda says
I don't really cook but I do buy fruit or veggies to become still life subjects – they don't object or move (as Annika Christine points out above) – one of the best things about them, in my book.
Here is a blog post about purchasing a pear and the resulting photograph:
http://www.gottgraphicsdesign.com/2011/02/11/the-essence-of-pear/
And the inside of a pepper:
http://flic.kr/p/9jNgiN
And a lime slice:
http://flic.kr/p/9pTpSf
Thanks for a wonderful topic. The photos shared above are stunning!
Jamie says
Artichoke!
http://tinycorners.com/index.php?showimage=572
Trude says
Good food photography is definitely harder than it looks! My mom's kitchen is full of lighting and color balance challenges, even as beautiful remodeled as it is, but I still keep trying to get good shots of her amazing dishes! http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/5260187364/
Julie Alvarez says
I definitely love shooting food.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/sets/72157605263403647/with/5523459009/
It is something that I always have in hand, and in time, with the years I learned to really appreciate the good things of food, the ingredients, the making, the time consuming, the process of gathering, and the sharing (this is the most important part for me).
But I always like it more when I see (and photograph) a "scene-like" food image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5418830676/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5418864080/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5418834466/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5436366723/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5490281543/in/set-72157605263403647/
Jess says
Every time I try to take photos like these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/4908101310/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/5051481366/in/set-72157624521220590/
I somehow also end up with photos like these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/4907508769/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/5051481360/
I wouldn't trade my world for anything! ๐
(and yes I do actually feed them)
katrina (shesinthekitchen) says
I've seen myself grow so much in the 3 years I've been a foodblogger! Photography is a passion – but, then, so is food and cooking. I usually use a white board, white plates, white cups – mainly because I use natural light and it often seems to be on the gloomy, dark side lately. I try to capture textures, color , juiciness; droolworthy is my goal. Here's one I took last week:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46177695@N08/5506425478/
You can find the recipe here: http://shesinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-pot-chicken-with-dill-and.html
Laura Louise says
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35374947@N04/5532197639/in/photostream/
love this post! food and photography…hand in hand. I find myself using my camera more and more in the kitchen. Food is love….beauty…the textures, colors, smells, plates, napkins….light. It can be those simple little things that completely turn my day around. Oatmeal and honey in the right bowl next to a window and make me swoon : )
xo
Patty says
That's a great shot…it's funny yesterday I suddenly got an urge to start photographing food…
http://pmaherphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/you-say-tomato.html
Lee says
This seems to be the favorite of everyone on my flickr stream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leedav/2691632892/
Sometimes I take a lot of time with shots but usually I just want to eat so things get a bit rushed. It's hard working with food every day too. I kind of have to shut off my desire to take pics of everything because I don't have time!
Dotti says
Whether one likes to cook or not, fruit is a wonderful thing to photograph.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48337138@N04/5442583635/
mae says
i love to cook and cook often for my family. i wish i was able to stop midstream and photograph more of it. alas, i'm better at shooting at the market. these are a couple from the market in Taiwan.
http://flic.kr/p/9qSXGV
http://flic.kr/p/9qSXFX
Through the Lens of Kimberly Gauthier, Photo Blog says
The trouble I have is shooting while I'm cooking. Whenever I cook something new, I want to share the recipes along with pictures, but I forget about my camera.
When we're eating out, then the camera is right there! Restaurants seem to love it when you take cook pictures of their food.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlygauthier/5423198829/in/set-72157623803788731/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlygauthier/4912242734/in/set-72157623803788731/
Kat says
I love food shots but rarely take them myself. I agree with you on cookbooks – I love ones with great photography! I did try some styling for this still life, celebrating my favorite foods in Italy:
http://www.kateyeview.com/2011/02/artful-arrangement.html
froddard says
This is a very old post from my blog that I rarely update any more.. but I don't have access to all my latest food pictures at the moment. (I took some lovely pictures of perfect little silvery smelt last weekend. I'll have to find another time to share those!)
I love the colours and composition of these two pictures side by side. And grated raw in a salad with lots of garlic is still the only way I'll willingly eat beets!
http://planetborscht.blogspot.com/2007/08/beet-salad.html
Andrea says
I have to agree – food is fascinating and offers a lot of opportunities and challenges at the same time. I have started cooking recently (rather late with almost 31..) and decided to take a picture of the results whenever possible.
Here is one of such result pictures (the one to the right): http://www.andreahandl.de/?p=234
I also LOVE the texture of fresh italian bread (left picture): http://www.andreahandl.de/?p=194
Lizzie Staley says
It makes a meal more special when you treat it in a way that you want to capture in an image to show the mood of the food ๐
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizzie-staley/5140681291/in/set-72157625240757778/
Emma says
I love food photography and am new to it as I started a blog only a few months ago. I totally agree with the above comments that I'll often buy a magazine or cookbook or try a recipe based on the photography – food styling and photography is a real art form these days.
I've enjoyed looking at all the images here as I love to see the world through other people's eyes, it's quite fascinating.
Some random food images from my flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53759195@N05/5413175302/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53759195@N05/5380404588/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53759195@N05/5360377140/
Ali says
I love food porn! I recently went to Rome for the first time and took photos of almost everything I ate.
http://crazytobeme.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/ah-roma-ah-food/
Patty says
And then there is asparagus….
http://pmaherphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/some-weeks.html
bekkah says
I seem to be taking a lot of pictures of food lately. I have restrictions on what I can eat (no gluten, dairy or soy), you would think it would be torture for me to spend time looking at food that I can't eat, but it's the exact opposite. I guess I enjoy seeing all of the foods I used to love and thinking back on those 'glory days' ๐
http://ttlensphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/dinner-prep.html
http://ttlensphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/peeps.html
http://ttlensphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/pb-lovers.html
art and lemons says
I buy some cookbooks just for the photography. I tend to favor a more documentary type of minimal food styling.
I recently photographed cauliflower: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artandlemons/5509763963/
along with a recipe for cauliflower with brown butter and lemons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artandlemons/5510364660/in/photostream/
and the set-up to make an elderberry hot toddy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artandlemons/5425636980/in/photostream/
Chelsea C says
I also love food photography. Being such a visual person, I enjoy cooking a recipe much more when I can see the steps, the ingredients, the finished product…and the more real the better. I like the documentary style more than the food styling. I find food photography challenging though. If I am cooking, I am usually too focused on what I am doing to remember to take photos. And when I do remember, I find it challenging to make it look good. But there is an occasional shot I really like!
I shot this over the weekend. We were at my boyfriend's parents house for dinner, and I saw these next to the sink. When I do photograph food I seek out the best natural light. I find that I frequently run into the problem of the food looking flat and unexciting, and capturing how it really looks is hard!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelscham/5533751008/
erika says
I could eat this meal all over again!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/onemoreplease/5533153609/
All over again!
Kate S. says
Found these at the store the other day. Lime-a-licious.. lime-a-lovely… lime-a-love.. did I mention I love limes…? ;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/5532972159/
Oh, and pears are good too ๐
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/5533546146/in/photostream/
Jessica says
Irish soda bread for snack today: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goaliej54/5534031464/
Also love pumpkin bread: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goaliej54/5127870744/
And apple pie: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goaliej54/5103455651/
And I wonder why I can't lose any weight! ๐
Erica says
The first thing I ever learned how to make was pancakes. After all these years, I've gotten very good at it. Just made these last week: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkilyn/5524512659/sizes/z/in/set-72157626251542068/
Puna says
How timely! It all looks delicious!
Here's a baking attempt:)
http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2011/03/march-16-happy-people/
Debra says
So many beautiful photos in this comment thread! I am a sucker for beautifully photographed cookbooks and food blogs and I try my hand at it at home now and again. Here is one of my favourites. http://www.flickr.com/photos/manifeisty/5230176852/
Rebecca Weaver says
Delicious, refreshing, creamy, mint chocolate ice-cream.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trebecca84/5534924767/
I'd love to take better food photos! Cooking and taking pictures are two of my favorite things, but I haven't mixed them very successfully yet.
carriemeghan says
My parents bought me my first camera when I was eight. I do believe they were quite disappointed when the majority of photos from the initial rolls I shot were all of food. From the inside of bags of chips to whatever we happened to be eating for dinner that night, something about the colors, shapes, and perhaps most simply my love for food drew me to capture in on film.
Now that I shoot digitally, I must admit it's even more of a "problem." (And, I think it still baffles my parents.) Recently, I was married and began to cook more frequently, and almost every time I do, my camera gets pulled out along with my measuring cups. (Which happen to be something I've enjoyed photographing.)
Here's one of my most recent cooking experiments:
http://carriemeghanphotography.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/bakers-blog/
This is the first cake I ever made from scratch (this past July):
http://carriemeghan.com/2010/07/27/pat-a-cake-pat-a-cake-bakers-man/
And one time I tried to be healthy:
http://carriemeghan.com/2010/08/05/a-kitchen-story/
Amy says
hmmmm, I posted here yesterday and I see that my post is gone:(…..I wonder what happened???
Donna says
I love your site… I discovered it the 'old-fashioned way' – I saw the book in the store and bought it immediately. I love that it's from a female perspective, and focuses on what a lot of teaching subjects on the matter don't seem touch on… emotion.
Food is a favorite subject of mine as well… a couple of my recent favorites:
Asparagus: http://www.donnavercoe.com/blog/2011/02/10/asparagus-2/
Oysters: http://www.donnavercoe.com/blog/2010/12/03/sydney-rock-oysters/
TrishaC says
http://ssp-threesixfive.blogspot.com/2011/03/seventy-3-expensive.html
I took this one recently for my 365 Photos through Words project.
Buy Wedding Dresses says
http://shoponlinemy-shoppingonline.blogspot.com/2011/11/popular-short-homecoming-dresses-this.html
http://shoponlinemy.wikispaces.com/Popular+Short+Party+Dresses+This+Season
http://shoponlinemy.bloguez.com/shoponlinemy/3160446/Homecoming-Dresses-Popular-Short-This-Season
http://shoponlinemy.weebly.com/1/post/2011/11/type-and-dress-in-accordance.html
http://shoponlinemy.over-blog.com/article-how-to-look-amazing-for-homecoming-in-your-homecoming-dress-87954511.html
http://shoponlinemy.blog.com/2011/11/04/how-to-look-amazing-in-her-dress-back-home-back-home/
http://shoponlinemy.asso-web.com/actualite-10-homecoming-is-an-exciting-week-in-high-school.html
http://tidebuymy.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-5.html
http://tidebuymy.edublogs.org/2011/11/04/short-prom-dresses-are-totally-in-this-year/