Easy Food Photography Tips for the New Blogger

Whew! It has been almost three years since I started food blogging. I have to say that the quality of my photos, a very essential component of being a foodie journalist, have gotten better.

So here’s some advice for some new bloggers out there: in addition to creating mouth-watering recipes, take some awesome pictures that do your creations justice. How? Well, there’s no better way to learn than to learn by example!

Shown above is a picture generously donated to ChrysN over at Instructables. And here are some of my thoughts on the photo.

Thoughts on photo:

• I was a bit surprised why this photo wasn’t the title picture of the instructable (which was the close up of just the cookies). I really like the compositions more in this photo and here’s why
  • I like that you can see more of the mug in this photo. It gives it more of a “lived in” feel, which is important when photographing food.
  • This shot allows you to see more of the cookies and doesn’t have a sense of overcrowding.
  • It layers the textures and colors better than the other photo as well.
• The set up of the cookies is appealing to eye as well. If you pay attention, the placement of the tree makes the onlooker focus on that. The tree also helps guide the onlooker’s eyes to the star. That is good because it pulls the reader in by focusing on the more “unique shapes.”

Photo Editing and Other Ways:

• I would add some color to this photo. There’s a lot of browns and neutrals that can seem dull. ChrysN did a nice job of having different shades of brown though. I would add a colored cloth napkin somewhere to give it some color.
• As for photo editing, this photo is great as is. I might increase the color temperature (think yellow light bulb vs white light bulb) a bit for the more home-y feel. The lighting is great in this picture and the shadows are almost nonexistent (which is good as well).

Main Idea:

Add some color to give your photo some life and pay attention to layering different colors and textures. And great lighting makes great photos.

Have an idea of how to start now? Awesome! And welcome to the food blogging world!

Click here for a quick summary of five of my food photography tips.

 

Homemade Nutella Butterfingers

I love Butterfingers. I think they have just the right amount of flakiness and chocolate flavor to them. My mom loves them too. However, my dad is allergic to peanut butter so I wanted to make a kind of butterfinger without peanut butter. So introducing: Nutella Butterfingers. They are decadent, flaky, and is the perfect indulgent treat. It’s made with the infamous Nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread. These can be decorated with chocolate and many other toppings. Be as creative or simple as you want! Nutella Butterfingers is the perfect treat for those who want an alternative to the ever-popular Butterfinger.

Things you need to make these delicious treats:

Classic Hard Candy Chews

What’s your favorite candy? Whether if it’s chocolate-y goodness or fruity explosions, everyone loves candy. I always wanted to try to make my own. I mean what better than picking your own flavors and colors and sharing it with everyone you know. I love gummies  but hard candy also holds a special place in my heart. Classic Hard Candy Chews are the perfect blend of the two. They’re hard at first, giving you a flavor you can suck on for a while. Then they turn chewy, giving your mouth some exercise 🙂 They’re easy to make and hard to mess up. The special part…it even allows you to play with your food. Like taffy, these chews have to be pulled and stretched giving you a pretty good exercise 😉 Different flavors and colors can be combined to create the perfect candy for anyone.

Some things you need to make this delicious candy are: