The 7 Most Common Food Photography Mistakes

There are many mistakes that can ruin your food photography. Food photos have grown in popularity over the last few years, and it’s not hard to see why. Food is beautiful! The problem is when people take bad pictures of their delicious dishes, and these mistakes happen often. In this blog post, we’ll talk about 7 common food photography mistakes that you might be making if your food photographs aren’t impressing anyone or getting any traffic on social media (or anywhere else).

Mistake #01: The hero isn’t clear.

The biggest food photography mistake I see is that the hero (main subject) isn’t clear. Food photography is about the food, so it needs to be clear. This usually means getting down low or up high depending on what you’re shooting. If there are a lot of items in the photo, make sure your subject stands out – use contrasting colour and texture for this purpose if necessary.

If you have an item that’s too small to be the hero, try adding a complementary item near it that’s big enough to give some context or a collection of the hero.

Mistake #02: Are you over styling?

It’s very easy to start going overboard with styling. Food is beautiful, so we want it to look nice when shooting but don’t forget that the food you’re taking a photo of needs to be recognisable as what it actually is.

I usually recommend starting by placing your main subject on a plate or board and then adding some simple things around it like a napkin, flowers or some other garnish. If you’re trying to show the setting for your food too (i.e in a garden) I recommend leaving it bare with nothing around it and showing where it’s being eaten from off camera so that we know what kind of place this is.

Mistake #03: Over editing?

In Food Photography, there’s a delicate balance between beauty and realism. Food is usually beautifully styled so it looks tempting to shoot your food looking like that in real life but this can backfire when you do because nobody knows what the dish really tastes like! If you’re post – processing your food photo then keep true to how the dish would be served. 

Mistake #04: There are no narrative, movement or flow

It’s important to capture some of the emotions and stories behind the food. Food photography is about more than just how it looks – good food photographers know this. It can be very powerful if you show people cooking with their family, enjoying a late night snack after work or a quick lunch on the go. If there is no narrative, it’s not a photo, just someone eating food. To create a narrative you need to take the viewer on a journey. A good composition and focus helps direct your viewer.

An unappetising food photograph is usually the result of poor composition and lighting style (or technique). Your food photographer’s eye is important in this case. It can be tempting to put a lot of detail or distractions into the background, but if you’re shooting food then don’t do that! Keep it simple and show what people will see when they eat your dish so avoid unnecessary details that take away from the Food. When shooting food from behind or below, make sure you’re not cutting off any important details and if possible show an angle of the plate so we know what it is!

It’s important to capture the food at an angle of view (AOV) that is appropriate for what it is you’re shooting and also has enough context so people know how much of the dish they are being served in real life. If you want a close up shot, then use your 50mm lens. If you want a wide shot, then use your 24mm lens and so on.

Mistake #05: No / Wrong depth-of-field (DOF)

DOF is important for Food photography. It can be used to create a sense of space and also draw attention to the hero or main subject in your photo. When shooting food, it’s often good to have food close up with things further away blurred out so you’re not distracting from it too much but if you want then try using different shallow depth of field (DOF) to your advantage!

Mistake #06: Unnecessary distractions

It’s important to remember that every element of your photos should be adding context or mood into you image. Being creative with your crop can help eliminate any distractions.

Mistake #07: Incorrect lighting style or techniques

It’s important to know which light is appropriate for what food photography technique you’re using and when to avoid certain types of light – especially natural light from the sun! Learn more about which food photography lighting works best in different scenarios.

Check your colour temperatures 

When doing Food photography in a well-lit room, it’s best to use natural light. However, if you need to do food photography indoor with artificial lighting  then try and avoid mixed lighting. Tungsten and fluorescent lights will give a yellow-ish cast to your Food and can make it look unappetising.

If you want to avoid these food photography mistakes and learn more about food composition, lighting style and technique, depth-of-field (DOF), and white balance then read more about our Flawless Food Photo’s Toolkit.