Daniel Churchill
Have you always wanted to know how to take food photos? How good is it to have a camera in your back pocket? Disregarding the obvious size, you know I am not referring to an SLR.
“Picture this” (yeah I went there) you’re walking around town, ticking off a number of kilometers and rather than hauling a heavy SLR body in your bag you are able to whip your phone out and simply take a shot that is not only satisfactory to all your Instagram friends, but builds your reputation as a #foodie.
The iPhone has become such a wonderful opportunity for people to explore their creativity and also help when it comes to our working lives. For me I cant tell you how convenient it is for me to shoot on stage, mid performance, during a morning show or even just at a cafe and do it all without the need for 3 hours of set up and organization.
There are a few tips to taking the perfect iPhone food photo and I am sure we all have our favourites. Here are some of mine #LoveMyJob
Lighting
I feel this is absolutely key and the biggest point of difference to a quality food shot. Natural light cannot be beat. A window sill or by a well lit glass panel is always going to tick serious boxes. So always try and get a seat close to a window or do what I do and take your food outside to shoot… just make sure the staff let you back in 😀
The new iPhone 7 plus has an amazing f/1.8 aperture allowing you to shoot in much lower light, which means those sunset food shots have become all the more achievable and picturesque without the grainy image. Functionally for me it has changed the game. If I am doing a big day of recipes I have an extended time I can shoot. I can now fit more shots for my blog and YouTube and social in the day.
Angles
I personally feel the iPhone has such a strong opportunity for the classic bird’s eye view. Not only does it pick up detail but it has been optimized for a sharper image across the entire frame. This is quite different to a stock lens on a SLR camera which can be sharp in the centre but then as you look towards the edges be quite blurry.
A 45 degree shot with your iPhone can be very successful too, particularly when you have a food item with height (this is where a bird’s eye shot can be not so successful in translating the art of the dish). When doing this be sure to tap a focus point of the plate. I always like it to be something strong or iconic such as the crispy edge of a chicken, or the golden shine of a piece of fruit. It also helps to have a few items in the relative similar colour scheme present in the background, such as napkins and similar textures.
Burst Shot Function
This is one of the best features! You can take a shot and move your phone slightly around the content, in my case a plate or bowl. From there, the iPhone will select the best of the bunch form a clarity and focus perspective and you can favourite which one you would like to use. This makes it super easy when you edit so you only need to work on a few as opposed to working through the whole album.
Depth of Field
With the make of the iPhone lens it treats itself to a well performed depth of field affect. Perform the focus option mentioned in ‘Angles’ and hold down the capture button to engage the ‘Burst Function’ (mentioned in previous paragraph). Your iPhone will provide you with what it believes to be the best image from the burst. You can decide to use that as your shining image or scroll through the others. You can also tap to focus on something in the foreground which should give you some depth of field as well.
What’s amazing is Apple have now created a function that works specifically for this feature on the new iPhone 7 plus. All you have to do is select ‘Portrait’ in your photo and the phone uses two lenses to create an amazing result for a depth of field piece. Just ensure there is enough lighting… you will be blown away by the photos you used to have to get using a 50mm on a DSLR camera. I like to shoot where there is a busy background as it creates more drama for the shot.
See how much my feet are blurred out!
#ColourAlwaysWins
There is no surprise that vibrancy and colour is such an attraction. In fact it has been scientifically proven. You don’t need to know the study just perform some research yourself. Go onto Instagram, hit the explorer page and scroll down and I think you will notice the shots that catch your eye are bursting with bright pigmentation. So when setting up your shot allow for optimization of the color. With the combination of brightness plus increasing the vibrancy does some serious wonders, and doesn’t it bring so much happiness? You can see I am massive fan of colour too. Get your free eBook here to see what I mean.
Filters
Filters are a big part of your personality. Meaning that you tend to stick between 1 or 2 variations. If you look at your grid in your profile this consistency is not a coincidence. It is your perception to what you like and what bubbly-ness, drama, happy or comical you want people to see. This is one that you will pick yourself, as it is completely a reflection upon yourself. I am a big fan of VSCO and Snapeseed, both containing a number of different filter formats
So, my happy snapping friends, enjoy the convenience of having a quality shot taking option in your back pocket. I have loved it for documentation, research and of course sending out colourful plates for you to all enjoy and get the recipes for. Sending all forms of delicious love and more recipes and videos coming your way!
See more tips and tricks from Dan Churchill here: http://www.danielchurchill.com.au/
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