Photographing Treasured Heirloom Recipes

Here are a few tips to help you get a great, yummy shot of your family’s legacy recipes:


1. Basic food photography tips:

   • Natural, side-lighting makes food look it’s absolute best! Put       the dish in the shade right next to where the direct sunlight       ends.

   • Using a tripod and your camera’s timer will help stabilize your       camera so every crumb is in perfect, tasty focus. If you don’t       have a tripod, snag a small bag of beans or rice and nestle       your camera into it. Whenever using anything to stabilize your       camera, be sure to use your camera’s timer: click the shutter       half-way down to focus on the “yummiest” part of the food,       then push it all the way and let go of the camera, letting the       timer take care of the rest.

   • Using a reflector will help fill in the light and decrease dark       shadows in your food pics. If you don’t have a reflector, use       your silver car window screen or a sheet of tin foil that you’ve       made really bumpy with lots of scrunching.

2. Capture the “yummy” factor:

   • Get close up to the food with your camera. Use your camera’s       zoom to focus on the most delicious part of the dish (i.e. the       molten chocolate center).

   • Experiment with many varied camera angles. Shoot the dish       from above, below looking up or from a side-view/profile.

3. Get creative about how you photograph your family member in the shot.

Try photographing only their hands preparing or holding the dish. If you have their face in the shot, have the focus be on the food and their face being in the blurred background.

This summer when you’re with family at reunions and other gatherings, don’t forget your camera! Snap some shots of those special dishes and you’ll treasure them forever!


Quinn Curtis is a local professional commercial food photographer who delights in giving her clients lick-the-pic, delicious food shots. For more helpful ideas on photographing food, connect with Quinn Curtis online at LimelightFoodPhotography.com.

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