Recipe for Food Pics

Food is a large part of the common-access, editorial subjects I capture for Alamy. I estimate that a quarter to a third of my stock photo library deals with food. That includes people dining out, farmers' markets, items on supermarket shelves, and closeups of meals. Editorial stock photography is the only shooting I do now that I'm semi-retired. 

With the lifting of the Lockdown here in Liverpool, I've started eating out again. In this past month, I've had lunch out once or twice a week. Recently, there's a 50% government discount on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays which makes things almost affordable. 

A Pizzeria in Lower Manhattan

I have a friend who is a leading assignment photographer in America. She does wonderful studio shoots that often involve a chef, a stylist, and a few assistants. It's beautiful work. Me? Well, I don't do that. 

Instead, I aim at that place somewhere between studio-controlled images and casual snapshots. The meals I'm photographing are the meals I'm about to eat, and I'm usually hungry. I'm not shooting coherent sets of pictures or full restaurant menus. Each image I upload must stand on its own. 

Caprese Salad

I work fast, getting three classic frames: overhead, diner's view, and a closeup. Mostly, I use the light from one window. I don't ponder shots or look for "creative" angles. The props, the extras, are always utensils, napkins, and other things found in all dining areas. Food, I feel, is about taste. If an image tweaks your tastebuds, it's successful. If it doesn't, it's not. Simple, eh? 

At home, in summer, I like to fix myself a large plate of mixed, multi-cultural antipasto—some Italian, some Mexican, and a little Greek, Indian, or Middle Eastern. Tasty and healthy food. But for stock photography, simpler subjects work better. 

Green Beans on a Green Table

And famous, popular dishes seem to work best.  

A Cheeseburger and Fries