Food photography is usually very tedious and requires special lights, food stylists and very little eating.
But what happens when I don’t have special lights or a food stylist? I use a white table cloth, bounced flash and natural light and rely on the chef to make sure the food looks tasty. Oh yeah, and I get to eat!
A few weeks ago I photographed Cool Mint Cafe in San Marcos for Community Impact News. The food was organic and refreshing.
I went with a reporter, so the dishes I shot were prepared for our dinner. I made everyone wait to take a bite until after I could photograph their plate.
For most shots I used the restaurant’s white table clothes and white dishes as a background and bounced a flash off the ceiling. That gave nice even light and a clean backdrop.
There were a few dishes that they didn’t serve on clean white dishes, so I chose a different background. I shot this dish on a cutting board in the kitchen. Still a clean background, but a different feel.
The meal was great and I recommend the restaurant if you’re ever in San Marcos!