Capturing the beauty of a meal is difficult, but some meals are more difficult for a food photographer. Here are some of the hardest foods to properly capture.
There is a popular saying in the culinary world that people eat with their eyes first, and that is why most restaurants will work closely with a skilled food photographer in order to make sure their foods look as delicious as they taste.
In some cases, it is far easier to make a meal look incredible than in others. Many salads have vibrant colours and natural beauty to make them easy to capture. In fact, the first-ever food photograph in 1845 was of a basket of peaches and a pineapple.
However, capturing a meal in a way that makes the mouth water is far from easy, and food stylists train for a long time to perfect the looks of different types of foods. Here are some of the most difficult, and how a professional might approach it.
Soup
One of the most delicious foods to eat can be tricky to capture in a photograph, given that most of the starring ingredients of a soup are often near the bottom of the plate, which can make even the most appetising soup look like a bowl of liquid when shot from above.
Many photographers will thin out the liquid itself in the case of a more opaque soup and use a special soup bowl which allows some of the key ingredients to peek over the top. Garnishes such as nuts, herbs, seeds or spices will help add texture to the bowl as well.
Steak
Capturing the subtle details and the multisensory parts of a meat dish can be difficult at times because to make it look as amazing as it does when it is plated and served, it needs to be photographed when it is just as fresh out of the oven.
Oil, sauces and spices can also help to add texture, as can a distinctive plate or serving board.