Food is one of the most photographed subjects and it’s an interesting one at that. The mere look at an enticing food shot can make your tummy grumble and have you drooling. It’s become a running joke that the food gets cold before you get to eat because everyone has to take their pictures. As part of my blogging journey I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to restaurants to try various dishes. This is my take on how to be a food blogger and take food worthy shots.

Now I’d like to clarify that this is a post for those that would like to take attractive shots with minimum effort. I have much respect for those that use DSLRs and are able to set the shots just right fixing the ISO and aperture and all that technical stuff. However I prefer to take point and shoot shots especially when I need to take quick ones.

My first foray into food blogging was an invite from B&P Shaw. As you can see by the shot below it’s dark with no focal point. I used a Sony Cybershot and relied on the auto settings. As I attended more restaurant reviews and practiced I was able to take better pictures. It still required more effort though getting the best lighting possible and adjusting some settings.

At a food tour in Makati I was taking better pictures and learning how to get enticing angles of the dishes being introduced to us. This was taken indoors with adequate lighting but not the best.

Today, I’d like to say I take some pretty impressive shots with my trusty OPPO F1s and all I essentially do is point, tap and shoot. Of course, I still do a bit of assessing angles and seeing what the best position to take would be. More on that below.

Lighting

What I like about the OPPO F1s is that even indoors in low lighting I get great shots. This was taken at Diana Stalder Gateway and the venue is a little dimmer than usual. However, as you can see the shot is still bright showing the crispness of the veggies. As much as possible I’ll look for the best lighted spot to get a picture. You also can’t be shy about taking a dish and bringing it to a well lighted area or turning the dish a few times for the best capture. Of course, you need to make sure that you consider your fellow bloggers when doing these steps.

Angles

My one frustration when taking pictures of food or things is that I don’t know how to do a flat lay. So when it comes to taking food shots I keep it simple and rely on the angles. Popular techniques are taking pictures from above or up close and personal shots which is a personal favorite. Also, something I learned is that it’s better to take shots with the subjects cut off. You don’t necessarily need to capture the whole subject. It’s more pleasing to the eye and gives it a better dynamic. Below you’ll see that the two baskets of fish and chips and onion rings are diagonally placed and the shots are cut off as well as the pizza. Since the wood is a large part of the feel to the picture it’s alright that this image is not bright. It actually sets a mood for the image.

Practice

Above all else what you really need to do is practice. You won’t know what the best lighting and angles could be for a picture if you don’t try several shots. I took this shot by a window to get this lighting. I also turned this dish several times and kept taking pictures till I got the one that I felt was right.

Extra Tips

Tap on the screen!

Another way to get a lighted shot is to tap on the screen. You’ll notice that when you tap different areas of the OPPO F1s the picture clarity changes. It can go from dark to light. Tapping on the screen also helps to make sure you get the clearest shot.

Wipe the lens

A simple step but in a rush to take pictures we forget to make sure the lens is clean.

If you’re after capturing clean and crisp food shots the OPPO F1s is one you should consider.

Read up on my overall review of the OPPO F1s!

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