Food: you eat it but do you shoot it?

[Ed Rooney]

 

Food keeps finding its way into so many other posts, I thought it time to give this universal subject its own place.

 

Food related subjects account for about a third of my sales. That includes what's on the shelves of supermarkets, produce, people eating or drinking in restaurants, as well as tabletop food pics. Circumstances have confined me to shooting my tabletop pics in restaurants now but I used to do some cooking and capturing at home in NYC. I may eventually start doing some food photography in my new rental flat in Liverpool. 

 

I don't have a professional kitchen or a studio and staff like my culinary hero, Francesco Tonelli, has. He is a master chef, a teacher, and runs a magnificent studio in New Jersey. I aim for the more-modest midpoint between studio perfection and the reality of Street. And I eat all the meals I shoot. I try to capture the taste, the freshness, and the value of food. I don't see meals the way fast-food TV ads do, a party-like event. And as a general rule, I don't upload images that I don't like. "Anything sells" and "good enough" are not photo philosophies I embrace. 

 

I see a lot of outstanding food photography on Alamy. I hope we hear from some of the best shooters here. So, what do you other foodies do?

 

 

 

 

[geogphotos]

Not really my thing but this snap has sold a few times. 

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by geogphotos

[Lori Rider]

I enjoy shooting food. I don't think I'm an expert by any means--and I don't usually make food that's pretty enough to photograph! I'm always looking for opportunities when I'm out and about. Public markets are some of my favorite places. This is my only food shot that has sold (so far).

 

[Michael Ventura]

Just checked and I have 1,060 images with food as a tag...not all are plates of food of course.  I do sell a fair amount of food shots and most of those dishes of food, I did consume!! 

 

 

 

[Michael Ventura]

One little bit of advice to help increase food sales....and maybe it is obvious, is to always try to order iconic dishes from the region where you are.  Those photos are often used in travel related stories or brochures.  Also shots of latest food fads or trends, such a plant based burgers, gluten free anything etc... 

[vpics]

I just bought a book about food photography ... 

 

[Normspics]

I used to do a lot of studio shots of food this had done well for me and we consumed it eventually 

 

 

 

 

 

Pad Thai that I had for lunch at our favourite place. 

 

[Normspics]

I have been using my Sony RX100V for restaurant shots recently, the Pad Thai I posted above was shot on this camera, however I have noticed if it is not “Lay Flat” types of shots, then the depth of field gets narrow quickly and I hesitate to upload those shots. It happened recently with a veggie burger and fries I didn’t want to gamble that the area in focus was enough to pass QC. It’s surprising that the Sony RX100V can produce shallow depth of field from a small sensor.

[Rico]

I'm going to need some help chowing this one down. Does anyone have any spare sour cream?  

Glendon Alberta

 

[hdh]

It is my wife taking shots of food, not my cup of tea, but she is not on Alamy (yet). 

Still have three (rather dull) shots, where I could not resist 

(They belong to the first pictures I uploaded and looking at them now, they may need some serious rework) 

 

 

 

[Betty LaRue]

I believe every food shot I’ve sold has been of something I baked or cooked. No fancy styling, just plain home cooking. It always amazes me. This one sold for packaging, $700 back when I got 60%.

This is an early shot of pinto beans and ham hock with cornbread. I think it’s awful...I got better than this later on. Yet this image has sold several times. I just cooked the same thing yesterday, plenty of leftovers. I think I’ll shoot it again.
 

Edited November 14, 2019 by Betty LaRue

[Bryan]

A great subject for horrible winter days. I don't have many but this one has sold

 

[spacecadet]

Mostly France for some reason...mmm duck à l'orange, Laon, a seller

 

Duck confit...actually taken in Rochester, another seller

 

I quite like this one.......Tuna steak, Toulouse

 

.....and haute cuisine in Hull.

 

That's me behind the burger, copyright OH. She gets a drink if it sells. London.

 

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by spacecadet

[spacecadet]

I might have wanted to see more of that jolly tray- it's part of the schtick.

You didn't ask about it, but I often put in a wink of built-in flash in daylight- it can lift a pic. Most of mine above probably have some.

Edited November 14, 2019 by spacecadet

[Allan Bell]

21 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

That's me behind the burger, copyright OH. She gets a drink if it sells. London.

 

How the hell do you get your mouth round THAT?🙂

 

Allan

 

[hdh]

1 minute ago, Allan Bell said:

 

How the hell do you get your mouth round THAT?🙂

 

Allan

 

Maybe body modification with some snake-tech?

[Allan Bell]

 

I used to shoot then eat my food. After skinning and gutting it.

 

There are some images of food in my port but not very good. Non have sold. My add one or two when I have more time.

 

Allan

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Allan Bell

[John Mitchell]

I don't qualify as a foodie, a chef, or a food photographer. However, I do a bit of casual food photography in restaurants (meals I've ordered myself) and in grocery stores and markets. I've been semi-vegetarian (I do eat some fish and other seafood) most of my adult life, and with the growing interest in consuming more plant-based foods, I've been concentrating on photographing veggie meals and meat alternatives.

 

However, I'm still waiting for someone to order my tofu teriyaki:

 

 

or my vegetarian pho...

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by John Mitchell

[Ed Rooney]

 

Hey, this is fun! 😀

[Thyrsis]

We don't have many but this one of mine has sold to Japanese TV for a nice sum.. And tasty it was too!

 

 

 

[Thyrsis]

This studio shot of Ian's is more concept including food than food to eat!

 

[Marianne]

I worked as an assistant for a food photographer for a few years, and that may be why I don't do much food photography - I shoot some but I usually feel they aren't good enough. I only have 20 "food" images and most were shot for old assignments for local media and uploaded over a decade ago, before I worked with her.

 

I'm a bit more lenient on myself when I shoot with my iPhone. The first one I shot at home, the others out at coffee shops. The last one made the "grid of greatness" when I uploaded it earlier this month. I like the middle one best. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alamy sold this one for me years ago:

 

 

 

And this sold a few times (though I consider this one more travel than food, it's one of my few that showed up with "food" as a keyword:

 

 

 

 

I'll be baking for Thanksgiving, so I ought to shoot some of that.  You've inspired me Ed!

[John Mitchell]

I photograph food-related signs as well. Some have sold, like this one not too long ago:

 

[Marianne]

Forgot about this one - it has sold four times - once for the cover of a Sunday magazine in one of the British papers:

 

 

 

I shot a bunch of different cakes for a client and then gave her a break on the price in exchange for letting me style some of them. 

 

And this one of baking supplies has also sold:

 

 

 

Out of 20 images, no a bad percentage. Ed, you've inspired me to add more food and food-related pix to the mix. 

I shoot a lot at restaurants but usually end up deleting them, they don't seem to come out well for me. You do so nicely with your restaurant pix. The two above were both done with strobes and softboxes. I haven't set up my home studio in ages - takes up a lot of room. A good winter project. 

[hdh]

What about cat food, does that count as well? 

(WARNING: mouse involved, only linking to picture to protect the faint hearted)