Whether you whip out your phone at restaurants, or set the stage for your pictures very carefully, tell your food story, and express it with more than words.
By Marissa Sertich
I am astounded by the number of ugly food photos littering the internet, Facebook, Instagram and every other type of media infestation – piles of limp, grey vegetables, out of focus fettuccini, and unfortunate, un-photogenic foods (…like crocks of chili). I admit that I am no photographer. In fact, I wouldn’t know an aperture if it hit me in the face. Luckily there is an answer to my ugly food photo woes – Snapn Food: Delicious Food Photography in a Snap, gives amateur food photographers a mini guide to creating professional pictures that capture the deliciousness of every dish.
Authors Paul O’Hanlon and Kelly Kingman convey over 20 years of food photography experience, working with names such as Daniel Boulud and Charlie Palmer, as well as producing photo shoots at WD-50 and the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. (I also had the pleasure of working with Paul for the 1st edition of Honest Cooking.) This duo does more than “say cheese” – they are more likely to say “El Trigal Manchego with almonds, fennel and mustard.”
The guide gives helpful hints to shooting with a camera phone (as well as a traditional camera), and also goes in-depth to explain various style types, food styling, lighting, angles and more. Learn to take a “Hero shot,” or get inspired by prop suggestions that set the mood for your food story. “The dishes we create and consume become a canvas for stories of tradition, creativity, joy, pride, comfort, nature and flavor,” reads the manual. Whether you whip out your phone at restaurants, or set the stage for your pictures very carefully, tell your food story, and express it with more than words.
