How to shoot all kinds of food?

Lead: Penny Deloose Santos is a well-received documentary photographer who explores and praises culture, history and society through food photography. She is a senior contributing photographer for Saveur magazine and also a contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine. Next, learn from him how to shoot delicious food.

food

There are endless food choices for shooting, which is an incredible visual theme. The only thing to remember after shooting is that food photography, like other photography, uses the principles of light, color and composition.

For the above picture, when I was about to take a picture from a cookbook, I found colorful ingredients on the counter working for the next shot in food stylist. We all realize that this is a photo. Then I brainstormed with props designers and food stylists to create this photo. ? Deloose Santos, Penny

Photo Tip: When considering shooting food, don't just consider the food already cooked on the plate or the people who are tasting it. Look at those ingredients, maybe there is a beautiful photo waiting for you to take.

Citrus supplier

Photographer: Penny Deloose Santos

get in touch with

I like food photography because it combines two photography themes that interest me most: culture and how we relate to food. For me, a food photographer is a visual food anthropologist. Not only the food on the plate, but also everything around: that moment, connection, scene, place, story.

This photo was taken when I was doing a long-term project of National Geographic magazine, which was about the life of residents in a small town on the border between Texas and Mexico. On Sunday, the young family sold oranges in the trunk of their car at a flea market. This is an area famous for citrus orchards and orchards. This scene reveals to me the lives of people working in this industry. This is a special scene: a car trunk full of fruit. It's not something you see every day. It can stimulate your thinking invisibly and ask many questions. ? Deloose Santos, Penny

Photo Tip: Consider how people relate to food and what binds them together. Believe me, the most interesting photos come from this relationship.

Mexican sandwich

Photographer: Penny Deloose Santos

Street food

No matter where I go in the world, street snacks give me the opportunity to shoot interesting and charming scenes with rich cultural atmosphere. I always pay special attention to stopping at random food stalls or markets in my city or country. This is a place where local people gather, and people gather here every day. This photo was taken in a market in Mexico City. Sandwiches in this place are stuffed with potatoes and salami and dipped in Chili sauce.

I have a new rule when taking pictures of food in food stalls: take more plates, napkins, tableware and seasonings, and sometimes order two identical dishes (not for eating, but for taking pictures, of course). ? Deloose Santos, Penny

Photo Tip: Those street snacks that are particularly noisy and chaotic can perform well in front of the camera, but remember that you have to be able to distinguish them. Try repackaging this dish. If you need to enhance the color, you can even add more of one of the ingredients. For example, it has a lime. Ask for another one before shooting. Squeeze the juice on the food and put it on the plate. Remember that you want people to drool. If you don't drool at food, then others won't drool.

Sauce

Photographer: Penny Deloose Santos

event

The scene or scenery of food is a picture with multiple factors, which gives the viewer a feeling of sitting at the table. It's interesting to make scenes. They need time and thinking, but they can add stories of food pictures. ? Deloose Santos, Penny

Photo Tip: When making a food scene, think about how to tell a story about food: express the dynamics with a messy spoon, add water drops and bread crumbs to express emotions, and combine materials to give the scene tension.

Family dinner, Dakar

Photographer: Penny Deloose Santos

Party; assembly

The reason why food attracts me as a theme is because it has the ability to connect each of us. It urges us to get together at least once a day and share time? Around the table, have a drink, or just beside the bar. It cleared up our differences and left * * *. As a photographer, this is the moment I am looking for, and it is usually the moment when good photos are born.

This photo is selected from the photos I took when I was shooting Senegalese food. After filming this woman and her daughters all day, they cooked thiebou jen (a classic Senegalese dish), and then I found that the real moment was that they all sat down to eat together, sat close together and reached for the same bowl. Telling stories through vision is photography. ? Deloose Santos, Penny

Photo Tip: When I started shooting stories about food, I always paid attention to how people got together to share food. For me, this is the moment that can best show my local culture.

Qiao kou fu LAN dessert

Photographer: Penny Deloose Santos

compose

The three main angles used in food photography are three-quarters angle, side angle and overlooking angle. Observe still life works with the idea of exploring every angle, and always remember that you are looking for the best way to express food. Besides, whatever elements you want to add to the recipe, it must be meaningful. For example, putting a knife in the picture above is not a good choice, because pudding is usually eaten with a fork or spoon. ? Deloose Santos, Penny

Photo Tip: When trying different angles, take special food as the main element of the photo. Be careful when adding other elements, they may compete or divert your original theme.

Indian tea break

Photographer: Penny Deloose Santos

Wonderful moment

The moments around food are endless, which is why I like to take it as the theme. When I was in a market in Delhi, India, I saw these men in red coats and began to follow them. They shuttled through the streets, hurried past the roadside stalls and finally stopped at this tea hall. They work in the nearby railway station, and now it's their rest time. I stayed with them during the whole recess and took photos of them drinking tea. ? Deloose Santos, Penny

Photo Tip: Look for the wonderful moments around the food, especially in the cultural atmosphere. And be alert, because those seemingly casual small details, such as the flash of color, may bring you surprises that you may miss.