Candied orange slices, Moroccan tagine, Japanese soba, French croissants, vibrant fruit bowls and what looks suspiciously like homemade apple crumble. Our eyeballs did double takes, our hands triple shakes, as we shivered at the stomach earthquakes we were experiencing. Photographer Anna Pustynnikova has a photography collection that makes us wish we could rub a magic lamp to manifest that food from our screens to our tables. Get ready for some mouthwatering, stomach growl-inducing, eyes rolling back into your skull till we see your whites type of food photography.
Encompassing the very definition of food porn, this Moscow-based contributor teases us with delectable delights. Soup that looks delicious enough to slurp down in one go? She’s got it. Chilled, creamy shots of affogato that make the sleepy side of your brain wobble and wiggle with want? Check. Also, you know when mom had to tell you to eat your veggies more than once? She should’ve gotten photographer Anna to help with seducing your appetite.
Shoot food, not props! Food is the hero and even if you have really beautiful plates, think of the food first and then choose your props.
Creating With Colors
I’ve always thought Mother Nature’s best gift to us was vibrant colors with flowers and fruit. Anna slides some dynamic color palettes in her photos to tickle our palates, if you get what I mean. 😉 Nothing like turning on the colorful charm when needed! Take a leaf out of Anna’s book (or just download her photos) by incorporating these into your visual marketing.
Here are Anna’s tips on achieving beautiful food photography:
– Try to find and reveal beauty, unique character, the authenticity of every product, any ingredient and dish you shoot, your main hero!
– Don’t shoot without any idea, even a very simple one. Always take time to think about what you’d like to say — and show — and what you would like people to feel looking at your image.
– Be very accurate and precise in creating your scene and styling your dish. All props and background should be clean, food should be fresh and styled with attention to every detail — a withered leaf of mint or dirty glass can easily spoil and ruin all your efforts.
– Shoot food, not props! Food is the hero and even if you have really beautiful plates, think of the food first and then choose your props.
– Be consistent and logical in choosing props and styling. If you shoot an apple pie, don’t put plums in your scene. Less is more sometimes.
I’m lucky that in fact, my biggest inspiration is FOOD and LIGHT itself. I can get completely inspired by seeing beams of light on a morning cup of coffee, by seeing beautiful shadows and highlights on any object start from architecture to tiny flower petal and even unusual recipe can bring me lots of new photography ideas. Anna Pustynnikova
