PHOTO 101
Dish up tantalising food photos
When it comes to food photography, the smallest edits can do wonders, transforming last night’s menu into striking pics that will catch everyone’s eye.
Popular food blogger Leslie Liu (@taipeifoodie) has previously shared with us her six food photography secrets, so we invited her back to impart some of her editing expertise.
With these tips to hand, you’ll be able to take simple food pics to a whole other level.
Filter first
Liu begins her editing process by applying filters using VSCO (she recommends starring your preferred and most frequently used ones so that you can quickly find them in the app).
Her go-to presets include A6, S2, HB2, J5 and SS3, which gives her ample options to work with depending on the setting of her photo.
A6 is cafe-friendly as it picks up on white accents; S2 has an overall natural feel and is relatively bright; HB2 is a filter in collaboration with HYPEBEAST and has a moody feel; J5 casts a pale green tint over the image and is suitable for photographing wood; while SS3 mutes the image but gives great texture.
Develop your personal palette
VSCO has much more to offer besides filters, it also has an extensive editing toolbox. There are a few parameters that Liu can’t resist tinkering with, and these four small tweaks can really enhance the feel of a photo.
- Don’t over-expose: a lot of people like bright images, but in fact toning it down slightly will give you a more natural-looking picture.
- Cooler colours: if the image is too yellow, the colours of food will blend and lose appeal. Solve this by adjusting the White Balance sliders to cast cooler tones.
- Add some clarity: sharpen the edges of objects to make the picture more defined.
- Play around with HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness): control the intensity of individual colours to make them pop, for example, greener spring onions and pinker salmon.
While these are Liu’s personal favourites, exploring the app’s vast range of features will help you discover your own favoured style.
Wipe away distractions
You’ve got what you think is the perfect picture, and then you spy a distracting object or a photobomber when you review your shots. Liu’s tip for correcting such inconveniences: TouchRetouch.
Launch the app, go to Object Removal and use the brush to mark the unwanted item – then tap GO and, eureka, it’s gone!
Be selective
f you’re looking for finesse, Liu recommends Snapseed for tuning the finer details. Say you’re photographing a salmon dish but the results are a little lacklustre.
For images in need of some oomph, Liu uses the Tools section in the app to find the brush function, then adjusts the exposure parameter as she sees fit. You’ll be able to enlarge your image for more precision, and to brighten a specific area of your photo, simply swipe your finger over the at section.
Quality control
Finally, Liu recommends checking and rechecking before posting. First, look at the overall composition and straighten the perspective if necessary. Next, make sure the lighting is neither too dark nor bright. And lastly, watch out for overly saturated images – don’t let colour compromise natural ambiance.
So before you snap your next plat du jour, put these tips into practice and give your followers a foodie pic to really savour.