Baking, decorating and eating cakes is a timeless hobby enjoyed by many. We’re here to share our professional food photography tips to help you show off your favourite baked goods.
Find Your Inspiration
Open Pinterest, or Instagram, or even grab your favourite cookbook and take 2-5 minutes to look at pictures of food. Which ones stand out to you? Take note of any trends you notice so you can begin with a strong idea of what you want to create.
Here are examples of our favourite Inspiration boards:
@coven_bakery on Instagram
@thaveganbaker on Instagram
Get to Know Your Camera
If you’re using a phone camera, sometimes the autofocus can throw you off from taking a beautiful picture. Over time you will get a better understanding of what you do and don’t like, but we recommend you start exploring the following:
Have your grid switched on – this will help you with composition
Adjust the exposure bias – your phone will override this to brighten or darken your image for you, manipulate it yourself by tapping on the screen and sliding the sun up and down
Lock the focus and exposure – control the sharpness of your photo by tapping and holding the focal point of your image, then click on the AE/AF Lock pop-up at the top of the screen
Build A Story
Everyone loves a good story. Spark your audience’s imagination with prop pieces like a picnic blanket, some sunglasses or even a set of nice cutlery and glasses. Adding context to an image can really bring it to life and allow your audience to see themselves in it – they’ll be thinking about what your cake tastes like before they know it!
Feeling stuck? Think about what story you want to tell with your image. Is it Christmas time and you’re cosied up by the fire with some mulled wine? Then grab some festive mistletoe and fake snow. Or is it the height of summer and you’re on a celebratory picnic? Pull out your best picnic blanket and sunhat. Decide what you want to say and build from there.
Try these out to start:
Fruit
Serving Plates
Table cloth
Garnishes
Lighting
When it comes to taking pictures that do your cake justice, lighting is your best friend. If you haven’t had much experience with big studio light, don’t worry – natural light is an excellent resource to use – totally free! Place your subject in front of a large window for the best results.
Whatever you do, have the light either in front or on the side of your cake to avoid unwanted shadows.
Find the Perfect Angle
The angle of your image is imperative to show off the texture of your cake. The best practice to take here is to refer to your inspo pictures and test the different styles.
Alternatively, start by giving these angles a go:
- Straight-on – this works nicely if you want to show off the height or layers of your cake.
- Three-quarter – use this angle to really make your cake filling pop.
- Overhead – highlight your decorating skills with this angle.
Never Skip Editing
Editing can also elevate your image beyond the capabilities of any camera. A well-edited picture can trick any person into thinking you’re a pro.
It is easy to get swept up in the overwhelming set of tools, overlays and styles that come along with editing software, but the good news is you do not have to be an expert photographer to edit your photos well. Focus o these adjustments first:
- Brightness
- Colour saturation
- White balance
- Contrast
- Shadows
Go slowly, remember less is more and you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful image.
Here are our recommendations for free editing apps you can get on mobile: