It is important that you keep your work out there in front of people to reinforce your brand as a photographer. Twitter and Facebook are excellent ways to do that and the weekly smartphone foodie photos are an easy way to get that done. But, there is a huge difference between Tweeting your meal in a diner and having a food designer set up your shoot in a studio. You need to be sure your foodie photos make you look as good as your studio photos do or else you are hurting your reputation instead of building it up.
Frame the Shot
Before taking a bite, take a look at the table and find the tastiest looking morsel. You can frame that scrumptious bit of food by adjusting silverware. You can put a fork on one side of the plate and knife on the other in a V shape, with the open end on the camera side. That silverware will take the eye right to the food you are shooting in a close up shot. Of course, you don’t want to get too close, but get close enough that all the distracting surroundings are cut out of the shot.
Do a Quick Design
It only takes a minute to push a little something over here, place a piece of bread next to the biggest shrimp or take the flower out of the vase and place it on the plate. There are usually many things on a restaurant table you can use to dress things up a bit and make the photo speak volumes about where you are and what kind of meal this is going to be. So, before you take that shot and Tweet it to thousands of followers, make sure you are sending them something special.
How to Shed a Little More Light on the Subject
OK, by this time the people at the next table already think you are insane and are backing away from you a little bit, so just go for it. Is there enough light on your dish? Restaurants are known for their dim lighting, so when you are seated you should do your best to pick a table near a window or other great light source. Even still, the light might not be enough for a really good shot.
To increase light you can use white napkins or paper to bounce the light around your plate. The placement of one large, white cloth napkin can actually be enough to dramatically increase the light on your prime rib dinner or Cobb salad. You can stand that napkin up with water glasses and visually check the lighting, then move it around or have your dinner companion hold it up for you to reflect the light to a spot where it needs to be.
Keep Your Great Photography In Front of Potential Clients
Tweeting lunches, dinners and cocktails is a very popular way to entertain your Twitter followers. They love great photos and love taking a peek into a moment of your life. You do need to take care in setting up those smartphone foodie shots to make sure they are good enough to be advertising your work.