Food Photography & Lighting: A Commercial Photographer’s Guide to Creating Irresistible Images

Introduction: Food and Me

On a recent trip to New Orleans I stopped at a local restaurant in the French Quarter for lunch. Whenever I go out to lunch and especially when I’m on vacation, I have my camera with me. I always ask to be seated near a window. At this restaurant, I chose my seat based on keeping the window light in front of me, or slightly to the side. That way any images that I shot would have a strong backlight or sidelight. I can always hold a white napkin next to the camera for fill light if needed. I also encourage those who have accompanied me to the restaurant to consider ordering food based on the appearance, not just taste, and to order more than they can eat—in this case calas—if they think that something might make a great ...