feast for the eyes

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." ~ Harriet Van Horne

Food and photography make a beautiful match.  Food provides vivid colors and varying textures naturally for photographers.  From shooting ingredients, to prep work in a kitchen, to the finished product, and even nibbled on creation, the shooting possibilities are endless. I personally find photographing food a challenge, but being passionate about both makes me strive to take better food shots. A beautiful photo of a dish instantly draws me in. I have made many a recipe, and bought many a food magazine, or cookbook simply from falling in love with someone else's photographs. When I pick up a new cookbook the first thing I do is thumb through the pages in hopes of seeing beautiful food, if I find that then I am compelled to dive in.  Some photographers have a signature style when it comes to photographing food. I think a lot of that has to do with composition and styling.  The perfect plate, linens, glassware, really add to a photo. From the rustic farm table, to the refined china,  I am continually inspired.

Lets have a feast for our eyes today. Share a favorite food shot and your thoughts on the subject.  Do you style food shots? Do you have a favorite table, cup, plate that you find yourself photographing again and again? Do you find that you are more passionate about food from photos? 

Let's celebrate all that is sweet, spicy, steamy and down right delicious.  Tempt me please! 

Comments

[Jennifée]

Totally agree that carrots are a feast for the eye - they've such a vibrant colour that I really love. I love shooting food, but don't have the knowhow - yet - to style it first. My best technique is to shoot muffins and cakes and things when they're cooling on the stovetop, since it's directly underneath a light there. My favourite example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85057042@N00/5171991279

[Jote]

I love the way pictures of food can summon up feelings of comfort and contentment. Around our place, homemade tortillas are comfort food...

I don't really style any of my photos but I definitely do have a favorite kitchen window that I like to use. :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blessherheart/5531617172/

[Chantal]

Garlic can make it spicy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/1631426641/

A steamed red onion to go with it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/1632348606/

A steamy hot pie for desert: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/1936192358/

And downright delicious: a fresh ice tea: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26687796@N00/2217631551/

[meredith]

I am definitely more drawn to a cookbook with beautiful photos of the finished recipes. I'm trying to learn how to take good food photos, here's one of a rutabaga that didn't turn out too bad. I like how I can see the hairy fibers and a bit of dirt.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppy-in-provence/5150762252/

[Marcie]

Recently - I've been using fruit and other foods in my 'still lifes':
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/home/2011/3/15/pears-and-other-girls.html

[Annika Christine]

I don't style food but I do move them into the light. If it's too dark in the kitchen why not to try the windowsell in the living room? The good thing about photographing food: it does not move, it's patient and I can try a lot. :)

So here are some tomatos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikachristine/5514614174/
some cakes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikachristine/4897129582/in/set-72157622988004781/
and a muffin http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikachristine/4893385592/in/set-72157622988004781/

[Kathleen O.]

I don't style any food shots, although I have been known to move a dish or mug around to find the perfect spot of sunlight. For me, taking pics of food is something I don't do that often, but when I do it is all about the memory that goes along with the food - like making muffins with my kid or creating holiday fare. Or making a warm breakfast before school (quite a rarity on a weekday) on a chilly day...http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/5495355421/

[Kristin]

Our family loves spaghetti. We eat several times a week, often with vegetables and parmesan, or tomato sauce, olives, capers and Parmesan cheese. Thus, it is not always the same, I try every now and then from one another spaghetti recipe.

http://liundbelle.blogspot.com/2010/12/spaghetti-mit-krauterfrischkase.html#links

[Jess]

Wonderful color in your photograph. I can taste those carrot. One night, I was cooking a family favorite and I decided it looked kind of pretty. I grabbed my camera and had a little fun.

http://jessicavescera.blogspot.com/2011/02/dinner.html

[Amy]

I love to take pictures of food, as you can tell from these recent shots!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531386057/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531378095/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531953116/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531945868/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531937742/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531345211/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531342601/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23668869@N04/5531337539/

[ccap]

I am with you there! I looove cookbooks that have delicious photos in them. I have some I've never cooked from but I've certainly paged through the photos from time to time. Here are some of my creations:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyblue/5278177344/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyblue/5278173486/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyblue/5277569241/

[ccap]

Also... I love the light on your carrots!

[sam]

One of my favorite things to do.......aside from the cooking.....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samanthaspics/5525263110/

[Beth]

Usually I love photographing baked goods - they're just so sweet and fun and colorful. But recently I was at a "make your own sushi" party and all of the sushi-making ingredients were just so gorgeous -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14632491@N07/5490186815/

[Lillian]

Love this post! I've been trying to learn food photography a ton lately and playing around with it a lot - it's hard! Favorites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5513266867/in/set-72157625076688009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5513266867/in/set-72157625076688009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5096916669/in/set-72157625076688009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/5430925285/in/set-72157625076688009/

[Misty]

The garden. It's bountiful beauty. And the baskets used to collect that bounty are a nice touch too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dontforgetthehorse/4930709638/in/photostream/lightbox/

[Susan]

I guess I am one of the very few who has no food photos to share! but I had to say how much your shot of these gorgeous carrots just made my morning sparkle! Thanks, I really needed a shot of color.

[jodi]

i'm not much of a cook -- yet. but i do love to wander around the farmers market and snap photos of all the gorgeous produce. this is one of my favorites from a sunny day in june.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodimckee/3603478523/

[marina]

I love photographing the preparation of food, even if I don't do it often. Bread making, for example, which I find moving when done without machines, as in this shot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mar_s/5531533239/

[Katrina Kennedy]

Lovely carrots!

I love shooting on square plates on my washing machine. The light is just right and the square plate adds such a nice angle. http://captureyour365.com/2010/02/photographing-dinner/

Sometimes I like the contrast of the white plate against my cutting board. A bit more caught in real time, as we cook. http://captureyour365.com/2010/07/from-my-home-garden-to-my-dinner-table/

[C Blore]

Love the post! Photographing food is one of my passionate hobbies I love photographing that perfect plating (which I can't seem to achieve).

I guess I style my shots...I use white... a lot. Surfaces, plates, cups you name it...in part because it doesn't draw the eye away from the food.

I love photographing all stages of a dish. Prep, cooking and finished result.

Here's one of my favourites;

http://winnipegweddingphotographybycoral.blogspot.com/2011/03/food.html

[Sonja]

Definitely my German Chocolate Cake recipe... mhhmm it was good!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55696962@N07/5530807460/

[Denise]

Food photos are so much fun! I love being able to "taste" and "smell" the food just by looking at the photo.

Here are a few of mine:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deniselivingston/5532190452/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deniselivingston/5269805422/

[autumn sun]

i have a set devoted entirely to breakfast on the weekends at my table. i love the light there and love how whatever happens to be on the table tells a story of the season or whatever.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/4873886979/in/set-72157624567007889/
many times it's simply what i'm eating
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5401455915/in/set-72157624567007889/
i get excited when i look and the color in the book i'm reading matches perfectly to the bowl i'm using for my cereal.
there's very little purposeful styling but so many times it appears as if i planned it. such as this - one my daughter laughed at me saying i planned it that way - seriously i did not.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5462953700/in/set-72157624567007889/

[bridge]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/5388649827/

there are so many dishes and recipes that I feel I must photograph don;t know why yet. just know I must.

[joey]

My husband loves to cook and I love to take pictures. For a short while, we teamed up for a food blog, but didn't have enough time to keep it going. I still photograph his food masterpieces. These are older shots, but were the first ones I could find. Mmmmm.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19379573@N06/5531641729/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19379573@N06/5532227494/

[Laine]

I've been reading this blog for a few months now. I love all the variety in photography and looking through all the contributed photographs. It inspires me in my own photography and keeps those artistic juices flowing. I haven't posted any of my own photos before but thought today would be "the day" to stop lurking in the shadows. Here is a photograph I took of an orange slice. I love how it looks almost like a stained glass window. http://lainethomasphotography.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/slice-of-light/

[Brenda]

The most styling I do is to move a dish to more favorable light and maybe put a fork
in the shot as well. I like to be able to eat what I've just shot! lol

http://www.pbase.com/skiingrn1/image/110430494
http://www.pbase.com/skiingrn1/image/120972455
http://www.pbase.com/skiingrn1/image/89544481

[JC]

I love photographing food that I've taken a long time to make or that was particularly tasty. I had to capture these bacon biscuits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/justycinmd/5510565823/in/set-72157625807762695/

[Jenny]

I'm not much of a baker because I have such a ferocious sweet tooth! I would eat everything, which is a pretty bad idea. Instead, we enjoy sweets a little at a time. I took this picture last summer at the best doughnut shop in the known world - Voodoo Donuts. Yummo!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/climbermom/4865297668/in/set-72157624373687467/

[Brenda]

I don't really cook but I do buy fruit or veggies to become still life subjects - they don't object or move (as Annika Christine points out above) - one of the best things about them, in my book.

Here is a blog post about purchasing a pear and the resulting photograph:

http://www.gottgraphicsdesign.com/2011/02/11/the-essence-of-pear/

And the inside of a pepper:
http://flic.kr/p/9jNgiN

And a lime slice:
http://flic.kr/p/9pTpSf

Thanks for a wonderful topic. The photos shared above are stunning!

[Jamie]

Artichoke!

http://tinycorners.com/index.php?showimage=572

[Trude]

Good food photography is definitely harder than it looks! My mom's kitchen is full of lighting and color balance challenges, even as beautiful remodeled as it is, but I still keep trying to get good shots of her amazing dishes! http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/5260187364/

[Julie Alvarez]

I definitely love shooting food.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/sets/72157605263403647/with/5523459009/
It is something that I always have in hand, and in time, with the years I learned to really appreciate the good things of food, the ingredients, the making, the time consuming, the process of gathering, and the sharing (this is the most important part for me).
But I always like it more when I see (and photograph) a "scene-like" food image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5418830676/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5418864080/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5418834466/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5436366723/in/set-72157605263403647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/5490281543/in/set-72157605263403647/

[Jess]

Every time I try to take photos like these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/4908101310/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/5051481366/in/set-72157624521220590/

I somehow also end up with photos like these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/4907508769/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/5051481360/

I wouldn't trade my world for anything! :)

(and yes I do actually feed them)

[katrina (shesinthekitchen)]

I've seen myself grow so much in the 3 years I've been a foodblogger! Photography is a passion - but, then, so is food and cooking. I usually use a white board, white plates, white cups - mainly because I use natural light and it often seems to be on the gloomy, dark side lately. I try to capture textures, color , juiciness; droolworthy is my goal. Here's one I took last week:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46177695@N08/5506425478/

You can find the recipe here: http://shesinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-pot-chicken-with-dill-and.html

[Laura Louise]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35374947@N04/5532197639/in/photostream/

love this post! food and photography...hand in hand. I find myself using my camera more and more in the kitchen. Food is love....beauty...the textures, colors, smells, plates, napkins....light. It can be those simple little things that completely turn my day around. Oatmeal and honey in the right bowl next to a window and make me swoon : )

xo

[Patty]

That's a great shot...it's funny yesterday I suddenly got an urge to start photographing food...

http://pmaherphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/you-say-tomato.html

[Lee]

This seems to be the favorite of everyone on my flickr stream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leedav/2691632892/

Sometimes I take a lot of time with shots but usually I just want to eat so things get a bit rushed. It's hard working with food every day too. I kind of have to shut off my desire to take pics of everything because I don't have time!

[Dotti]

Whether one likes to cook or not, fruit is a wonderful thing to photograph.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48337138@N04/5442583635/

[mae]

i love to cook and cook often for my family. i wish i was able to stop midstream and photograph more of it. alas, i'm better at shooting at the market. these are a couple from the market in Taiwan.

http://flic.kr/p/9qSXGV
http://flic.kr/p/9qSXFX

[Through the Lens of Kimberly Gauthier, Photo Blog]

The trouble I have is shooting while I'm cooking. Whenever I cook something new, I want to share the recipes along with pictures, but I forget about my camera.

When we're eating out, then the camera is right there! Restaurants seem to love it when you take cook pictures of their food.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlygauthier/5423198829/in/set-72157623803788731/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlygauthier/4912242734/in/set-72157623803788731/

[Kat]

I love food shots but rarely take them myself. I agree with you on cookbooks - I love ones with great photography! I did try some styling for this still life, celebrating my favorite foods in Italy:
http://www.kateyeview.com/2011/02/artful-arrangement.html

[froddard]

This is a very old post from my blog that I rarely update any more.. but I don't have access to all my latest food pictures at the moment. (I took some lovely pictures of perfect little silvery smelt last weekend. I'll have to find another time to share those!)
I love the colours and composition of these two pictures side by side. And grated raw in a salad with lots of garlic is still the only way I'll willingly eat beets!

http://planetborscht.blogspot.com/2007/08/beet-salad.html

[Andrea]

I have to agree - food is fascinating and offers a lot of opportunities and challenges at the same time. I have started cooking recently (rather late with almost 31..) and decided to take a picture of the results whenever possible.

Here is one of such result pictures (the one to the right): http://www.andreahandl.de/?p=234

I also LOVE the texture of fresh italian bread (left picture): http://www.andreahandl.de/?p=194

[Lizzie Staley]

It makes a meal more special when you treat it in a way that you want to capture in an image to show the mood of the food :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizzie-staley/5140681291/in/set-72157625240757778/

[Emma]

I love food photography and am new to it as I started a blog only a few months ago. I totally agree with the above comments that I'll often buy a magazine or cookbook or try a recipe based on the photography - food styling and photography is a real art form these days.

I've enjoyed looking at all the images here as I love to see the world through other people's eyes, it's quite fascinating.

Some random food images from my flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53759195@N05/5413175302/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53759195@N05/5380404588/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53759195@N05/5360377140/

[Ali]

I love food porn! I recently went to Rome for the first time and took photos of almost everything I ate.
http://crazytobeme.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/ah-roma-ah-food/

[Patty]

And then there is asparagus....
http://pmaherphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/some-weeks.html

[bekkah]

I seem to be taking a lot of pictures of food lately. I have restrictions on what I can eat (no gluten, dairy or soy), you would think it would be torture for me to spend time looking at food that I can't eat, but it's the exact opposite. I guess I enjoy seeing all of the foods I used to love and thinking back on those 'glory days' ;)

http://ttlensphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/dinner-prep.html

http://ttlensphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/peeps.html

http://ttlensphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/pb-lovers.html