Welcome to Valeria Food Photography, where we turn culinary visions into visual masterpieces! If you’re a cookbook author, food blogger or publisher in Australia seeking the perfect lens to showcase your culinary creations, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll share my best tips on photographing a cookbook, ensuring your recipes leap off the pages with mouthwatering creations and into the hearts of your audience.
I have made my cookbook to share some of my favourite Peruvian appetiser recipes and to learn all the processes of creating a cookbook from scratch. You can see my own book here:
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CJ45H4PB
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ45H4PB
1. Equipment:
You can interchange lenses with a good camera, preferably a DSLR camera or mirrorless. You need that flexibility to change the type of lens according to what you want the audience to feel with the photo, a more close-up macro lens for those intricate details or a wider lens when you want to showcase a fully decorated table. My favourite lenses are the 105mm macro lens and the 24-70 mm lens. Also, the camera is essential because when you shoot manually, you can choose the depth of field and sharpness of the photo.
Another fundamental piece of equipment you need is a tripod to avoid any camera shake when taking photos.
2. Lighting setup:
Ensure your lighting setup is impeccable – natural lighting is your best friend if you are not used to managing artificial lighting, but you have to be aware of your white balance to check what sort of cast the food will have. You better shoot with artificial lighting if you want a more consistent look. Continuous light or flash (strobes) are the two light source options for you. I prefer strobes to have a more powerful light, and I don’t have to worry about other lights coming into the scene. Having some bounce boards or cards to correctly shape the light for each dish is also essential.
3. Mood board:
Create a mood board with your ideas for the cookbook in general, and also have shoot ideas for every recipe you want to photograph. So everybody agrees on the general terms, and you have a more precise idea of setting everything up to achieve the result. Print the mood boards with the number of images for the day of the shooting and the different angles of shooting, so it will be your guidelines for all the food photos.
Also, it will help you to check if you already have all the different props for the cookbook or if you have to buy some at the craft store, thrift store, charity shop or any other store where you can find pretty props.
4. Food Styling:
Create a visual narrative by carefully styling each shot. Pay attention to props, backgrounds, and the overall composition. For an Australian touch, consider incorporating elements that reflect the country’s diverse culinary culture, such as native ingredients or iconic landscapes. Be aware of each dish because some of them will last longer to shoot, and for some of them, you have to set everything almost to perfection before bringing the dish and shoot in a few minutes before it starts changing the colour, aspect, etc.
5. Showcasing the process:
Take your audience on a culinary journey by documenting the cooking process. Capture the mess, the colours, and the textures – these images breathe life into your cookbook. Australian audiences appreciate authenticity, so don’t stop showcasing the behind-the-scenes moments that make your recipes unique. Also, this footage will help promote the upcoming book on social media.
6. Set the scene:
You can choose your backgrounds and props in advance with the recipe list. So, you will have a list of things you need for each recipe. This will be massive time management because you will plan what sort of recipe can work together and set your shoot days for each recipe.
7. Consistency is the key
I’d like for you to maintain a consistent style throughout your photoshoot. This ensures a cohesive look for your cookbook, making it more visually appealing. Australian publishers often appreciate a well-curated and visually harmonious collection of images that tell a story.
8. High-quality editing:
You have to do all the photoshoots in RAW format, so this would give you more freedom to choose the kind of light, colours, shadows, etc. you want on your image. You need professional editing systems such as Lightroom, Photoshoot or Capture One. First, develop the photo light, shadows, colours, etc. in Adobe Lightroom or Capture One and then clean the imperfections, such as dust, cracks, etc, in Photoshop. That way, you will deliver a more professional food photographer look. When you finish your editing work, export them at least in 330dpi if it will be a printed book, so you will have the highest image quality.
9. Test Shots and Feedback:
Do a few test shots before the main photo shoot to finalise your setup. Please look at feedback from trusted friends or colleagues and consider their insights. Australian publishers value attention to detail and a commitment to delivering top-notch quality.
10. The crew
You will need at least photo assistants to help you move plates, lights, and props and record the behind-the-scenes footage, and if you are not a recipe developer, you will need a food stylist or chef to do all the cooking for the photoshoot. For more extensive photoshoots, you will also have a prop stylist and an Art director.
11. Sending the final images:
If you have different shots for the same recipe, you must send the PDF with the contact sheet so the client can choose which one they like before sending the final ones. Send the final images for each recipe, like a table of contents with the photo number, so the client will have the correct picture for each recipe.
Cookbook photography is an art that combines culinary passion with visual storytelling. At Valeria Food Photography, we understand the nuances of crafting visually stunning images that capture the essence of your recipes and resonate with Australian audiences. Let us be your partner in bringing your cookbook to life.
Check the other blog posts if you want more photography and business tips.