Let’s get to the dark side!
5 Tips to click moody pictures of food in low light food photography
Tripod is the best friend for food photography!
In case of moody and low light setup for clicking the pictures, handling the ISO properly is the key to get the perfect shot. But the downside to this option is that more the ISO, more the noise in the picture and the texture of the food might appear different. This is where it gets tricky. In such cases, a tripod will be a better solution, where you can combine a lower ISO and slower shutter speeds. There you go! You’ve unlocked the perfect way to click crisp pictures in moody setup!
Manual focus is the key for low light food photography!
Since there is very little light available, autofocus becomes a little unreliable. Aim to embrace the manual focus and get the best out of it. Zoom does the work to let you know where you’re really focusing and helps to nail the perfect shot. Make sure to focus on the most delicious part of the food.
Embrace the little light that’s available!
Get closer to the light source and make sure the angle of the lighting makes the dish look more attractive. The closer the source of light is, the better the object looks in a dimly lit room. A close light source also helps the camera to focus better on the food, thereby revealing the texture and props in a pretty manner.
Manipulate the light source to your liking!
Tweaking the light can help it fall on the subject, aka your dish in a such a way that it looks aesthetic and moody. You can try manipulating the light source in such a way that only a strip of light falls on the subject, of only a part of the subject is directly revealed to the light source. For blocking the light at certain places, use handy props like curtains, pillows or even foam boards.
Last, but most importantly – Post processing.
Try conveying the story of your dish via post processing. Give it an emotion of its own through your editing. Increasing exposure, saturation or contrast selectively without disturbing the whole picture is effective in getting an attractive outcome. A vignette is also a mood enhancer in case of low light aesthetic photos.