10 Photography Composition Tips for Food Photography (Improve Your Food Photos)

Today we will discuss ten composition techniques that you can use to improve your food photography. You’ve definitely heard about the rule of thirds, golden ratio, etc, but they’re definitely not your only choice when it comes to creating beautiful compositions. I’ve selected different composition techniques to spice up your food photos.

1. Diagonals

We’re used to placing things straight, which is great in real life. But when it comes to food photography using only parallel lines is usually very boring and doesn’t create interest or dynamic. On the other hand, the use of diagonals can be a really effective composition technique, since diagonals create movement and dynamic tension.

2. Negative Space

Positive space is the area your food and props take up. Meanwhile, negative space is the area where your eyes can rest. It provides balance, a bit of breathing room, and emphasis on the subject. Because it’s mostly blank, it brings your attention to the details of the food.

3. Go off-center

Placing the subject in the center can be powerful when you know what you’re doing, but most of the time placing it off-center will lead the viewer’s eye around the image and to that main subject placed off-center.

4. Layering

Layers can be anything. A backdrop, fabric, props, the food itself when it creates a nice texture, and so on. Layers allow you to add multiple props or levels of food that work cohesively together and tell a story about food.

5. Frame Within A Frame

This means creating a frame around your subject so it leads the eye toward the main subject inside that frame. By placing the ingredients around to form a frame we let the viewer know what’s inside a dish and at the same time show where the hero of the image is.

6. Repetition and Patterns

Patterns can be simply repeating objects of the same shape. Another powerful way to use patterns is to add something unexpected to the image. Like in the image there’s a broken biscuit. This is breaking the pattern and adds interest to the image.

7. Foreground

The foreground is the part of the image that is closer to the camera as the main subject. Instead of directly photographing the dish, try to add a foreground element to depict your story. This technique adds a sense of space and depth to an image.

8. Shapes

By using objects of different shapes you can create visual interest. By using a round plate for the square biscuits, I was able to create contrast and attract more attention to the main subject.

9. Compound Curves

Another great technique to try out is to follow the curve of a wave to create an image that flows naturally. With this technique, you can fit quite a lot into a photo without it feeling overly stuffy or crowded.

10. Angles

The main camera angles for food photography are 90 degrees (overhead), 45 degrees, and straight-on. The type of dish as well as the props often dictate the angle you choose. Eg Tall foods like burgers, stack of biscuits, look best using a straight-on angle. I go for an overhead angle if I wanna show the contents of my dish in detail like a salad or pasta. You may photograph with a 45-degree angle, to show how the dish really looks on the table.