Today on the blog we wanted to let you in to some of our photography secrets. You may or may not know that we are now working at fresheather full time. Our job includes content creation, product and food photography, and videos too. It’s a job that we love, and we know that many of you following us share the same passion.

So today, without giving too much of the game away, I wanted to let you into a few of our foodie secrets, how we get the candid shots that you all seem to love, and what gives our snaps the ‘fresheather‘ factor!

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1. Natural light natural light, NATURAL LIGHT!! 

I guess this tip is a given, but if trying to take snaps in the dark/under artificial lights, you’re bound to experience shadows that you don’t want, incorrect colour representation and that lacklustre foodie portrayal that we all long to avoid. If at all possible, try to set yourself up next to a window. Preferably one that doesn’t receive direct sunlight to avoid shadow.

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2. Props; and lots of them!

I guess you know by now that are pictures are known for being busy. It really depends on your style, but if you’re looking to replicate images similar to ours, you’ll need to hook yourself with props, props and more props. Clutter the table with dry ingredients, old spoons, ribbons, dried flowers. Whatever it is, if it adds colour and interest to the photo then you’re onto a winner.

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3. The smaller the better!

In order to make your snaps look delicate, detailed, and bursting with ingredients, you need to downsize. Now, I know our parfaits look HUGE, but in reality they’re probably smaller than your thumb. Pick yourself up miniature props whenever you can. Small sized spoons, forks and knives will be your saviour when it comes to creating a realistic perspective. See this parfait? YUP, you couldn’t even fit a teaspoon in this jar 😉

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4. Colour

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It’s all about the colour pop. If what you’re photographing is dark and dingy, why not add a sprig of basil/coriander on top to give it that extra colour. Or a berry drizzle to make it shine. It’s not just the food that we’re talking about either. Think of the colour of your crockery, the colour of the table and the colour of the materials that you’re using around the plate. If the colours compliment each other than they’re likely to make the food more appealing, too.

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5. Textures & Fabrics 

In order to achieve the colour ‘pop’, I really advise that you start introducing fabrics into your shots too. And these don’t have to be expensive either. Often Heather and I use items of clothing to achieve a different look in each of our shots. Lace and hessian is great too when adding a different texture. These bring the images to life and make them perfect for an engaging social media post.

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6. NO FILTER.

Now, I KNOW how many apps are out there these days. But adding a filter to a good photo is a crime in our eyes. It’s all well and good if you’re trying to maintain a themed insta feed, but if looking to achieve a professional foodie shot, avoid these filters at all cost. No, by adding ‘Clarendon’ and ‘Gingham’ to your shots will not turn you into an overnight sensation. Less is best!

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7. Get a good lens!

A given, right? For those of you using a phone camera, that’s cool. Don’t feel the need to run out to the shops and spend a fortune on a professional camera.

These days our phones are a pretty snazzy piece of kit, and by using all of the above I can almost guarantee that you’ll be walking away with a snap you’re proud of. BUT, for those of you using something more technical, have you thought of upgrading your lens? Often the standard lenses that come with your camera are good, but not GREAT. Just by changing which lens you use, you can improve your images ten fold. We use a really cute compact camera from Sony. It’s great to carry around, incredibly light, and best of all? It doesn’t break the bank.

By buying affordable cameras, it’s meant that we can spend more money on the lenses themselves. Just recently, we invested in two really snazzy macro lenses. The attention to detail and focus is so much better than our standard lens, and we’re pretty chuffed with the results. To read about our camera and lenses, click here.

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