3 Essential Angles In Food Photography
Enticing food photography begins with choosing the appropriate angle to flatter the dish or tablescape. So much can be communicated through the angle we use to capture our subject. As photographers and visual storytellers, we direct and guide the viewer throughout the frame and through our story. When planning to capture a recipe or food scene, I start from a macro to a micro perspective. What is the overall setting? Where are we? What’s on the table? What would make this dish look appealing? What angle showcases the details of the dish?
In food photography specifically, there are universal angles that make food look appealing and showcase the whole of the dish. These are the essential three angles in food photography that I use for all my food captures.
Overhead
This is my go-to angle for most food images. Why, you ask? It works well to show the dish as a whole overall. It particularly works well for items that are quite flat in nature and lack the height of, say, a rack of lamb. Think pasta, salads, steak, grilled meat, pastries, or seafood. Anything really that lacks height I usually start with an overhead shot. Since the angle shows the interior and eliminates depth within the composition, it tends to flatten the image, creating a two-dimensional feel. However, it is useful for “flat dishes” and to showcase the interiors of bowls and shallow platters. Since the composition lacks depth, the interest lies in the colors, patterns, shapes, and light.
Ideal for: Spaghetti Carbonara
Not ideal for: Crown Roast Pork
Straight On
The straight-on angle is my go-to for recipes or food that is stacked, has height, or has vertical layers. Think of a stack of cookies, a juicy burger, or a layer cake. It shows height and layers in particular, as well as any details such as drips, drizzles, or details along the sides. This angle is all about accentuating the height of a dish or an elegant, fizzy cocktail.
Idea for: Stack of pancakes dripping with syrup
Not ideal for: Bowl of soup
3/4 Angle
I don’t use the 3/4 view often but it’s useful for bowls or cups or if you want to show the interior of something. It gives some depth but also a peek inside. It’s a great choice if you want to show both a bit of the foreground and background. I choose this angle if I want to show something that is being cut, the sides of a cake, something bitten into, or the interior of a dish that is cut into already. It also helps highlight a specific detail of a dish or item.
Ideal for: A fresh loaf of bread sliced or sliced pie
Not Ideal for: Garden salad
In terms of visual storytelling, take stock and look around from different angles before shooting anything. What angle would support the emotion of your story? What angle would draw your viewer into the scene? Experiment with different angles…how does this angle feel? What angle wants to make you tuck right in a mop up the sauce with a hunk of bread? How does this angle enhance the emotion of the scene? When I have a dish to shoot, I think about what the final plating will look like. Is it flat? Is it served on a shallow platter? What angle best suits the shape, height, and how it’s served? Some dishes look more flattering through one angle more than the other, but it’s all how you style it, which is an entirely different post! So play with your angles and mix them up. Keep these three in your back pocket because once you better know what kind of food you are shooting, the easier it is to preplan how you will shoot the dish or recipe. For example, I almost rarely would shoot a bowl of shoot straight on; you simply can’t see what’s inside! The only exception would be from a 30-degree or 45-degree angle that shows a little bit of the interior of the bowl and also the background with some other props and elements on the table, like a loaf of bread, butter, glasses, etc. Knowing your angles for different foods saves you so much time and quite literally playing with your food until you get it right!