As most of you were probably aware, especially if you are a food photographer or like to shoot foods, a new trend has been emerging in food photography for some time now, which is becoming increasingly widespread: Dark moody food photography. The food photos are often shot in a rustic, messy, raw, with a strong shadow condition. making you feel as though you’re sitting at an old oak table in the farmhouse.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can apply this dark moody photography style to your food photography as our Singapore food photographer, Wisnu H. Yudhanto, just had a photo session on dark moody food photography of food called Canapé.
Background
Probably the most important element in dark food photography is background. Choosing dark and muted colors for the backdrop and props is extremely important to keep the background in shadow and draw the viewer’s attention to the food. Try to use props that don’t reflect light as much. Don’t style your food using porcelain since they’re bright and shiny. Instead, You should look for vintage utensils and props with a patina.
Lightings
Practically, you only need one source of lights. Make sure that the light fall from the side. Not from the top, not from the front. It’s best to use indirect lighting so no lights pointing directly at the set or food. You can use natural or window lighting whenever possible for your photo as long as you can angle it correctly. Since I like to control the lights, I’m using a flash and softbox as a light modifier here. Use a reflector or dark board to either lighten or darken your objects.
Styling
In dark and moody food photography, it is essential to avoid making the food look artificial and sterile. Rather, the food should make you believe you could sit down at the table there and just eat. The food is often perfectly imperfect, with scattered crumbs or artfully placed smears and drips, as if it has been freshly prepared. But be careful not to overdo it. You need to practice to make food styling look casual and random.
Hope you enjoy this article as well as the shots from our Singapore food photographer. See you in the next article about food photography!
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