I found a new favorite angle. Straight down the plate, like the above. For food that are flat, like slices of salmon or something similar, shooting from a low angle just doesn’t work. Top down shots work even better when there’s high contrast, like maybe black sauce on a while plate, and the sauce is applied in a pattern of some sort. Like those fine dining dishes.
Another thing i realize, since you’re the guy with the big camera and equipment, people expect you to know how to style food, and make the dish look good. Truth is i haven’t the slightest idea how a dish should look. I only have a rough idea of how i want the PHOTO to look. How to style the DISH so it looks original and appetizing, i have no idea. Usually the chef has an idea of how the dish should look like, from his eyes. But when you look at it with the low angle and through the camera’s view, everything changes.
Things need to be squeezed closer, propped up, cups needs to be changed, sauces topped up. It’s all about hiding the things you do to make the shot look pleasing. One major thing i haven’t found out how to solve, is to get soft shadows with the equipment i have. See the harsh shadows along the sides of the beef slices? OMG ANNOYING.
