You can set up a makeshift studio for still life and food photography; it requires only a few items and costs next to nothing.
You can find old, weathered boards at your town dump, in friends’ old barns and sheds, or at salvage shops. You might even have some lying around your own property. An old door will do the trick as well. These items look like time-worn tabletops with interesting textures, compliment any antique props you’re using, and give character to your still life and foodie shots.
Make sure that the piece of wood is large enough to accommodate your scene. Place the board on top of a flat surface, like a small table or a stool (of course you can place the fabric on top of the table or board if that is the look you want; just make sure it’s ironed smooth).
If you are taking the photo from above and don’t plan on capturing a wall behind the scene, place your set-up near a north-facing window which will provide soft, even light, and shoot. I sometimes use a south-facing window when it’s not so bright out, and I’m careful not to place my scene in direct sunlight. If you are photographing at eye level or from slightly below and you wish to have a background (wall) in the scene, you will need to set up your poster board background before shooting.
Tape the poster board to a wall either just to the left or right of your lit window. Place your “table” just in front of the poster board (I actually like to place mine right up against it). I’m a fan of white poster board, as it gives a fresh, clean, luminous look and serves as a nice neutral backdrop. Masking tape is a good choice as it will hold it there, and will leave your wall surface intact when you remove it.
If you’re not getting enough light to the left or right of the window, consider moving the scene in front of the window and propping up a tall board behind it, opposite the window, to serve as the wall. Tack or tape your poster board to the temporary wall.
For shots with the poster board as the backdrop, I recommend going for a soft, blurred background via shallow DOF, so the edge of the table top blends with the backdrop.
Choose a wide aperture (try f/4 or larger) in Aperture Priority mode or Manual mode. In either of these modes use the lowest ISO possible for the best image quality. If the required shutter speed is too slow for a handheld shot, use a tripod or flash.
You can bounce light from the window off a white reflector to fill in shadowy areas of your scene. Just hold the disc opposite the light source and bounce the light onto the desired area. Don’t place the reflector too far away from the scene, as it won’t be effective. You will either need a helper to hold it in place, prop it up (although they do tend to roll away like wagon wheels), or use a stand made especially for holding reflectors.
High-key shots (which are slightly over-exposed) are trendy. They tend to look best with scenes that have white or light tones in them. I personally love the look and will use my DSLR’s exposure compensation feature to achieve it—I increase exposure by one to two full stops. If you are using a dark background, you can get a moody look by underexposing a bit—just decrease exposure by one to two stops. Note: If shooting in Manual mode, you cannot access exposure compensation. You will have to increase or decrease exposure by dialing in settings manually, using the light meter as your guide.
If the lighting is low, I’ll either put my camera on a tripod to accommodate the slower shutter speed, or take a handheld shot using an external flash unit in one of two ways. I’ll either (1) angle the flash so that it bounces off of a white ceiling, wall, or white reflector and onto the scene, or (2) I’ll remove it from the camera, engage my remote feature, power down the flash, and use it as a fill flash to brighten the shadowy areas. I have a diffuser dome that I usually attach to the flash head to soften the light from the flash. Keep in mind the diffuser is only effective when bouncing light off a surface.
Don’t laugh, but I ordered a box of macarons from a favorite bakery in New Orleans just so I could set up a still life scene of them to photograph (I live in Maine). I stacked them, tried different color combinations, backgrounds and lighting situations. Then I had the pleasure of eating them! Try photographing your foodie scene from various viewpoints—at eye level, looking down, from a little bit below looking up, at an angle, or angle the food itself. Do certain perspectives appeal to you more than others?
Candy Apple - Celebrate the season with photographs of food you associate with that season. I photographed this candy apple just before Halloween, and it was quite the mouth-watering experience. I enjoy looking at the large catchlight reflection on the side of the apple; it adds dimension and enhances the sheen of the candy shell. 50mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 640, f/5.0 for 1/50 sec.
Use Interesting Props » I make trips, more frequently then I care to mention, to thrift shops and antique stores, on hunts for antique dishware, bowls, glassware, silverware and serving utensils. I look for antique dish towels, doilies and linens. All of these food styling props add character and interest to foodie photos. Consider adding accents like a glass of wine or flora. Perhaps scatter a few crumbs around if that makes sense context-wise and artistically. The basic rule of thumb is to keep the scene simple and the items relevant. I tend to be a minimalist food photographer, as you can see by my foodie photos.
Use North-Facing Light » Set up your still life food scene by a north-facing window, which will bathe it in a wash of soft, even light. I have been known to use my south-facing windows in overcast light, or in the late afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky – I just make sure not to put my scene in the direct light of the window.
Document a Special Restaurant Date » The food will be artfully plated on attractive dinnerware, full of beautiful details, color and textures that will be a pleasure to capture through your lens. The setting will most likely be attractive too, so you don’t have to worry about constructing your own or finding appealing props/flatware.
Keep it Simple » I love food venues that serve up simple food with a tiny bit of panache. One casual restaurant we frequent serves artisanal cheeses, nuts, fruit and decadent chocolate on a piece of butcher paper atop a rustic cutting board. It makes for a beautiful minimalistic shot.
Mark a Season » Take shots of food and/or drink that capture the essence of a season.
iPhone Strawberries - I whipped out my iPhone from my back pocket in the middle of a dusty strawberry field to photograph this large bowl of strawberries my kids and I picked. A DSLR would have been too cumbersome to hall around in this situation. This mobile photo was not put through any apps, as the red was perfect and vibrant as is.
Photograph a Collection of Foodie Objects » I was so excited when we began to harvest vegetables from our garden. If you are a gardener, you know how much can go into birthing your veggies, and when they are actually ready to eat, the excitement is palpable. You can celebrate your garden’s harvest by taking some foodie shots of the vegetables carefully arranged on a simple background. Burlap or barn board provide a rustic, natural backdrop.
Add a Sheen » Although I myself prefer to shoot my food au natural, some photographers like to add a little sheen to their food to make it look more attractive. If you’d like to try, get out the basting brush and apply a thin layer of olive oil to your vittles.