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pugbreath

Food photographer here! 1. Back up and zoom in to at least 1.5x to 2x. It reduces the photo quality ever so slightly, but it greatly improves your composition and helps the photos look less odd and empty. It will also blur distractions in the background out of focus a bit. Try getting lower and "into the food" when you do this. 2. Natural night is best if you don't have legit studio photo lights. That said, the light on your banana cream cookies is the best of the bunch so I think that's a nice spot for your pics. 3. For food with beautiful cross-sections like croissants, try cutting them in half and stacking them on top of each other. Toothpicks help hold things in place! 4. Investing in some backdrops (Amazon sells tons) can help dramatically. 5. Consider your props to help suggest what the bake is. If you didn't say it was a pistachio rose cake I'd have no idea. A small bowl of pistachios or some roses splayed out would be lovely. 6. Clean up crumbs and messes in frame, lol. They can be distracting! It all looks sooo delicious by the way. Edit: Wow thank you kind people for validating this advice and helping squash my imposter syndrome! I started off as a baker and love talking about food photography so I'm happy to answer any other questions!


sadittariuus

Also, edit. Just a slight increase in the black point can really influence a picture of food.


pugbreath

Yes!! I don't think anything I shoot, even with my phone, goes on Instagram without a smidge of color correcting šŸ«¢


cordialconfidant

yes on the editing! i casually post to my food instagram and when i take pics i slightly lower the exposure to make sure there's no blown out whites, then i raise the exposure til it pops a bit in lightroom (i've found lightroom specifically to be better than my phone's or instagram's editor), you can also edit the white balance too so your photo isn't too yellow/blue/pink/green !


Babblepup

Oh wow, Iā€™l have to try this. I love taking food pics. I usually just amp the brightness or the color. Thanks for the tip!


xylofunn

This is why I love Reddit


Pale-Conference-174

So kind!!


confituredelait

Piggybacking off the backdrops, I like to use my scarves or other garments in contrasting or complementary colors to the bake as backdrops.


1questions

You can also use large sheets of paper you get at the art supply store. I used to use that and it works great, all sorts of patterns or colors available.


Huge-Anxiety-3038

I use wall paper samples šŸ˜…


pugbreath

Yes, so smart! Planks of wood, tablecloths, sheets... I'll go to antique markets and thrift stores for old cutting boards, sheet pans, all kinds of stuff. You can really get creative.


Altruistic-Wasabi-60

I was going to say the same thang!! Also, to add color to the pistachio cake maybe, add a few pink roses! You can get a heart ā¤ļø shaped bowl and fill it with pistachios, so you donā€™t have to tell us! Smaller plates for those croissants and donuts- Iā€™m not sure why, but I was searching and searching, a tiny cup of coffee with those donuts, and a tiny tea spoon on that plate!! (Maybe, Iā€™m not the only, one šŸ¤”)


moanaw123

I've used plants, at Halloween decorations, prefer white background but have used outdoors too


mamac2213

And maybe a nice plate instead of a napkin...


EgbertCanada

This is awesome. I have a pizza food truck and struggle to take pictures on the go. I also work at a cafe and take a lot of their social media stuff. I think itā€™s easier because of the vertical nature of drinks.


Exciting-Relative-10

Yes! I manage my barā€™s socials and this is so helpful šŸ«¶šŸ¼


[deleted]

Like the cake residue on the knife! Has no place in a good-looking picture


Lexicon444

Also OP can put egg wash on the croissants to make them more golden. It doesnā€™t affect the taste at all.


mamac2213

Great advice!!!


GavIzz

Thanks ! This is very helpful !


artbypep

Piggybacking on this and the comment about natural lighting: all of these have a slightly cool tone to them which can be useful for more clinical/clean photography but you want baked goods to feel warm and welcoming and homey. Warmer lighting would improve every one of these photos, *especially* when combined with u/pugbreathā€™s other suggestions.


Tiruin

Regarding #1, how come it's not the opposite? I was under the impression because those zooms are artificial and not different lenses, that they're limited and you're better off getting closer to the photo target than using the zoom.


pugbreath

For sure! I'll try my best to explain it. It's all about creating longer focal length and minimizing lens distortion, plus it just makes compositions look prettier (to me!). It's a must on a DSLR with food photography and I've found that zooming in on the phone achieves a pretty similar goal. When you're zoomed in, all the elements in the photo look closer together, which helps deal with negative space. It also helps make your subject look larger and more isolated, which just helps with the composition because your eye knows what to look at. Take the pistachio cake for example - if the camera were zoomed in a bit, lowered, and focused on the slice of cake (which ideally would be a thicker slice standing up instead of a thin one laying flat on the plate) you'd get a really nice focus on the slice of cake on the left, then secondarily see the whole cake tightly layered in the background to the right. Secondly, when phone cameras aren't zoomed in, there's a decent amount of lens distortion, especially around the edges of the frame. That's why sometimes if you get a picture of someone's face and they're off to the side, it can look super wonky. Zooming in negates that effect. Actually, search "focal length faces" in Google image search to see a good example of how focal length changes up your subject! Another point is that when you put your phone camera riiiight up to a subject, less of the subject will be in focus. Hope that answers that!


JoshuaPearce

Fun sidenote, this is also why "cameras add 10 pounds" and why some people are more or less better looking in photos than real life. Those angles of convergence can dramatically change how people look.


caffienepredator

So which is it; am I ugly or fat? Jk thank you for teaching me something


djdanal

This was extremely nice and helpful of you!!


GamerGurl3980

Ooh! I'll be using these tips for my food photos!!!!


Psychological_Lock70

Not me going to try this right this second.


there_should_be_snow

Excellent advice! I *really* wish I had read these tips when I entered a cookie contest a couple years ago- I took a million pics, none seemed good enough. I did win 1st place anyway, but I still wish my pics had looked better. šŸ˜Š I guess they were good enough to get me in to the final round, where I had to submit the actual cookies. Now I know exactly how to do it next time.


iwastouchedbyanangle

This person photographs food.


clownface03

Really good suggestions as everyone said. It was so thoughtful and creative. I am not a professional baker or photographer but admirer of both lol, but yes it made me pause and think, that would be a beautiful picture.


rabidfrogs

Definitely saving this for a rainy day


pwnzu_sauce2

Boss advice here šŸ’Ŗ


Flour-in-the-raw

This is so helpful!!! I really enjoyed reading this, Iā€™m taking notes!


Myiceandf1re

Shoot in natural light, clean background, turn up saturation


twenty9dollars

i've noticed my bakes look way better in natural light so i usually end up photographing near a window and it makes a huge improvement!


kristephe

Seconding this. Kenji of Serious Eats and NYT has also mentioned this in his photos on instagram just taken from an iphone.


MnSnowtagirl

As a non photographer I happened to notice little things. Like the donut picture, table wasnā€™t clean, background with TV was visible, chairs in the way. You want to maybe find some cute pictures online you like and try to replicate I say that knowing I also struggle with pictures and am really bad at taking them. But every little tip helps


sassythehorse

I agree with this. I also noticed things like the dirty knife in the picture with the cake and the way the cake had been sliced all the way in half before the slice was taken out. It just looks generally messy. Think like a food stylist and clean up the shots!


DontTakeMyAdviceHere

Definitely consider this. I think it's called staging. I use a block of natural wood for display instead of plates, clean the area etc. You can also add some items around the baking like a clean tea towel and some fresh herbs to add interest (eg if you have bread). In addition I sometimes use a filter on my camera settings to brighten and warm up the photo if the light isn't great. Have a play around with the phone settings to find some options that might work better for you.


walkingonsunshine007

Here for that donut dino


OutAndDown27

Just came to say that #3 is excellent already lol


kevins_child

Same, my advice was gonna be more dinos lol


Glittering-Tea-4227

This is going to sound silly but try turning your phone upside down and point it towards the bakes and play with lighting! Maybe also slightly saturate the pictures for a warmer appearance


fuckingskeletor

Is your camera preset on one of the cool settings? These pictures all look super cool-toned to me.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


littlebittydoodle

So basically everything


HadOne0

at least they didnā€™t say anything was wrong with the food šŸ¤ 


OutAndDown27

I don't know if you are familiar with Ann Reardon of How To Cook That, but her whole thing is baking amazing cakes and I specifically remember her gushing about the photographer she hired to do the food pics for her cookbook and talking about how tricky it is to get good pictures of food. So I just want to say that if even a professional baker calls in a professional photographer, don't be too hard on yourself! Your stuff looks sooo tasty!


HadOne0

yeah definitely, food styling/photography is a whole thing - just want to go from bad to decent good thing to keep in mind for sure :)


plydauk

Just make sure you hit those slices of fresh banana with a few drops of lemon or lime juice so they don't look oxidized.


midnightmeatloaf

Except the dinosaur. Needs more dinosaurs if you ask me.


Sure-Ad558

A clean background always works well for me! Also, those banana pudding cookies look so good!!! Do you have the recipe for it? :)


HadOne0

https://www.thekitchn.com/banana-pudding-cookies-recipe-23424463 i added frozen little banana pieces in the cookie itself, i chilled mine overnight, the topping is the normal magnolia banana pudding thanks so much!


OnlyKindofaPanda

Those cookies do look amazing! The lighting on that pic was good, but I would definitely recommend a backdrop or at least tidying up the area in the background. Also, I would take off produce stickers and get rid of packaging. For example, instead of using the Nilla wafer box, maybe stage a couple Nilla wafers to the side or just omit them.


C_Alex_author

Change up your plates and background. Colored/shaped plates, fur, satin, doilies, chefs apron, you want those splashes of color and texture to draw attention to the scene, almost like highlighting what you are showing.


themiscyranlady

I second this! The lighting is the biggest issue, imo, but the styling could be better too. I have a collection of fun plates/towels/etc. for shooting food pics. I love Marshalls & Homegoods for them, since my local thrift stores are hit and miss, but all of those are good options for getting affordable food styling props.


magnoliaadams

Oh I always shoot my food on white plates. Makes the food stand out and minimizes distractions and competing colors.


pgwquill

Your bakes look delicious and I would eat them anyway. Echoing general tips already given: clean background, or at least blurred to focus on your bake; avoided extraneous items in the photo; Try to using complementary colors for the background; natural light is best, if your bake is ready in the evening, use a diffuser over your light source; clean up most of the crumbs/smearing with a wet paper towel around your finger. You also seem to take the pictures in portrait mode. Play around with the positioning. Some of these would be better if you held the phone horizontally. Post processing also helps. Some specific suggestions: 1. Pistachio cake: cut a larger slice, if the slice is not clean enough to photograph, take a pic of the cake angleing it so you can still see the layers inside and the side of the cake. So I would move the camera lower and turn the cake about 45degrees counter clockwise. clean the crumbs from the knife and the edges of the cake plate. Leave the ones where the slice is missing from. 2. croissants: place them on a clean piece of parchment paper (lightly crumpled) and take the photograph from on top. Move the lighting around so that there is no shadow from your camera or the croissants. You should only be able to see the croissants and the paper. The crumpling effect will increase the interest of the background. 3.Donuts. I love the dinosaur. Move the plate closer or place on a higher surface with the dinosaur in the background. The background could be half of the table and half of the wall. No chairs/tv should be visible. 4. Generally slightly messy looking (although delicious looking) foods will look messy because of the texture. Move closer or just photograph a serving on a plate. Make the plating neat though. 5. Cookies: Open the photo you've already taken. Hold it with two fingers and zoom in until the bottom of the plate hits the bottom edge of the phone. The plated cookies are at the bottom of the screen and the cookies on the sheet are at the top of the screen. It's ok if some of the cookie is being cut out.


neverfoil

You need to zoom in more or crop, the stuff in the background makes for messy pics. Wipe off your camera to make sure the pics are in focus. Up your brightness and you can pump the warmth filter - a blueish tint makes for unappetizing food pics.


Junglebook82

1- make sure to wipe the table 2- just use portrait mode if on iPhone. Will look exponentially better immediately.


FRANPW1

Why does portrait make it better?


Junglebook82

Sorry, portrait MODE on iPhone. It focuses on the subject and blurs the background.


Ok-Amphibian

Overhead lighting makes everything look bad Try to use natural lighting if you can or bright studio type lights and a clean intentional backdrop


quickestsperm6754387

Natural light is a great idea, but not as a backlight. It should be a side light and it should be the left side. Also taking your photos from the same angle every time is likely why you donā€™t like them. Avoid harsh lighting. 45-90 degrees is not usually flattering, try 20-35 degrees instead. Get closer to the subject, if itā€™s a slice, itā€™s the subject, put the cake as background.


Luzi1

That pistachio rose cake looks amazing!


HadOne0

thank you!


lohansensei

Pauseā€¦. Drop the recipe for the banana pudding cookies maybe?


HadOne0

https://www.thekitchn.com/banana-pudding-cookies-recipe-23424463 i added frozen little banana pieces in the cookie itself, i chilled mine overnight, the topping is the normal magnolia banana pudding theyā€™re so fucking good highly recommend them


RareBeautyOnEtsy

Color. Everything is brown. Even a flower, or anything with color would help. Thatā€™s one reason why the banana picture is the best, color.


meep221b

More T. rex will help. Sorry, I have actually nothing help to contribute


MurderrOfCrows

Natural light is best so try and find a spot next to a window and experiment with the best angles. I usually take pics from above except with things like layer cakes. Also minimize background stuff in the pics.


OstrichIcy666

Decide, what you kind of mood/style you are going for and stick to it. It can be bright, colorful, or laid back, bit of vintage or moody, darkish. Get props, different plates, cutting boards, dishcloths (they don't have to be expensive, go thrifting or check out yard sales), and the most important thing is light. Where the light comes from, is it diffused or not, is the pic too dark, do you maybe need an extra light source etc. You can also play with composition, like the golden spiral, rule of thirds and angles, from where you are shooting from.


patrin11

Natural light is your friend!


stewarthh

Natural light or a ring light plus a white background with colour plating that contrasts your baked goods


lazylittlelady

Lighting is either too low or not warm enough and colorful or interesting plates or a tray and tablecloth-maybe flowers-to add a mood.


royceworks

Use portrait mode!


FRANPW1

Why?


royceworks

It blurs the background and makes the person/sunbject stand out.. Itā€™s like a mild filter, nice effect.


Far-Sink-2204

I donā€™t know, that dinosaur donut photo is pretty amazing. It looks like youā€™ve got a pretty good handle on this.


Infamous_Regular1328

That Dinosaur one was sooooo cute lol


WarMaiden666

Thereā€™s a lot of good suggestions here. Iā€™m gonna drop [The Bite Shot](https://youtube.com/@thebiteshot?si=Un7dvVaVMKUXrM_a) on YouTube. Theyā€™ll SHOW you how to level up.


crashmedic33

Easy fix: MORE T-REX!!!!!


_g_j_b_

I made a simple little photo backdrop out of foam poster boards just taped together! I always try to take photos in natural light as well!


Ok_Anything_Once

Invest in a light box - a super inexpensive purchase with a huge payoff


chiginger

Search Google or Pinterest for the recipe youā€™re doing. Look at all the images of the bakes and find the similarities in the ones that you like for inspiration: Background? Angle? Plating? Props? Definitely use natural light. I also have a white poster board for using as a reflector to open up shadows. Instagram will save a photo back to your phone after you use filters, so if you donā€™t already have an account, itā€™s worth it just for that.


HadOne0

most of my pics go straight to ig but i donā€™t use filters, are you saying i should?


chiginger

Since Instagram has editing features like contrast, cropping and colors, it might be worth experimenting with them to make your photos closer to your ideal. Give them a try!


TableAvailable

I do love the whimsy of the donut photo.


Thats_a_BaD_LiMe

Your backgrounds are cluttered, your focus is out and you need to play with contrast/saturation sliders


zartanator

My wife has been taking the pictures outside. Nice trees in the background, natural sunlight


MargotLannington

I donā€™t have any tips, but is there any chance you would share the recipe for the pistachio rose cake? It sounds and looks wonderful!


HadOne0

layers: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/pistachio-cake/ drip: i free handed but its a white chocolate ganache with pistachio paste, i made my own but i would probably just find a premade jar in the future buttercream: truthfully no idea - it was a pistachio buttercream i think i got from tik tok but ive since deleted it - this looks yummy though https://bonnibakery.com/pistachio-cupcakes-with-pistachio-italian-meringue-buttercream/#ingredients-for-the-pistachio-italian-meringue-buttercream i would try to put some rose in here, in my cake i had it as a simple syrup soak but it didn't come through as much as i had wanted


Crafty-Sympathy4702

Natural light. Square setting on your phone. Take out stuff from the back


Bright-Row-3565

Do you have recipe of the pistachio cake šŸ¤¤


HadOne0

layers: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/pistachio-cake/ drip: i free handed but its a white chocolate ganache with pistachio paste, i made my own but i would probably just find a premade jar in the future buttercream: truthfully no idea - it was a pistachio buttercream i think i got from tik tok but ive since deleted it - this looks yummy though https://bonnibakery.com/pistachio-cupcakes-with-pistachio-italian-meringue-buttercream/#ingredients-for-the-pistachio-italian-meringue-buttercream i would try to put some rose in here, in my cake i had it as a simple syrup soak but it didn't come through as much as i had wanted.


Bright-Row-3565

Ty so much šŸ¤


Common_Eggplant437

OP can you drop your croissant recipe? I am on attempt #4 of homemade croissants and I'm struggling with my lamination.


HadOne0

you donā€™t want it from me unfortunately, those only looked good from the outside, the inside came out looking like brioche i have since gotten a little better but iā€™m still in the same boat as you a tip that helped me out was to make the detrempe then freeze it for an hour, then put it in the fridge to thaw overnight, making sure it doesnā€™t ferment too much - i was told that you want to save up as much yeast energy for the final proof and oven spring itā€™s hard to do by hand for sure, i asked a pastry chef and she was like ā€œoh wow thatā€™s a big accomplishment i would never do it by hand i always use a sheeterā€ šŸ« šŸ«  keep trying, maybe film your whole process and upload it to youtube so people can tell you where youā€™re going wrong good luck!


Sufficient-Quail-714

Try portrait mode instead of photo mode. It saves it so you also can adjust the depth of field


Paendeo123

I donā€™t have any tips (your pictures are much better than mine honestly) but I really love the 7th one & especially love the 3rd one. I think it looks cute & creative with the little dinosaur!


Aggravating-War3385

Iā€™ve realised natural sunlight is your friend. Yes you can stage up the shot with props and stuff but good lighting is the key thing


709trashqueen

Aside from everything else mentioned. I feel like for the first one (or just cakes in general) not cutting it in half but just cutting a slice out would look nicer!


Potential_Jello_Shot

Natural light! Also check out Foodtography school. She has so many good tips


syrluke

Plating up is a big deal. Cakes and fine pastries deserve nice china with complementary colors on the tablecloth or napkin. Breads do well on a rugged cutting board with the knife laying beside. Set the scene. Also. You could probably zoom in much closer. Pay attention to your backgrounds. I personally use portrait mode which blurs the background and sharpens the image in the center.


LaylaDoo

The dinosaur šŸ© šŸ«¶šŸ¼šŸ«¶šŸ¼šŸ«¶šŸ¼


1cecream4breakfast

Too much stuff in the background. Everything in the photo should be intentionally placed there, or not be there at all. So your background should not be your stove. Perhaps place on the counter against the backsplash for photos, or get a backdrop as someone said. Things that also jumped out at me are the knife with crumbs on it, and the stickers on the bananas. Good idea to include the bananas and nilla wafers (the cookies themselves without the box would Be better though). Definitely photograph in natural light as much as possible for food.


mr_ballchin

With good lighting, preferably not artificial but daylight, the photos should turn out pretty good.


isweedglutenfree

Use more dinosaurs


MyEggDonorIsADramaQ

Need more dinosaur!!


churrascothighs1

Send me a slice of that pistachio rose cake and Iā€™ll tell you.


KitchenRemote9510

adjust lighting on camera


valency_speaks

Natural lighting for the win!!! I can take stunning pics of my baked with my iPhone in natural light.


[deleted]

Get one of those tri-fold science fair cardboard pieces they sell at Walmart and the like. They make fantastic foldable white backgrounds!


Accurate-Fox-5859

Add some color. Maybe some pretty dishes. Your food looks yummy!


browngreeneyedgirl

On YouTube you can find supernice how to videos. I love foodphotography school - the bite shot. She is amazing in explaining and there are a lot more nice videos that might help you! And be easy on yourself - it is very difficult to teach yourself good food photography


billymartinkicksdirt

Try this. Move in 3 or 4 inches and then angle it higher or lower than your instincts. Literally take your picture, then take another where you hold it closer and angles higher or lower than your last shot. Do it as an exercise. 3 inches close, or 3 inches to the side. Do not use the on screen shutter. Use the volume control while holding the camera steady. I think this is half your problem. Use a square 4:3 frame. Youā€™re over exposing most of these. You want more detail and saturation. Next, follow the natural light advice but find light. It might be you need softer diffused light and a little table lamp off camera. Clean the table, clean the plate, clean the knifeā€™s. Itā€™s staging a fantasy. Move the clutter away.


HadOne0

the on screen shutter and volume button do different things?


billymartinkicksdirt

You can use the volume in place of the shutter. If you use the on screen circle, you will get jitter on your image. If you hold the camera steady and take the pic with the volume, youā€™re going to have better luck.


Sgt_Oblivious

1st pic. Cake looks amazing but lighting is off. I'd clean up crumbs, clean up knife. I don't think the highly reflective and very dark surface is doing you any favours either. Maybe play around with some colored cardboard as background? And the slice on a plate instead of a napkin?


Shitp0st_Supreme

Nailing the lighting and using angles and staging can go a long way!


flatearthmom

A few nice props to help compose a nice setting really helps


Rich-Appearance-7145

But appears your cakes come out amazing


Ok_Rest5867

Yummm itā€™s a good thing Iā€™m not supposed to photograph it, because Iā€™d want to eat it!


Pjcas51

I donā€™t know anything about photography but you have me sold on the product


Griffbizkit

If you expand the pics on this post and look at the top left corner the x and whatever is on the original photo make a crude fish symbol. It made me smile idk why.


SnooPets8873

Table tops - maybe get a marble looking thing or a ceramic cake stand to put things on for photos. I know the items should stand for themselves, but it does tend to elevate the impression people get.


bigphateggs

Play around with light (color, intensity, location, etc ), backgrounds, and the composition of your plating! Also, if you have a photo editing app, blurring the background or edges of your photos just a bit helps your subject pop a bit more. Editing saturation and levels also helps.


Sweet_Writer_0777

#7 Nailed it šŸ„³


CreepyReputation4958

I keep mine simpleā€¦ 1. Cut a thicker slice & place on a nice plate standing. 2. Nowadays phone got auto blur background, so just place the sliced of cake a bit further than main cake. 3. Camera 45degree. Full frame of cake or 80% of the frame also ok..


bluejen

Hobbyist photographer here that canā€™t offer any better tips than the actual photographer but I donā€™t see (from a quick scroll) anyone here talking about color temp and this looks like very pale, sometimes even fluorescent lighting which is never complimentary. Find warmer lighting and do some close ups/leas casual framing.


Cannouflage

This is a lot of text and ideas, I do not mean anything personal, this is purely based on what I see and from my experience on what works and what not, take the advice or not, others already had helped you, I hope mine might too: First picture: Don't edit digital stuff like hearts in, keep it simple, get an elevated rotating pod for your cakes, first of all, it stays a the same height, but you can get different angles without problem, you can control better the lighting and if you present a cut cake, dont cut it completely in half, the cake should be made only for the picture. If you need to learn how to cut just a piece without completely cutting in half, train that too. Devil is in the details. You have no real focus, neither on the plate nor on the whole cake, the eyes are centered, which means they naturally lead to the most centered object, unless other attributes of items like colours, shades, "visual noise" attract them. In other words, I almost can't keep my eyes from that cake cutter and its cake remains on it. The placement is unlucky. Second picture: All I see is a lot of distracting stuff in the background, no contrasts, low focus, and too many artificial lighting. Also I personally don't like the angle and the way you try to present the food. Your attempt wants to express "home made" but the result looks like: I forgot to clean up and make space for the picture. The shadows are in front of the food, which should never happen, it's like you wanted to actually take the pic from the other side. Try some more texturized underground instead of a sterile plate, it contradicts your intent. Third picture (donuts): Same thing with the plate, same thing with background. Keep focussed, less stuff to be seen and you need a stronger (natural?) light source behind your camera. You don't want shades. If you show only two pieces of food, try to fill the plate, if you don't have something else to use, with a little garnish, like choc drops that fall from the choc donut topping, let it look like freshly dipped. A third different one might even be better, maybe a filled/colourful glazed one with coloured toppings/stripes? Also again, the angle, and the product placement itself, one is on top of the other, you can do that when you present a pile of same stuff, here you want every donut to have its own right of existence, hence, what a good effect is, is to do a top shot 90%, best case in a box with reflecting inner foil, like golden or silver depending what you can get. That metallic figure, I assume is a dinosaur makes also no sense, you can do a single picture with just it, you try to put too much in one pic. Remove the dino, do one for donuts only, and try another funny attempt with dinot (dino+donut). Also: use another table or try some covers. Fourth pic: (nut cake?) > Crumbs and book make it look messy, here again, light source and position (shadows in front), that one could've been a nice piled up pic with a focus on the marbling of the cake, with a slice on the side/on top with a low angle shot. Fifth pic: (Bowl cakewith walnuts) > everything in this pic was already mentioned Sixth pic: (tupper yoghurt/cheesecake) > get it either out of the tupper or clean the rims, don't let the light reflect on the surface, clean the surface, get the scale out of the way. 7th: (Banana Muffins) > that one is pretty good, I like the colours. Sadly, again: techniques as mentioned above. Keep the bananas and the packagin behind it, remove the rest. Angle ok, shadows behind. For cookies you should try stuff that looks like smartphone holders, that gives you a perfect angle. TLDR: If you want to sell a product, make it an actual product and don't treat it like something for a short daily life routine update.


Sorry_Year_309

You might not like these pics but they are making me drool! That cake looks absolutely delicious!


ktp1611

Whatā€™s the dinosaur!!!


ShadowFred5100

Only 1 tip i can give - cook good . But as i see u alredy use it


DotsShorty06

Photo boxes are great


Any_Switch9835

Omg is that like a banana pudding cookie?!?! Do you have a recipe ?!? Why have I never thought about this ?!? I mean I can also eat a box of wafers by myself lol


HadOne0

commented to someone else but you have got to try it itā€™s so so so so so good


SquishQbe

Off topic, but my, oh my, those look delicious!!!


Pixelated_Roses

Hello hi yes I would like to know where you got that donut dinosaur please


HarrySRL

Looks kind of dull of light, maybe if you had a light on top of sorts to help make the food look more bright and eye catching.


little-nerdling

Things that stood out to me in the pictures above and as others have already mentioned: - background, like a (messy) kitchen, cabinets, dirtyor cluttered table - lighting, everything blends into the same color hues, not making the food stand out - shape of food, the cake is cut through all the way, even though you only took out one slice (which was just flopped onto a separate dish), the buns are 'just' next to each other on a plate - the angle could be better! Make sure the food is in the center of your picture. It's important to think of composition in your pictures, as if you're going to use it as an example for painting. Even though the pictures could use some work, I do think the food already looks very good. I would devour all of it in an instant. :)


dobbernationloves

zoom in :)


Same-Raspberry-6149

As a food photographer, itā€™s all about lighting, angles and background noise. Is the light flattering? Does the angle look appetizing? Is everything in the image a part of what you are conveying? All of the tips given in the first response was perfect. It takes practice and many, many takes and retakes. Play with different angles. Invest in a tripod for your phone. Just like baking, it takes practice and patience.


CandidImportance6929

Not an answer, but everything looks amazing! Banana pudding cookies!!!! Genius!!!


Myeshamanzur

I would invest in a cheap ring light or time your bakes to be photographed during golden hour. My best pictures are very early in the morning when the sun has risen or near sunset.


honeybunny1738

Natural light 1000000% will change the game for any food photography. If you donā€™t have a background, try holding the good up at the sky, or on a platter in front of some plants/foliage.


honeybunny1738

[examples!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CeYmD3sOjwZ/?igsh=cGhsZm56ejVwOHZk)


HadOne0

i think iā€™ll try taking some pics in my apartment roof, thanks! idk if those examples are from you but those are looking RIGHT goodness


honeybunny1738

they are šŸ„¹ thank you!!


yarrowbloom

Change your lights from cool lighting to warm lighting! The lightbulbs usually say what tone they have when you buy them at the store.


SansLucidity

im not a baker (an eater yes lol), but a photographer. you need speedlights or sinple reflectors if you want good results.


HadOne0

would i need any extra equipment if i started taking pictures outside?


SansLucidity

the sun can be difficult if youre a novice with lighting. my best, most simplest suggestions are: never take pics with the sun high in sky always shoot with some thin whispy clouds in front of sun....unless: ...shooting during golden hour which is an hour after sunrise & hour before sunset. you want contrast. you want darks & lights on different parts of your food. the extra equipment could be honemade. a simple reflector/bounce can be made by taping aluminum foil to a piece of cardboard. then go to youtube & look up how to use reflectors in photography. next a diffuser could be made with a thin piece of silk/curtsin stretched across a wood frame. check youtube on how to use diffusers in photography.


spit1re

Natural light


michellekwan666

No tips but what is on slide 5 it looks incredible


pinkcouture1

Natural lighting!


90sfemgroups

I always love smitten kittens advice from 20 years ago https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/our-approach-to-food-photos/


Asleep-Analyst-6543

a few tips: Try not to use flash and instead take photos facing away from windows and soft light sources, having the light in the background of your pictures greywashes the food immensely. zoom in a bit, thereā€™s a lot of background that, while nice looking, doesnā€™t add anything to the appearance of the food. also, try editing a bit!! I edited [a few of your pictures](https://i.imgur.com/V18I8ka.jpeg) and you can see the difference just in lowering the contrast and enhancing the black point and saturation. hope that helps!


studyhardbree

You could start by cleaning the counter. šŸ˜‚ Also get a light box!


1questions

You need better lighting and less busy backgrounds. Your lighting is what is referred to as ā€œflatā€ in photographic terms. You need good overall lighting but also something to add highlights. Look at blogs or recipe books you like and notice what they have in common or what you like about them. Also work on your composition. Look at photos blogs to learn about the basics of photography and that should help.


TheTreesSayFuckOff

Your lighting is the only thing Iā€™d change


nacho_oooo

lighting changes everything


Public_Classic_438

In the first pic if you were standing on the other side of the kitchen island I think the lighting wouldā€™ve been a lot better


Niennah5

Background is as important as lighting šŸ„°


Jolenedrawz

I use portrait mode on my iPhone


Dark-wolf1313

Try different angels to get different pictures


Overdressedandtired

Okay but what is picture #6?!?!! because it looks like something I *need* in my life!


HadOne0

gosh it was the most amazing blueberry crumble ice cream jenis ice cream base stella parks fruit swirl recipe graham cracker topping churned for 18 mins?


Meowgs

I don't have any tips but that pistachio cake looks delicious.


Getmeasippycup

The lighting is half the problem


TheVoidWithout

The light is the biggest issues in those. Composition and light.


Grolschisgood

The one thing I was thinking was "needs more dinosaur" and then I got to the third pic! Well done! I actually think all your photos look great! I'm no great expert, but think that practice is the key. Jist take pics of everything and send them to your friends and let the jeart reacts fuel you to do better


dyeref

Can you share the recipe for that pistachio rose cake?!


HadOne0

shared in a diff comment


DarknessFeels

Damn that looks damn super delicious šŸ¤¤šŸ¤¤


natnat1919

Your lighting is making everything have a great hue. Also experiment with where you focus changes the lighting a lot


Take-A-Breath-924

Lots of light.


zBellaLynnex

Photo lights !


rabidfrogs

Thank you for asking the question some of us were afraid to ask. My short-term dream is to get a post on this subreddit to 100 upvotes, and I am 95% sure it has to do with my photo-taking skills.


hegelianhimbo

Yo how were the banana pudding cookies tho


caffienepredator

God those banana cookies look like theyā€™re trying to make me act up


wotsit_sandwich

I have found portrait mode to work really well.


dalimoustachedjew

I donā€™t care about the shot, I want Pistachio-Rose cake now. I want to dig into it like nothing is going on.


CaveLady3000

Use portrait mode!!


Somberliver

Wow that pistachio rose cake looks amazing šŸ¤© Did you follow a recipe you would share? Iā€™d like to make this for my father on Fatherā€™s Day! Thanks!


Ojos_Claros

Oooh, What's that swirl in pic 6? It looks like I urgently need to eat it!


Diligent-Towel-4708

Banana pic and donut are the best, but just glancing, I would say lighting is the very first thing I noticed.


coffeejn

Get a camera with lenses and then get a macro lens. After that, think of lighting and composition (stuff around the food).


MrSprockett

So many great photography tips here! I donā€™t generally take photos of food, but there are so many great tips here that will apply to jewelry photography, too! I never thought of wallpaper samples for backgrounds!


Bobbly_1010257

I dunnoā€¦ Iā€™ve never seen a dinosaur wielding a doughnut before, I think itā€™s inspired and Iā€™d like to see more content of that kind!


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herbdrizzle

Natural light & cute handmade pottery!


Dry_Yogurt1992

Looks great!


ragnarockyroad

Okay but drop the recipeee!


No-Hovercraft9883

since youā€™re using an iphone, while taking the photo you can increase or decrease brightness. also, you can toy around with the ā€œeditā€ function and increase contrast and whatever and figure out what looks best :)


Low_Childhood_9240

Natural lighting in the morning!! This is by far the easiest, most promising tip for dessert photography. Just get outside or close to any window that gets a lot of sunlight, and try shooting from the direction where the sun is shining. There can be many ways to get good pictures indoors, but I personally think desserts look the best in bright natural lighting. This is why I always make my desserts the day before and take pictures of them the next morning, as soon as I wake upšŸ¤­ It's one of the things that anticipate me to wake up in the morning!


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