Still-life madness

Food photography is all the rage now. Haven’t you noticed the irritating flashes in restaurants as someone stands on their chair to get a perfect shot? Maybe you’ve seen the scores of digital cameras at the farmers’ markets snapping away at piles of produce?

I’ve been doing it for five years on my own food blog (www.vanillagarlic.com), but for those who are just getting into it, there can be a lot to learn.

If you’re looking for some good advice, as varied as props, gear or assignments that’ll give you good practice, you should head over to the blog Still Life With by Lara Ferroni (www.laraferroni.com/category/still-life-with). If you’re just learning to use your new camera and need some tutorials, then Todd and Diane of the blog White on Rice Couple are the people you want to look up (www.whiteonricecouple.com). Lastly, all dedicated food photographers should have the bible for food styling Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera by Delores Custer.

Of course, the best book you can read is your camera’s manual.