chAPTer 4: sTYling & ProPs 107
Canon 7D
ISO 100
1/250 sec.
f/5.6
70–200mm lensrelevAnce And simPliciTY
When adding props to a scene, imagine yourself sitting down at the table to eat the
meal you are photographing. Picture the utensils, food, and dishes that might be set
around you, things that you would actually use in real life. Then, take that informa-
tion and apply it to your photograph.
Just remember, if it doesn’t add value to your image, it’s likely that it’s taking away
from your image. You want the props to be relevant, but you don’t want them to
draw attention away from your main subject. Keeping the scene uncluttered and
simple is usually a good start, since you want to showcase your main dish. Some
examples of appropriate props and additions to your scene might include silver-
ware, prepared food (such as side dishes or ingredients from the main dish), drink
glasses, and napkins. Also, when photographing a finished, prepared meal it’s also
best to avoid placing in your scene unprepared food items, such as whole pep-
pers, potatoes or onions. If it’s something you wouldn’t normally eat in its entirety
(or in an uncooked state), then it’s probably not going to seem very appetizing in
a photograph.
FIgure 4.25
To make this dish
appear as if it
were on a table at
a fancy restaurant
(or outdoors in a
romantic setting), I
added large string-
lights to a black
background to
convey the sense of
a darkened room.