The point of view technique deals with the angle between the camera lens and the subject. Do you photograph from above? Below? The side? Straight on?
Many photographers advise to shoot from slightly above the dish to simulate the view from the diner’s eye. This usually produces a pleasing picture, but some of the most interesting shots are taken at eye level or from a bird’s-eye view.
Picture a double-decker cheeseburger. If photographed from the top or slightly above, we couldn’t see the juicy patties, melted cheddar, or bright ketchup dripping off the top bun. Try a side-on shot instead!
Now imagine a bowl of creamy tomato soup. If we shot from the side, we’d only see a few croutons poking over the rim. But if viewed from above, the crunchy bread cubes, deep red soup, and sprinkling of oregano would all be visible.
Play around with angles! As depicted by my photographs, there is no “one way” to shoot your subject. Who knows, maybe you’ll surprise yourself with the viewpoint of your favorite photo!
Now it’s your turn to practice point of view! Feel free to post any questions, comments, or tips in the comments section below!
I am all for taking multiple angle shots!! That’s the only way to REALLY show what the food looks like! Plus this makes me drool more seeing multiple shots!!
It’s true! When I have a dish in front of me, I can spin it around in circles to see what it looks like from all sides (or until I get dizzy), but there’s no way to do that with just one photo. And I was drooling over your pancakes this morning — YUM!
I love this advice! As the food photographer for our new blog, I often struggle with where the angle should be from. I have been taking many pictures (many, many pictures!) – and sometimes what looks like an unappetizing view with the eye looks amazing through the lens!
I agree Gretchen! Focusing on different areas of the photo somehow makes dishes look a lot prettier on the screen than in person. And it’s wonderful that you’re taking so many shots! I started out with 50-100 images after each photo session, but two years later I now live by the “Look ten times, shoot once” motto. It took me a long time to get to that point though!