Food Photography Resources & Inspiration

Sorry for the late posting today. I just got back from a week-long trip to Mexico State (where I saw the migrating Monarch Butterflies– a must-see if you’re ever in the area); Guadalajara, Jalisco; and Cuernavaca, Morelos. I was visiting a friend in Guadalajara and had a midterm reunion for my research grant in Cuernavaca. It was a great week of traveling, but I was SO ready to come back to Oaxaca. I have a newfound appreciation for the beauty of this city, and I am motivated to get back to work on my research project.

I let myself eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, during the trip because it’s always nice to take a break from strictly healthy eating and enjoy some of the world’s best food. But, I have to admit, I am really looking forward to getting back into my healthy eating groove this week. My morning oatmeal never tasted so good.

This Friday is 24 Carrot Life’s 1st birthday! Apparently I decided to blog on Valentine’s Day last year since I couldn’t be with my boyfriend. Now that a year has passed, I’d say a 1st birthday is a great time to do some reflecting on how far I have come since I started this little blog.

My photography has a come a LONG way since I started, and I am improving every day. Check out what one of my first food photos looked like, compared to a picture I took a few weeks ago:

I’d say I’ve improved quite a bit! My improvements have come with lots of practice and lots of research. I am constantly reading blogs that give new photography tips, and I have a few favorite books and e-courses that I reference all the time. My goal this year is to stay as consistent as possible with my photos and only share recipes that I would make over and over again. I wanted to share what some of my favorite resources have been so far, and where I get some of my photography (and recipe) inspiration from.

Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling

This was the first food photography resource that I purchased. It is a seriously comprehensive book on everything from camera basics to how to organize and store your digital photographs. This is a resource I find myself coming back to time and time again.

Minimalist Baker Food Photography E-Course and Other Free Resources

The couple behind Minimalist Baker are some of my food blogging gods. Their photos are amazing, their recipes can’t be beat, they provide both free and paid resources for bloggers, and they seem like the most down to earth people. A few months ago I bought their Food Photography E-Course in an attempt to improve my photos a bit more, and boy has it helped! I probably reference the course once a week, especially when it comes to tips for how to edit my photos in Photoshop.

What you will learn in this E-Course:

There are 15 lessons, complete with 14 troubleshooting guides and 22 video tutorials. Topics covered include: 1) Understanding Cameras, 2) Using Your Camera, 3) Lighting, 4) Utilizing Light from Different Angles, 5) Bouncing & Diffusing Light, 6) Set-Up & Equipment, 7) Subject Matter, 8) Composition, 9) Photographing Beverages, 10) Angles, 11) Props, 12) Action Shots, 13) The Purpose of Editing, 14) How to Edit Your Photos, and 15) Advanced Video Tutorials.

This course pushed me to finally purchase Photoshop, and I would be completely lost without lessons 13, 14, and 15.

In my recent post for No-Bake Almond Joy Cookies, you can see how I used color, different heights and fabrics, how I stacked the cookies high and showed a bite out of one of the cookies, and how I took pictures at different angles. These are all things I learned in Minimalist Baker’s Food Photography E-Course. Oh, and I learned how to make that circle around the text from the course as well. I would have never known how to do this without Minimalist Baker’s help!

Minimalist Baker also has other e-courses on how to become a WordPress Master, How to Publish and Sell Your Own E-Book, and transitioning from Blogger to WordPress. Their resources are never ending!

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Minimalist Baker’s e-courses.

Pinch of Yum

Pinch of Yum has a food photography e-book as well, but I have not purchased it myself. I have heard great things about it though. I love Pinch of Yum’s free posts on Ten Household Items That Can Improve Your Food Photography, and they recently posted a Round 2 to this. Unbelievably helpful and such low-cost tips!

Now for some of the blogs that inspire me to keep blogging and keep practicing!

Vegetarian Ventures

I just can’t get over how amazing Shelly’s photos are. I am so proud to call her one of my blogging buddies!

Fit Foodie Finds

I love Lee’s consistency, typography, and action shots. She posted a great review of Minimalist Baker’s E-Course as well, and you can tell that it has paid off with her consistently great photography.

Oh She Glows

Angela’s food photography is equally as good as her actual recipes. I have never made a thing from her site that didn’t turn out perfect and delicious. Her cookbook comes out on March 4th and I can’t wait to see all the beautiful photography of her droolworthy recipes!

Top with Cinnamon

I can’t believe Izzy is only 18 years old! What am I doing with my life!? She is such an accomplished blogger and her photos are constantly getting pinned to my Food Styling board. I can only hope to one day be half as good as Izzy is.

*****

I think it is important to always practice and continue learning in order to improve your food photography. What might not make sense the first time you read it suddenly makes sense the fifth time you’ve read it in a different place.

For more blogging resources follow my Blogging Resources Pinterest Board, or for more food styling inspiration check out my Food Styling Pinterest Board.

What are some of your favorite food photography resources and inspiration?