Have you ever wondered what's the most important thing about culinary photography? In addition to the delicious food that plays first fiddle here, for me there are two most important issues – light and colors. By expertly manipulating them and understanding their impact on the effect we want to get, we can create fantastic photos. Today I will focus on colors and tell you why you should understand them better.
Why are colors so important?
The correct choice of colors that we will use in the photo determines whether the recipient will look at them with pleasure – whether the photo will not be too soft, whether it will not scream, whether the head will ache from just looking at it. Colors should emphasize the main character (food), and not distract attention from it. We can use them to tell the story we want. Thanks to the choice of background and accessories in this color scheme, we can show spring, winter or autumn in the photo. We can guess whether the plan was photographed in the early morning or evening by candlelight. We can give the photo a suitable atmosphere-rustic, gentle or modern. We can decide whether the photo will be more joyful or dramatic. Colors are really very important, so you should learn how to use them.
How do I choose the colors in the photo?
Where to begin? From thinking about what we want to get. Before we start choosing backgrounds and accessories, let's think about what kind of atmosphere a photo should have. If we want a happy, springy breakfast look, let's focus on bright, pastel colors instead. Autumn dinner? We can choose warmer, darker shades. Asian climate? Cold gray color and concrete may be suitable here. Elegant coffee break-we can target, for example, marble and delicate, non-colored accessories. Fast food – let's try going crazy with intense colors? There are no restrictions here, it's up to you to decide what you want to get, but you should know this before you start drawing up a plan.
Then we'll focus on the food we'll be photographing. What will be the color and texture? Will we use multiple colors while styling them, or will they be fairly uniform in color? The more colorful the dish, the less we use other colors in the photo-otherwise we can get a very bright photo in which the main character does not even catch the eye.
However, be careful when photographing a dish that is more uniform in color, such as soup or stew. We can be more wild with the flowers here, but let's not forget that our dish still stands out the most. We can even use a very bright background color and a few fillings if the dish is still in the foreground.
The very stylization of the dish is already very important in terms of color. When choosing styling supplements-herbs, flowers, fruits, grains-we should pay attention to whether they fit together, match the dish, and whether our styling plan bites.
Generally, a good rule of thumb is to stick to a maximum of 3-4 colors per photo. If we use more of them, we run the risk of getting chaotic, disorderly photo reception, and we don't want that.
Source: Dorota Domino
How do I find out if these colors match?
We already know what to think about when choosing colors, but how do we know how to choose them and what colors fit together? Some of us just see it, some of us acquire this skill over time and need some practice. Especially at the beginning, the so-called color wheel is very useful. Thanks to this, we can be sure that the colors we use match each other.
Source: Dorota Domino
How to use the color wheel? We find the color that should dominate us-it's usually easiest to start with the color of the food we're photographing. Now we have several options to choose from.
If we want to get a monochrome photo,we choose shades that are located on the same line from the center to the edge of the circle as the color we selected. It will be harmonious and peaceful.
We can also use harmonious colors – these are the ones that are placed next to the selected color, on the left and on the right. They will not bite each other and also allow you to create a harmonious image (for example, yellow, orange and green).
If we want to get the contrast and highlight the dish even more, let's look for additional colors-these are the ones that are located in a circle opposite our chosen shade, for example, orange and blue (how about mango cheesecake with blueberries or juicy lemons on a blue background? See?).
When analyzing the color wheel, we can also use other schemes-triad (matching three colors at equal distances on the color wheel), tetrad (matching consisting of two additional pairs of colors), but here we are already entering the risk of using too many colors in one photo. If you need such a result-go ahead!
In turn, black and white, and in practice also beige and gray, are colors that complement every color visible on the color wheel, so we can safely use them almost everywhere. A good procedure is to use only achromatic colors (white, gray) in the design of the plan, and use more intense colors only in the dish. It is also a great idea to create a monochrome photo-that is, we have everything in several shades of the same color.
The color wheel is not a hard marker, but a work facilitation that is worth using. In the end, we will still be guided by our own sense of aesthetics, especially at the beginning of our adventure in culinary photography, the color wheel can help us greatly. Don't be afraid of him!
Source: Dorota Domino
But the most important thing is to practice and not underestimate the importance of the color scheme in culinary photography. If we are not sure, remember that less is more. It is also very important to choose the right white balance so that the colors we use are not distorted. Don't panic if you find these colors don't match after copying your photos to your computer – you can always change them in Lightroom or Photoshop. 😉
Junior specialist in Marketing Communications and PR.
He is a graduate of the University of Warsaw and the Main School of Agriculture. We have been in the HoReCa industry for more than 10 years. For many years, he has been associated with the Trip group, Sobienie Royal Golf and Country Club, and the Florentin Restaurant in Warsaw.
She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw Technical University with a degree in Architecture for the Knowledge Society and Visual Communications at the Polytechnic University of Milan. A specialist in creating a mood. She has gained experience at home and abroad at numerous international seminars (Seville, Lisbon, Florence), fellowships at La Sapienza (Rome), etc. m.in. in Carmi e Ubertis and ADM Milano.
A manager with many years of experience in the cosmetics, food, and children's industries. During his career, he was associated with such companies as: L'Oreal, Samsung, Danone-Nutricia, Unilever. During his professional life, he was responsible, among other things, for the development of e-commerce sales and content in Poland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. 
