8 Dog food photography tips: how to take good photos of dog food and treats?

If you have your own pet blog or website, you might want to take pictures of your dog’s food and treats. This is especially true if you make them yourself and have recipes to share! Food photography can be tricky, and it’s a lot different from regular pet photography.

Of course, the quality of the photos that you take will vary depending on the quality of the camera you’re using. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a camera setup to capture nice photos, but you shouldn’t be taking pictures with your cell phone either. A quick internet search will give you some good ideas of cameras in your price range.

Photography is an art, and without proper training you cannot expect your photos to look like the ones you see in magazines. It takes a lot of practice and experience to know how to use lighting, angles and props to your advantage. These tips will give you the basics, but if you really want to know how to take good quality photos of dog food and treats, I suggest you take a photography class or ask the advice of an experienced photographer.

Dog Food Photography Tips: How to Take Good Photos of Dog Food and Treats?

1. Lighting

You absolutely must have the right lighting when trying to take pictures of food. Lucky, you only need one light source to get the perfect picture. The light source you use for food photography should be big and bright.

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Preferably, it will be diffused, so you don’t get any glare in your final product. A diffuser is also necessary to ensure the light spreads out over your food or treats well enough.

Obviously, you can use artificial lighting for this light source. However, before you go out and look at photography light sources like soft boxes, see if you have a nice window that gets good light. Natural light can work just fine as long as it gets bright enough, and using a window will save you quite a bit of money on lighting supplies.

2. Different Angles

When you are trying to photograph dog food, it’s important to take a few different pictures from different angles. Since you are getting a close-up photo, it’s going to be hard for you to tell which one comes out good right away.

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Take several pictures from directly above, from the side, and at different angles and views so that when you upload your pictures to your computer, you can have some choices available.

Sometimes what you think might look good on your small camera screen ends up looking sloppy when full-size on the computer. If you have several options, it ensures you don’t have to go through the process of preparing the food and shooting pictures again. Take it from someone who has been there…that’s EXTREMELY frustrating!

3. Get in There!

If you are used to regular photography, you are probably going to try to get a wide view of the dish, with the entire thing in the shot as well as some background. Don’t limit yourself! Get up close and personal.

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Sometimes your picture will come out better if you zoom in and highlight the details. Like the above tip about angles, take a few different shots from different distances to see what comes out best.

Remember, when photographing food, even dog food, you have a limited amount of time. Take several shots quickly so you won’t have to go through the process again if the photo doesn’t come out well.

4. Dealing with Ugly Food

Dog food is not always the most attractive thing to photograph. Shaped treats might look okay right off the bat, but if you are making homemade kibble or other daily meals for your pup, it probably doesn’t look too appetizing.

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If you are having trouble getting it to look good, try taking a different approach.

Take pictures of the ingredients instead of the entire dish put together. Try plating the food on a fancy plate, or take a picture of just a bite in a spoon or small glass. Remember that colorful plates or serving bowls can take the eye away from ugly food. Get creative! Don’t feel like all you can do is take a picture of the completed dish or treat in a bowl.

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