By Kate Sweitzer

In every product development project there is a requirement for a picture. We know how important the appearance of our new food product is to our audience, judges, and consumers. An appetizing photograph can make the difference between a successful pitch and a dud. So how do we photograph our products in the best possible way, even as amateur photographers? The food industry has food stylists and food photographers, but what do we do as students or young professionals without this experience?

A couple of tips and tricks I have learned along the way are:

• Be sure to white balance the final photograph to get the colors accurate
• Keep serving containers neutral and unobtrusive.
• Brown or pale foods look drab alone but can look great next to a splash of color (like a cracker next to an apple)
• Providing an item for scale is particularly useful (ie. a utensil or other familiar object).
• Lots of light! Use natural lighting, extra table lamps, floor lamps, utility lamps, or any neutral light producing device.

I would love to know your tips and tricks for capturing the best photographs of your project. How have you learned to take the best photographs of your product? Have you stumbled upon any blunders that turned into learning experiences?