What are my favorite food photography angles and viewpoints for food blogging? My 45-degree, 30-degree, 15-degree, overhead, 90-degree angles for a food blog. Is food blogging dangerous?

Quinoa Spaghetti

Dangerous Food Photography Angles & Climbing

Sometimes I feel like food photography is more dangerous than people might think. To be honest, I prefer that health insurance companies apparently don’t consider it as a huge risk. Otherwise, it would be too expensive. 😅 Anyone have any experience here?! However, falling off the table is real.

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“Safety Requirements” !?

I should probably follow some “safety requirements” and start taking my images on the floor (or buy some expensive gear). However, I don’t have the best light source for that, and I’m too cheap. Maybe when I’m a little bit older, I reconsider it for my food photography angles. Right now I try my best to keep my food photography as safe as possible. 😊 Wish me luck! If one day I won’t post anymore, then you know what happened. Touch wood …

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Camera position

One of the main things that almost every photography course or website says is that the most important thing in photography composition is the position of your camera. I always tell myself not to be lazy! Start moving around! Find those perfect food photography angles. Usually, the best viewpoint is not the first place I look! I have to find the best angle. That’s my chance to be creative and start experimenting. Sometimes I go down on my knees or start climbing.

Iced Turmeric Latte

I Always Use the Tripod: How I move?

I place my tripod on a spot that I think (hope) will work. Once I’m “done” with that food photography angle, then I like to take the camera off the tripod and move around. Once I find the place I love, then I place the tripod there.

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Choice of Lens & Food Photography Angles: Macro, Phone … ?

When I’m choosing my food photography angle, then I always try to consider my lens. For example, the 45-degree angle is usually the best with the macro lens (such as my 90 mm lens).

When I’m using my phone, then one of the best angles is overhead shots. Most of the phones have 24-28 mm focal length. However, the basic “nifty fifty” 50 mm lens on my full-frame sensor covers an angle that is similar to the human eye (more about how my 50 mm lens changed my photography here).

Dog Cookies

What are my basic food photography angles?

1. 45-degree angle: Horizon Level & Seeing Surface

 It’s one of the most common angles on food photography. However, I noticed that it’s commonly used with a macro (90 mm or 100 mm) lens. When I only had a 50 mm lens (and I didn’t have my 90 mm macro lens), then I didn’t use this angle in most cases. The problem is that’s with a 50 mm lens I just ran out of my background. I have also noticed that when I’m close enough, then I don’t see a horizon level. All I can see is the surface.

2. 30-degree angle: Horizon Line?

This angle here is slightly lower than the 45-degree angle, and I can see the horizon line in the background. I like to use this point of view when I would like to show the texture of some meals. It’s probably one of my favorite food photography angles. For this angle, I use my 90 mm or 50 mm lens. I play around with both of them or make my choice regards to the food itself (more about why I chose 90 mm lens here).

Butternut Pumpkin “Carbonara”

3. Overhead shot: Instagram Cliché

I feel like this angle is one of the most popular ones on Instagram food photography images. It has that different point of view that human eyes usually don’t see. It’s because most of the time we are sitting behind the dinner table. For these kinds of images, I use my 50 mm lens and maybe one day I will have a 35 mm lens as well.

Not for myself: don’t use this angle too much!

However, I still believe that we can’ go overboard with overhead shots. They are still one of the easiest and I might use this angle too often. Even though I sometimes have that tendency. Some food just looks better when I use the overhead shot. Yes, smoothie bowls, obviously. I usually try to mix it up as much as possible. When I’m shooting for a client, then I try to use almost all the basic food photography angles.

Chocolate Quinoa Porridge

Zucchini Turmeric Bread

4. Straight-on shot (90-degree): Layers?

This angle is the most common one for all the dishes where I would like to show the layers. For example, sandwiches, burgers, pancake stacks and dessert jars with layers. Photographers job is always to show the best side of the dish.

Still, it doesn’t mean that when I have a burger, then I should only use this food photography angle. I try to play around with different angles and find some unusual ones. For this angle, I use my 90 mm or 50 mm lens. I play around with both of them or make my choice regards to the food itself.

Zucchini Turmeric Bread

5. Ignore the rules: Photographing Glass?

Since photography is still an art form, then we don’t have to stick with the basic “rules”. We can always go creative and play around with different, unusual food photography angles and lenses. For example, when I’m shooting something in the glass, then I sometimes like to use 15-degree angle because I prefer to see the back edge of the glass.

Dog cookies (some similarities with overhead but not entirely. Also, the 20 mm/ 1.8 lens makes it a little bit unusual. Is it good or bad depends on the viewer’s eyes?! Usually, the 20 mm lens is not for food photography.)

Classical Comment Begging 🙄

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Leave YOUR website link below. I would love to see your photography or ideas!

Iced Matcha Latte (some similarities with the straight-on shot but is higher and looks more like a 15-degree angle)

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