Take better food photographs with your Nikon Quickstart cheat sheet

Nikon Team •Nikon Quickstart•28 aug. 2025•3 min. læsning

Our downloadable tips and tricks cheat sheet will help you improve your food photography

Nikon Quickstart is a series of Nikon magazine cheat sheets for beginners, in which we’re demystifying some of the techniques and tricks that will instantly improve your photography and video. From street food to Michelin-starred meals, great food photography makes you want to dive in and eat. You want to create images that look realistic and as mouthwatering as possible, whether you’re in a restaurant (where photography is permitted), having an unforgettable meal or at home showing off your latest creations, Read on for the basics of getting it right and some suggestions of lenses to choose for food photography – download your free Nikon Quickstart cheat sheet as a handy reminder.

Our downloadable tips and tricks cheat sheet will help you improve your food photography

Nikon Team

What’s in our kitbag?

NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4Anything but standard

NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8Compact and lightweight

NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VRPin-sharp. Rock-steady.

Choose your angle

Images taken with the camera slightly raised and to the side give the plate depth, whereas taking them from directly above for a ‘flat lay’ approach gives a different look. Experiment with angles with different dishes.

Props

The selection of props that accompany your food can say a lot about the dish itself. The glasses, cutlery and, of course, plates are all part of the story.

Presentation

Pay attention to how food is arranged on the plate – think of it as a composition within your composition. It needs balance, visual interest and each item of food needs to look its best.

Natural light

Using natural light from the side is great for food photography. Bright but cloudy conditions diffuse the light and stop harsh shadows. You can also use a piece of white cardboard as a reflector opposite the window.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds, such as the table, set a mood. The material of the tabletop and colour of a tablecloth, if you’re using one, all send different signals about the plate of food.

Pick a detail

Go in for a detail that really brings the food alive. Move the dish around to see how the light hits individual elements on the plate differently.

Great lenses for food photography

A ‘standard’ focal length of 50mm will give you a great, human’s-eye view of the food, and adding macro capabilities will give you the most mouthwatering close-ups.

Beginner’s choice

NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4

Pro choice

NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8

DX choice:

NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR

Download your Nikon Quickstart food photography cheat sheet here

Want more? Click here to see all the Nikon Quickstart cheat sheets