Meet Sarah Farmer, an Ontario-based Chef de Cuisine who hung up her apron for a camera and turned her love of cooking into visual masterpieces. After 14 years in the kitchen, Sarah has built a second career capturing restaurants’ stories from behind the lens. Sarah sat down with Push Operations to share her favorite tips and tricks for food photography and styling, crafting a special treat for budding photographers, seasoned chefs, and food lovers alike! Let’s dive in.
Sarah Farmer: I went to school for pastry and savory, and I was a chef for almost 14 years in the Ottawa area. So I have worked in every type of kitchen you can imagine! In one of my last jobs, we were doing a tasting menu that had only Canadian ingredients, but I felt our marketing wasn’t representing the heart of it. So through that frustration, I started taking photos with my cell phone. I would go in the dining room or in the kitchen to get better lighting. You can do a lot with your cell phone if you know the tricks. After that, I started taking photography more seriously because people responded well to my photos.
Sarah Farmer: Being able to connect with people who care about what they're doing. Through photography, I try to represent who they are because I was a part of that world.
Sarah Farmer: Natural light is my preference because it allows me to really capture the ambiance in a restaurant. I recommend going next to a window because then it'll cut out any ambient light, which is the biggest contributor, in my opinion, to bad photos. You could buy a white foam core, angle it at 90 degrees, and bounce natural light off of that to make photos even brighter. It's a super fast way to level up a photo and make it more crisp.
Sarah Farmer: Golden hour is the easiest time to get good diffused light with a bit of drama from the shadows. The hard light look is also in right now, so you can shoot in the middle of the day if that's the look you want. Cell phones have HDR, which will help you take a photo in direct sunlight. For something more natural looking, and kind of diffused, just find shade. Having light in the background will make it look bright, so you'll still see details.
Sarah Farmer: Composition is a big part of taking a good photo. If the plating of your dish is meant to be off-center, make sure it's positioned with how the photo will be taken in mind; otherwise, things can look messy. You want to make sure that it's balanced. Then, keep it simple. If you want to have one item on the table, make sure you have a really nice surface. If you're going to be a little more complicated and add glasses and props, there are composition resources, like the rule of thirds.
Sarah Farmer: The “flash look” is very popular right now, but “moody” is definitely sneaking up. I find that shooting things a little more moody is more reflective of the restaurant because it shows the ambiance — especially when you shoot with natural light. Chefs put so much emotion into making each dish, and it’s important to me that the photography captures this.
Sarah Farmer: Wipe off your lens! I often see people posting content, and I'm like, “Your phone's dirty.” Just wipe off the lens, and it will improve the video or photo by 50%.
Sarah Farmer: If I'm doing a close-up of something, I'll use a 90-degree angle and get the background in there. I like to show the food and then a little bit of the ambiance or the people blurred out in the background.
Sarah Farmer: Don't salt your food. It'll slowly start to degrade the food. Put a little more on the plate than you would actually serve to a guest. That's a struggle I see chefs go through when I'm taking photos. People are not going to look at a photo and say, “The salad looks a little fuller than what I have.” McDonald's is the perfect example — their burgers do not look like what's on their menu boards.
Sarah Farmer: I try to avoid basic cutlery and shiny things unless it’s needed to tell a story. Sometimes I'll include chopsticks or whatever is relevant. This is where the guides for composition would come into play. When I was a chef, I didn't take any photos with cutlery or props in it. I kept it simple, and my style is still kind of like that. I'm very focused on the food and I want to showcase the ingredients.
Sarah Farmer: Funny enough, floors can be a great option. You can put the dish on a clean wood floor or concrete. Don’t be afraid to go outside and use what's around you, like a nice wood deck or cool rock. Restaurants may have leather seats or banquettes, which you can use, and, of course, the restaurant tables if they're matte or have texture.
Sarah Farmer: Get out of your head, don't doubt yourself, and have fun. Don't worry about what other people think.
Sarah’s transition from chef to photographer beautifully illustrates the power of following your passions and embracing new opportunities. Her tips on food photography and styling can enhance your culinary creations and help you capture the essence of your business. If you’re looking to elevate your food photography and highlight your brand, be sure to check out her stunning work here.
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