Food photography and blog photography has come a long way in the six years I’ve been blogging. When I began, I had a 2-megapixel phone and an old DSLR my husband and I purchased five years earlier for our trip to Rome. I didn’t know how the settings on the camera worked, and I always took photos on auto mode.
The photos I share on this blog are nearly always taken in the midst of our chaos, with Saturdays being my favorite day to photograph. Plus, there is a comfort bonus to cooking and prepping food in my pj’s and having the kids around to assist.
Last week, I shared how I turned my living room into a photo studio with a simple backdrop and some holiday lights. And, how the remote control app for my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II made taking photos a breeze. This week, I’m partnering with Olympus again to share some food photography tips and an inside look at props, lights, and my (free) helpers.
My friend Alison has taught me a great deal about photography in the last four years. I remember her telling me that what separates magazine-worthy photos from the less impressive (and not very “shareable”) photos isn’t a fancy camera or expensive equipment. It’s more about the understanding what it takes to compose an appealing photo, lighting, and being able to capture the moment.
My shooting style is fairly simple since I always shoot with natural light. That means that I don’t typically use external lights or flash. Over the years, I’ve also learned at what time light enters my house best. Most of the time, I take photos between 9 am and 12 noon in my living room and 3-6 pm at my dining room table.
When I take food photos, I nearly always mount my Olympus camera on a tripod. It’s easy to get distracted or for my hand to shake with a high aperture setting and make the picture blurry. Minute hand movement is one of the reasons I have to delete photos from my card and declare them unusable because they are a little blurry. I don’t want my readers to think they need glasses to look at the fine details of a photo.
Having some general photography knowledge before getting my Olympus OM-D E-M10 made learning to use it a breeze. I spent an hour with the instructions and then I moved on to shooting about practice photos with very simple things, like strawberries on a cutting board. What I love about this camera, in particular, is that I can touch the screen and select my focus point, something I’m not able to do with my other camera or my iPhone.
Why is that important you ask? Because sometimes I place the food on a specific dish, and no matter what do, the camera insists on focusing on the dish, or another point closer to the camera, especially with a low F stop and the food is out of focus. You know those blurry background photos we all love? With the Olympus camera, it’s easy to touch my focus point and forget about the rest. Something super practical since I always shoot in AV mode.
The Setup and Backdrops
Below are some of my favorite props that I use for the photos you see on this blog.
My dining room table. I love it because it’s a big surface and I can style freely. The downside is that it’s in a darker area so I have to take pictures in the afternoon.
Plastic backdrops. I bought these 2ftx2ft pieces on Etsy and I love that that I can have any color I choose. I no longer have to distress wood planks or store bulky backdrops. They roll up until I need them. I love that I can use these anywhere in my house. My favorite place is by my front door.
Wooden cutting board. Sometimes, simple is best. Especially when it comes to ingredient or process photos. I usually take my food outside, under our covered patio for indirect light in the afternoons.
Garnishes
While pancakes can look delicious, by themselves they are a light golden brown color. They need “something”. Brown soups are hard to photograph because they sometimes look like a big brown circle. My easiest solution is to garnish!
Herbs. Fresh herbs are best but on a pinch, I’ll use dried parsley. It’s the most vibrant colored dried herb.
Parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese not only adds finishing flavor, but the texture adds a little dimension to the plate of pasta.
Condiments. A hot dog is just a brown circular rectangle, but add ketchup or mustard and now you have color.
Toppings. Can you imagine photographing plain vanilla ice cream and making it look delicious? Toppings can add color, texture, and make the photo pop!
The biggest tip with garnishes is to think about the colors that will enhance the dish, but that also go with the actual recipe. An ingredient that looks pretty but doesn’t “belong” in the dish doesn’t make sense.
Styling and Props
Over time, I’ve accumulated my share of dishes and pieces of fabric to use in my photography. However, I often use the same ones from time to time because I like to keep things simple. I typically keep styling my photos to a minimum and focus on making the food pretty before it’s devoured by my kids.
Plates. Smaller, round, salad plates are easier to work with to not worry about filling the plate with an abundance of food or having space to fill. I nearly always use a white dish and enhance the photo with a patterned napkin or cloth.
Other items. Napkins utensils, glassware, and other items fill up the image to style it and add layers and dimension to any photo. I don’t have antique silverware for my photos, just plain ones. I’m just a fan of keeping it simple, so I don’t loose sight of the goal: to make the food stand out.
When in doubt, I use my kids in the photo to hold, dip, bite, and capture the moment. They also assist with holding up the reflector boards (foam boards from the dollar store). Sometimes, when my Olympus camera is mounted on the tripod with the settings I need for the photo, my son likes to look get behind the camera and shoot the photo himself. For this reason, the camera is great for the whole family and would make a terrific holiday gift.
Yes, there are a lot more details (white balance, camera settings, etc.) that go into capturing the vision I have for a recipe in my head to bringing it to life. However, the execution is nearly always the same, and my goal is to capture everyday food in a way that makes you look at the photo and think, “I can make that!”
Gabrielle
Congratulations to whomever won! I’ve been sick so I don’t know if it was announced or not.
Laura Fuentes
Sorry Gabrielle, it was announced the following Sunday. Stay tuned for more giveaways!
Julie
One word: steam… the soups gotta’ look hot! : )
Ana Simmons
I recently found your website .. Is fantastic!!! You recipes, pictures books are awesome!!! You’re awesome!! 🙂
I think for me I would be more likely to try a recipe if the pictures look so delicious that I had the urge to reach and “take” a bite 🙂
Also if the recipe is easy to follow.. Sometimes there are great recipes out there, but the instructions make me dizzy I’d rather cook mac and cheese :)and lastly if by reading the recipe it seems as the ingredients go together.. I mean if they compliment each other for a delicious master piece. Although sometimes is nice to have a surprise of flavors.. I like to study a recipe and make sure I’m going to have a delicious dish after all that arduous cooking 😉
Dawn
The salmon with honey looks delicious! Without the dry flakes by using your recipe looks motivating and something I can do! My hubby will love this.
Becky
Appealing photos, especially step-by-step ones, means that I’m more likely to make a recipe than one without those. Time estimates are also helpful, though they can be pretty bogus–it doesn’t count as half an hour of prep time from start to finish if you have to chop a million things first!
Maria
When something looks pretty I’m definitely tempted to try the recipe out. My food photography needs work. I have almost zero natural lighting so I’m still learning when is the perfect time to take food photos. It will come eventually!
Esmeralda
Looking at the ingredients included in the recipes makes me think, “I have all that stuff at home, hey, I can do this!” And knowing what the finished product should look like let’s me know I’m following the recipe correctly.
Thanks for all the pics!!
Amy Wolski
I will only purchase a cookbook that shows lots of photos. Ideally one for every recipe. I don’t want to make it unless it’s beautiful. Ditto for online recipes.
Ludicrous Mama
Hmmm… I can’t really define what makes one food photo more appealing. Vibrant colors, great lighting and contrast, general composition.
Sarah
I usually look at the ingredients to decide if I can make that or want to try.
Dana Russell
No fancy dished or place settings needed…..I like closeup photos of the food with simple backgrounds that highlights just the food. I don’t like “fake” food photos where hot food is really cold or grilled food has painted grill lines.
Gillian
The fresh colors of your food always makes me want to try your recipes! Nice job 🙂
Judith Zuniga
What makes me look at a recipe picture and go yumm is the picture itself! It has to be a photo that’s stylish, clean and with good composition. I wish I could get one of those cool cameras!!
Krystal Watson
Simplicity and common ingredients give me confidence.
Faith
I am drawn to food pics that look easy and yummy to me. I am not an experienced cook so of it looks simple and good I will give it a go.
Sarah H
A long list of ingredients doesn’t scare so much as a “book” of directions for one recipe! If the directions are easy to follow and special ingredients are required, I can cook that!
Barbara Hamel Derner
Your photos look great!
For me, photos that are simple (not too busy) and show a close-up of the food are what usually draw me in. Also, the food needs look appealing, which is of course is different for everyone. If the picture of the food looks like something I will enjoy eating and the photo is well done I will most likely click on the recipe to read further. Then it is just down to what ingredients are in the recipe, will my kids eat them, and does my grocery store stock them. The second one is usually my biggest stumbling block.
Barbara Hamel Derner
Photos that are simple (not too busy) and show a close-up of the food are what usually draw me in. Also, the food needs look appealing, which is of course is different for everyone. If the picture of the food looks like something I will enjoy eating and the photo is well done I will most likely click on the recipe to read further. Then it is just down to what ingredients are in the recipe, will my kids eat them, and does my grocery store stock them. The second one is usually my biggest stumbling block.
Jennifer T
I like to see recipes that use normal ingredients to make a dish that seems special and interesting.
Joanna Manning
I can cook that! Definitely can cook — but photograph like you do???? Not a chance. I think you have a great idea for detail.
Liz H
I followed both on Instagram! 🙂
Liz H
I love to cook but I don’t always have the energy to do so after a long day at work. So when I see a recipe that looks simple that I think I can pull off with little effort, that is what makes me want to try it. Nice photos of the dish also help. If it looks good but then has 4000 ingredients? I won’t even attempt it. Most “easy” and “quick” recipes really aren’t.
Wendy
I have to admit I judge a food/meal by its looks! The photo is a big deal for me. I don’t mind cooking. I don’t mind trying new recipes…..just really do not like the flops 🙂
Sammy
The most important part of the picture is the crispness of the picture, that which almost makes you think you are there, and actually smelling the dish. Pictures are the most important part of recipes because they give you a general idea of how your dish should end up.
Andrea
I love PHOOD and I love FOTOGRAPHY! Hee! Hee! I love the dishes you create and looking at the steps and the end result does help me visualize how “I can cook that!” Thanks for all your hard work!
Maureen
I love to see your photos of each recipe. You truly make it look so easy and I am inspired by your gracious attitude. You put thought and effort into each post and I am sure it takes a lot of time behind the scenes.
Please keep them coming.
Laura Fuentes
thank you Maureen!
Susan H
Food pictures are super important to making me actually want to try the recipe. The perfect example is your first comparison photo of the soups – I would definitely not rush to my kitchen to make the one on the left, but the one on the right is a different story!
Talia B.
Pictures help, as long as there are not too many of them. I like pictures that look real versus looking like they are staged.
Kay Lechner
Photos are so important in life — for cherished family memories — and for culinary feats, too! The best gift I’ve ever received is a 200-page recipe book that my mom made for me with her many recipes. She included photos of all of the dishes in the book, which she took with her Olympus Stylus camera. How wonderful it would be to be able to gift her with a newer and more powerful Olympus camera for her future culinary endeavors! Thank you, Olympus, for the giveaway, and for the chance to continue documenting our culinary and family memories through photography!
Stacy
I think seeing a picture of how things are suppose to look after I make the recipe helps to reassure me that I followed the steps in the recipe correctly. And the photographs entices you to try to make the whatever the dish is.
Kay Lechner
Photos are SO important in life — for memories in general — and for photos of food!!! The best gift I’ve ever received was a 200-page recipe book that my mom made for me with her recipes, in which she included photos of the food that she took with her Olympus Stylus camera. What a treat it would be to be able to gift to her a better quality Olympus camera that she can use for years to come, in her cooking and for memory-making in general! Thank you, Olympus, for helping us make so many memories, including memories of our tasty cooking.
Anna
A good picture, not a lot of strange ingredients, and something quick are what get me to try a recipe! Especially one that I think my kids will eat!
Melisa Meck
Something that is simple and healthy makes me want to cook it. I like few ingredients and ones that are readily available in my pantry.
Traci
If I can see how the ingredients were prepared, cut, etc, that helps me to know what the finished product should look like. Being able to tell the thickness of something like a soup helps as well!
Julie
Pictures draw me into a recipe as well as video. If I can watch the technique and see if it’s simple I can usually replicate it. I’m not much of a recipe follower, so watching a fish be created does help.
Lisa
The photo of the meal initially grabs my attention – especially if it looks colorful with good veggies. (Then the simplicity of the recipe is what then will inspire me to try preparing it)
Brandi
Simple, whole ingredients get me excited to try a new recipe. And yes, a good photo along with it.
Stephanie
I always like a photo with a recipe. It lets me know what the end dish is supposed to look like. That photo also has to make me want to make the dish. I can see the ingredients. I like food photos that look like someone is really enjoying the food.
Lisa Z
I would love toeat that and everything else you make!
Ruth
I love how you taught this! Amazing how much adding some things and moving to indirect light made a huge difference! I’d love to lrarn and have fun taking pictures!
Jennifer
I love any food photo that has a dish made with whole foods. I love to recreate those dishes and one of my sons has been inspired by food and photos so much so that he is taking culinary training courses. He loves photography as well and his old, broken-screened ipod just doesn’t give the right interpretation of his cooking and baking. I would love to win this camera so that he may use it to inspire himself and others with his cooking achievements. Thanks for the giveaway!
Kim mozina
I think “I can cook that” when I see a recipes loaded with thing I love to eat and there’s a photo included.
Carolina Frederick
Yes, Photos are what makes me say I want to eat that. I have been doing a lot of purging lately and cookbooks have been part of the project. I am amazed by how many cookbooks had no pictures or very few and the quality of the pictures was not the best. It is difficult to make something and judge if it came out right if you have not see a picture of what it should look like. I appreciate the tips on photographing food as my cousins and I exchange recipes by posting the steps on FB from time to time. Muchisimas gracias por comparatir!
Megan
Really easy to read instructions make me think I can make something. But I am a sucker for a beautiful blog a nice typeface and an accompanying cookbook 🙂 thank you 🙂
Vicky
Thanks for all the great tips! I usually only try recipes based on what the pictures look like. You take awesome pictures! It makes me think I can cook that and it will taste amazing!
jessica
I love how easy this recipe looks. The ingredients aren’t so obscure that I have to drive into a huge city like Chicago just to find them. The ingredients are what drew me in more so than the finished product so I like that you include both ingredients and finished product so I can see a pic and read what everything is. It looks awesome and the photography tips are amazing and very straight forward. I have seen sites that direct you to rent a studio and buy all these expensive things not including the camera just to get a good picture. I love how you state that you use the front door area. Definitely up my alley. Kudos for the awesome job.
Huong
A good picture and the simplicity of making the food is what draws me in. My son has loved almost everything I’ve made from your site. Thanks for all the great and healthy recipes!
nicole
I love it when you have videos of how you make things or step-by-step photos when you are cooking. Sometimes when I’m following a recipe I will get to a place where I think to myself “Does this look right? Am I doing this right? Did I miss something/forget something?”. So when you have pictures as you go I can look at the pictures and say “Ok, well at least mine looks like hers so I must be on the right track!”
Thanks for everything! I made your overnight cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving morning. My boys were in love…first time having cinnamon rolls for them. Yummy!
Betty
Recipes that ask me to use ingredients that are simple to find. I also like to say “I can do that!” when recipes include clear instructions. Your blogs make me believe I can make ANYTHING!!! Simple, fun and nutritous!!!
Stephanie
I love food photos with imperfections, like a dribble down the side. They make the food like more like mine!
Lisanne
Photos that include tools and/or process steps that show the simplicity of a recipe help my decision to try something new. Also, your recipe photos look SO fresh and healthy!
Jen
A recipe will catch my attention and make me want to give it a try when the recipe is simple and easy to follow. The photos are what really draw me in though. I love bright pictures with lots of color and include the props of ingredients to give me an idea of how the food will taste.
Cynthia
Thank you for sharing your “food photo tips” – I am definitely drawn to a recipe when it is presented well in a photo…as is my four year old daughter – who is in love with your whole wheat chocolate chip cookies! – and who loves to ‘help’ me cook. She also loves to point out when whatever it is that we’ve made looks (or doesn’t!) like the photo!
Maryjo Baham
What makes me think I can cook that is how you simplify everything and include such fabulous photos! You don’t use complicated terms, ingredients, or kitchen equipment. So you make regular people looking to be more healthy feel like they can be successful!
Laura Fuentes
Thanks Maryjo!
Denise
Pictures are a really big part of my life…between the food I eat or make to my son and husband goofing off. I am trying to eat healthier and I realized the more I take pictures of what I’m eating the more I am wanting to eat better and cook better to take more pictures.
Megan
Simple, easy to follow recipes and pictures are what make me think I am able to make something.
rig
Healthy food is what I would love to eat
Janice
Love seeing pictures that show bright colors in food… Makes me more prone to want to cook for my family and I’m always looking for new recipes. My 3 boys all have different choices of fave food and my daughter is a meat lover. Changing up the menu is always a great idea in my kitchen. I gotta hide the veggies for 2 out of 4 kids though especially onions, tomatoes and mushrooms. Btw we love your “Best homemade lunches on the planet” book!
Kellie Folkerts
Hello! I do love the food pictures you post however it is the clear instructions you give that have won me over for years now!
Laura Fuentes
Thanks so much Kellie!
Laura Nasipak
Simple photo that doesn’t make it look complicated. I’m also drawn towards the pins that have some type of text surrounding the image that piques my interest.
Lauren
Rich, texture, and movement…having a sense of the what the food might taste like by the ingredient props used around it.
Jessica Smith
Hi,
I definitely thing “I want to eat that” in a food blog when there are pictures of the food (of course) but also if the recipe or explanation of cooking involves an overview of the healthy components of the meal! Love that! I love eating and planning healthy food for my family! Thanks for your site!
sara carpenter
They all look amazing!
Connie
I love to try new recipes — so much so that I seem to rarely want to cook the same thing again and again. Thank you for sharing your yummy, healthy recipes.
Mimi Park
Simplicity in a picture is essential for me to want to cook. I like pictures that highlight just one dish rather than an entire meal. Too many things make me think,”it looks great and I’d love to eat that; but it’s too much work.”
Tiffany Krumins
I love seeing your healthy recipe posts on Facebook! We love to cook healthy choices for our family but often run out of choices & TIME! One of my favorites was the skillet lasagna you posted. Anything I can throw together in a skillet is a win in my book!
Shakeeta W
Following both on IG as mamatomandm
Shakeeta W
If I come across a recipe with just a few ingredients, then I feel a lot more confident in my ability to make it than one that has 20 ingredients. I grew up with simple Southern cooking that didn’t need much so it’s been a bit of challenge trying ‘fancy’ recipes.
Heather
I love to see pictures that are authentic and not over styled. Step-by-step photos are also fun to browse before making a recipe.
Laura L.
Photos can make all the difference for me when I’m looking online for something, especially when I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for. Sometimes I’m just looking for something different and I am much more likely to land on something with a good photo than one that doesn’t have a picture or one that has a bad picture, but my hubby is the photographer so I won’t offer tips myself.
Gayla Hart
I have not thought about what makes me like something. in a foodie Photo. I guess I think about what my child will think about it. will my picky eater like? it has to draw my eye with Light and I think props too,
Vanessa
Good lighting is definitely crucial for making food pictures look like something we want to eat! 🙂
Taryn
I love the notes/comments section of your recipes! It makes me feel like I have a little *extra* help. I basically feel like I can take down a recipe if I see that the ingredients are things I’m at least semi-familiar with & that no crazy tools or gadgets are required. Love delicious looking food photos & minimalist baker is soo awesome at capturing the deliciousness of her food. Love your blog!
Maria
When there’s a picture included with the recipe I feel like I connect better with the recipe. Knowing what it supposed to look like somehow helps me put it altogether and feel more confident in what I am making. This is especially true if I’m unfamiliar with some of the ingredients or what the final product is supposed to look like Your pictures are always beautiful and enticing
Maria from Kansas
deb
I love to see pictures of the ingredients, so I know quickly if it’s something I would make. But most of all I love to see the finished product….I make most dishes that I see a finished picture.
Yvonne
I like to try making new foods using mostly ingredients I would normally have on hand.
Stephanie
I tend to pass up recipes that don’t have a photo. Pictures pull me in to read the recipe. Color and light make a huge difference in food pictures. Thanks for the giveaway!
Barbara Platt
I look for familiar food. If it looks like something I wouldn’t eat then I probably won’t stop no matter what the photo looks like. But, I do like food and I do love to look for new recipes and photos make the story jump off the page.
Leah S.
I like food pictures that aren’t too fancy. The food needs to look like something I could make at home. To me, that’s attractive.
Stephanie
I love seeing a picture of the food. If I’m looking at a cookbook, I’m much more likely to make a recipe that has a photo. I think color draws me to the photo. I admire those who can get the lighting- I know it makes a big difference, but I don’t know how to do it myself. Thanks for the giveaway!
Liz Dunham
I believe good photography is essential. I most likely will not try a new recipe unless it has an appealing picture. I always want to see the final product first. Pictures that are bright, colorful, have lots of texture, are well balanced, and are accessorized capture my attention the most. Thanks for posting such great advice on food photography.
Sandra D
The picture always piques my interest. The combination of color and light makes food very appealing.
K Thomas
I’m not very good at cooking yet. I’ve been trying to eat real food this past year and have gotten a little better. If the photos of the food look good and if there aren’t a ton of ingredients then I try and make it. I’ve made quite a few from your website so thanks!
Jessica
When the photo makes the recipe look simple, then I feel like I could make it. I like recipes with ingredients I usually have on hand.
Rhyea
The photos have to be good to get my attention. Lighting and layers! I also enjoy seeing photos of the ingredients and the process since I’m not an experienced cook. As an extra bonus, giving me ideas for pairings is great too. I don’t always know what foods will work together.
Jennifer Donovan
I own a daycare and I use a ton of your recipes for my meals. I love that they are a simple and that you make suggestions for allergies. The photos are critical in my menu planning because I will sit down with my preschoolers and have them help me plan out the menu. We go through cook books and I have both of yours that my kids always pick a meal from. If the photos are not appealing to the eye and don’t look good to eat my kids would be less enthusiastic to try different things. This allows me to get them involved and helps with my picky eaters be more willing to try different foods they normally wouldn’t.
Susan Smith
Photos are extremely important to me! If the food doesn’t look appetizing, I have a hard time even considering the recipe.
Stephanie
I can make that, because i will put my mind to it. I don’t cook but love to bake, my Amazing husband is the cook in our home and as an Italian born and raised he has adjusted all recipes to be gluten free, dairy free, soy free, peanut free, tree nut free and many other foods that our first born is severely allergic to.
Allison C
I love the photos! To make me want to make it, it needs to have simple ingredients used in a way I wouldn’t have thought. To eat it, that’s easy, pretty and colorful!
Tara Kidd
I love color so if it’s colorful food I’m drawn to it
Heather
I like to see the food as you would eat it: a broken cookie oozing chocolate or a portion of casserole played with sides. Something that looks delicious and makes you think “yum! I should go make that!” Thanks for the photo tips!
Catherine
For me, a picture is pretty influential in determining whether or not I will make a recipe. It just needs to look appetizing or I move on. If the picture looks good, I will take a look at ingredients and any reviews to determine if I’ll give it a try.
Kiley
I feel like a good photo is akin to a good business card…somethin that catches the eye and makes me want to explore more!
Michele
I have to admit, when I’m looking for a recipe online I’m usually looking for something specific – either a particular recipe or specific ingredients – and the photos are a bonus rather than a necessity. That said, when I see a photo shared on social media, it’s much more likely to be the photo that draws me in.
Gwen B
I like to have picture on recipes to see what it should look like when it is done. I am a visual person! And
Janis
Photos that capture my attention most are simple, both because I don’t bother trying to replicate complicated recipes and I think food looks most delicious when it’s fresh, clean, and pure.
Cindee
I also love a picture of the finished product (so I know what it’s supposed to look like), but I like it when I can see the individual ingredients in that photo!
Julie W.
A great photo that makes the food look natural and delicious draws me into thinking I’d love to try making that!
Ivy
Recipes with pictures help me to decide if I’m interested in the recipe even before I look at the ingredients. It’s disappointing, though, when mine doesn’t come out as pretty as the picture haha
Gisella Santiago-Gronka
What makes me think “I can cook that!” or “I want to eat that!”? Looking over the process and the recipe itself is what hooks me at first and then we all know we eat with our eyes. So, if the photo is as delicioso as the simplicity, I’m sold! I’ve tried taking photos of my own dishes but they never turn out and now I know why. The tips you give are very helpful and I look forward to trying them out. I’m very excited to make some of my mother’s Spanish and Puerto Rican dishes and sending her photos of them with the kids helping out. Maybe even make a little album for her… <3
Karen
I like photos to focus on the food with simple garnishes and props. Plus the food should look real, no fake substitutes to make it look pretty like a glaze of oil to make something really shiny when that isn’t part of the recipe.
Stephanie seymour
When I look at a picture and I can smell or taste it, that makes me want to make it. Lightning makes a Hugh impact on what you are photographing.
Amanda
Pictures with recipes makes me want to try recipes so much more than recipes without pictures. If the picture makes me hungry, then I’m making it!
Lauren
The picture is the most important part of a recipe! When trying to pick something out for dinner a photo with bright, clean, and fresh colors and ingredients speaks volumes! I often choose my recipes on how good the finished product looks! Your camera looks great, I would reallllly love one!
Dawn
I love the info you provide on the background of getting a great photo. If it looks delicious and recipe seems simple enough, I want to try the recipe.
Cristina
Your photos are great!! I love looking at pictures of good food, because I like torture 😉 Thank you for all that you do!
Melinda
What makes me want to try a new recipe is if it looks fresh and fairly simple. Your photography definitely does the trick. Thanks for another chance to win!
cathy hansen
I love your website. The foods you describe and photograph inspire me to pack better lunches for my boys. I could really use a new camera too, as mine is no longer working so my family photos this Thanksgiving I’m having to rely on others to take.
Tabitha R.
Pictures are something I hugely rely on for deciding if I attempt making a recipe. Especially if there are step by step pictures. I love being able to compare what I’m doing with what the recipe looks like in pictures. It makes it so much easier and more appealing to me. Most recipes I attempt have had a great pictures somewhere attached to the recipe!
Alicia Schoephoerster
I love to try new recipes and look online and at traditional or e-magazines for ideas. The photos that draw me in have a balance of color using the dish itself or nice place settings and garnishes. I also go right past those that have too many ingredients showing because it makes me think that the dish will take too long! Thanks for all your great tips and meal plans.
Ambery
I like a photo with nicely plated food. I then look for ingredients my picky family will eat. Finally, I look for easy to moderate preparation steps and if there is a complicated step or something that is critical, a picture helps build my confidence I can do that.
Carin
It’s a great question. And I don’t have a great answer….when I see something appealing, I just know it — in my belly 🙂
Dina Auger
I love everything you do! Your recipes are amazing, your videos certainly helpful, and fun attitude towards life has me hooked! I am constantly sharing your website with friends and even strangers in casual conversation! May God bless you and your beautiful family always!
Laura Fuentes
Thank you so much Dina!
Vera
With food allergies and a picky eater in my family, the recipes and photos that catch my eye tend to be those that use a handful of ingredients and simple preparation. Meals that require more than an hour to prepare are just not happening on a regular basis at my house!
madeline
just getting into healthier eating, photos are a must. I thought your article with the different progressions was really interesting. boy, a lot more work goes into it than I knew.
Vicky S.
I have been one of your taste testers for a while now. Love your recipes and your pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Laura Fuentes
Thank YOU Vicky!
Jenni
I like the composition things you were talking about, plus I appreciate being able to identify everything in the picture. If there’s something green that’s cut up, but I can’t tell what it is, it drives me crazy. I also am much more likely to make a recipe if it has a “story” to go with it (why it is the best one, how it was discovered, how it was modified, when it was made, etc.)
Rita
They say you eats first with the eyes and as a mom of a picky eater, that sentiment is proven true each and ev every day in my household. As a busy mom, I don’t always have the time to sit down and read at recipes at length, so I am often intrigued to try something by the way it appeals to me visually. The kid in me always wants to try to recreate what I have seen and at times take it, adjust it and make it mine.
Kathy C
I really need to a picture with a recipe or I won’t even be interested in trying. I like to know what it’s supposed to look like when it’s done.
Mindy
First thing that makes me want to try a recipe is the title. Does it contain ingredients My family and I like? Also, bright colors, fresh ingredients and foods that fit the season. Another thing is how long the ingredient list is and/or if I have most of the ingredients already at home. Love your photos and recipes!
Bianca
The big thing I’m looking for in food photos is a guide for how it should look if i were to use that recipe! I want to know what I’m hoping to replicate! I also like having a visual guide on how to present or what I could present that recipe with.
Amy Marshall
If it looks good and easy to prepare then ill at least try it!
Pilar
Photos are essential! Part of what makes food enticing is its presentation. I need to be inspired to cook.
Rachel
Your pictures have come so far! The pictures that catch my eye, personally, are dramatic and full of contrasting textures, colors etc… or very crisp, clean, bright images 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for the chance!
Laura Fuentes
Thank you Rachel!
Virginia N
Pictures that make it look easy and or tastey always make me want to try a recipe, i generally wont try a recipe that doesnt have a pic i want to know what something is supposed to look like before i make it
Jerie
The photo is the first thing I look for. Bright vibrant colors and a sample so I know what to expect.
ghalim
wow, love your pictures – they look great! would love to win the camera and if i do – will try to capture your “PARMESAN GREEN BEAN FRIES” — those pictures really make me want to eat them! thanks for sharing with us all your yummy recipes.
Kori Ireland
Great food pictures definitely make me want to try a recipe! What is a cookbook without pictures? But I can’t imagine the job of trying to make the food look so good!
grace
Follow Olympus and you on Instagram
Tarren
Photography is beautiful in every aspect. Gearing it towards food and cooking brings the recipe and the food to life. Seeing the products used by pictures being taken helps me to put life into words and to make cooking the recipe more fun and easier. Pictures of the food captivate your moment of preparing a meal for loved ones. It’s beautiful. Thank you for all your hard work and sharing it with all of us.
Amanda
Photos with brightly colored vegetables draw me in. I want to make recipes that look simple (and easy), healthy, and tasty. I like it when some form of white is in the photo, too. It looks clean. Keep up the good work!!
Anna
I love beautiful pictures to go along with recipes. If I see a picture, I am more likely to try it. I also love to see “in process” pictures. It makes it more relatable and seems less intimidating to make.
Kim
What catches my eye is when the picture actually looks real enough that I want to reach through my computer and eat it. If it’s colorful and looks like it’s sitting on a table ready to eat, that catches my eye too.
Sara
I love food and love to eat. Winning that camera would be AWESOME! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Trina S
A photo with fresh ingredients and beautiful garnish always pulls me in. Staging with pretty plates and place settings also plays a factor. Clean and refreshing.
Wendy
Clarity of the picture, color, presentation, recipes correlated with a season (soups for fall/winter, grilled vegetables for summer, etc) and anything with shredded cheese and/or sour cream are things that make me give a recipe a second look and want to try it for myself. Also, the angle at which a bowl or plate of food is photographed can make or break a picture. Photography is a side passion of mine, second to teaching preschool. I have a blog for my classroom and always put up pictures of what we are doing in the classroom, including the food we create and bake! For the food pictures I add to my blog, I gather the ingredients and “artfully” arrange them, for a picture. Next I take pictures of the children adding ingredients, mixing and creating and then finally a picture of the finished product. I add these photos and a include a link to the recipe, in case parents want to try it at home with their kids!
Yeidie
The number of food blogs on the web is skyrocketing. Hence the importance of a great photo! Photos are what make me click and say “I want to cook that” and “I want to it look like that too”!!!!
Love your recipes and photos. Actually I am considering taking some photography classes. Will love to win a camera to improve my photography skills. I am a baker and will love to get beautiful picture of my creations.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Linda K
I love to see what you and your family are cooking. The pictures have got to really look amazing for me to say I’m cooking that. My life is very busy and I love your simple but delicious recipes. I would love to win. Recipes with photos are the best.
Stephanie
I am all about the food porn! If it looks delicious I know I can make it!
Sgea
Your post seem so real and down-to-earth. I feel like I could actually start to learn how to photograph my family better! Love everything that you do! Happy thanksgiving!
Laura Fuentes
Thank you so much!
Peggy-Ruth
Whenever I’m searching for new recipes or something a little different from the ‘norm’, it’s always the picture that captures me first. Followed by the name or main ingredient (it’s usually always chocolate).
I love seeing how people present their ideas and wish that I could do the same, or that I had such beautiful ideas as theirs.
Maybe one day I shall achieve it 🙂
Angela
Hi, Laura…I have two little boys (one is SO picky) and the pictures play a big role in dinner options for them. One night a week they each get to pick “what’s for dinner” (that way they cannot complain about the choice). We visit pinterest and I search for the main ingredient then they can scroll down until they see the one they like…and that is dinner. So for our family food pictures decide dinner at least twice a week.
Jennifer
Pictures definitely make me stop and read the recipe. I like a variety of types of food so it just depends on what I’m (or the kids) are in the mood for 😉
Maria
I love having picture with recipes because that will give me the first indication whether my boys will eat it whatever I’m attempting to make. If the end product doesn’t look good, I don’t even try.
Jennifer McDonald
A picture is a must for me. It is the deciding factor on whether or not I’m going to give that recipe a try. Then the next is the appeal or ingredients.
Natalie G
If my kids look at a picture and say Yum! and not “what is that?” , then there is a good chance we’ll all like it
Robyn
I never really gave much thought to what the food looked like until my son started a blog for kids/adults with celiac. I would just snap pictures from my phone for him for his blog and he would retake them after everything was staged just right! He has a system now in our kitchen for which blinds to have open and which to have closed. He places everything just so. The island counter gets cleared and every detail of the background that he can control is arranged. After he reads your post about changing your family room into a photo studio…I may come home to something similar! 🙂 Now when i look at food blogs I do look at the presentation more. A bright cheerful plate of food is definitely going to entice me. If there looks like there are too many steps or ingredients I tend to shy away. And if it doesn’t look good in the picture I have a hard time imagining it tasting good. I have a family recipe of my moms that everyone loves but I don’t make it very often because it doesn’t “look” like it would be good. We have been searching for a camera so I will have to look into this one. Thanks for your blog–with six kids (homeschool) I love getting fresh, new ideas that can save me time and make eating and cooking fun.
Kim
The pictures help me visualize what i am making ( what it should look like). They helpmwhen i have the toddlers help pick new recipes for our family to try.
Corrie Hulihan
When I am looking to make something new the picture is important. It draws me in. If the food looks good then I’m going for it. Good meaning fresh. The technical parts of the picture that would make it appealing to me would probably be lighting and the layout. I have just started photographing my food to post in my Facebook group of friends but I only use my phone because it is convenient as I have a 5 year old and an 18 month old hanging around as well. I would love to be able to learn more about photography and I loved all of the tips you offered in your article.
Ruby M.
I am very visual with food. Losing my sight would no doubt be the secret to losing some unwanted pounds. Having said that, there is something I have noticed that seems to draw me into a recipe: The more layers in the photo, the more attractive and appealing I find it. In your finished photo above I counted 7: the board, the napkin, the bowl, soup, sour cream, cheese and parsley. Also, pops of color or texture are best when done in odd numbers rather than even. Also, I believe that foods which are creamy should show the creaminess with a ‘slick’ appearance to the food, or a light mist of water over fresh fruit or veggies to play up the freshness draws me in.
I follow several blogs and I have been noticing some changes in pics that are turning me away from the recipes. I don’t care for messy scapes with food items slopped on the sides of dishes or onto tables, trays and so forth. Another turn off is the use of blurry outer edges in the frames with only a small area actually in focus. This is distracting, causing me to squint while trying to figure out the focus.
Nicole
Such beautiful photos! You turn food into artwork! Thoroughly enjoy following you and your family on your exciting adventures with food and fun!
Sheri
When I see a beautiful food layout, I can almost smell and taste it, that is how I know I need to make this !
Catherine
A food photo can be a great eye catcher, and the simpler the better! For me, a dish with too many ingredients, or one that looks like it has too many, can be a deterrent or is oftentimes confusing, muddled. Best of all is when the simple, fresh ingredients stand out, sort of singing, “Eat me!” But then again, it all boils down to what I’m in the mood for when I’m looking at a recipe photo and whether the recipe looks doable.
Lori Easterwood
Photos are what make me want to check out the recipe. I like ones that include the raw ingredients, too. It allows me to know at a glance what is needed and if my family and I will eat the food. Presentation that is not overly stylized is important by letting the food speak for itself.
Anastasia
To me, a good photo is extremely important to whether or not I will try a recipe. If i can’t see the finished product, i don’t have a gauge for whether or not my kids and husband will like it. Also, a good photo is more likely to spur me to try something I would otherwise not bother with. Yours are great. So, whatever you’re doing, keep it up!
grace
Oh, you did a fantastic job with those pictures! They looked taken by a real professional photographer. I just love reading your blog and getting ideas on recipes – need to get ideas more for picky -non green-eater who also has some banana allergy (believe it or not!). Thanks for sharing and giving us the chance to win this – if I get my own camera, I would like to try on the “PARMESAN GREEN BEAN FRIES” which I think would be fun and easy to do as a healthy snacks … love green beans and parmesan cheese!
Carla
Pictures say a 1000 words………
Robin
Your food photos are always so beautiful! I’d love to win one of those cameras!!! ❤️
RebeccaB
I like recipes with photos! After all, we also eat with our eyes.
Christine aka happyvballgirl
Wow, just love this post and this camera sounds awesome!! First thing that makes me want to try a recipe or not is the ingredients list. If there are simple, wholesome ingredients for a type of recipe that I’m on the hunt for, bad picture or no picture, I’m still willing to give it a try – no crazy stuff please! lol. Next is definitely a great shot. One that passes my ingredients test along with an appealing photo that has great focus and lighting, then it most certainly falls under the “gotta try this” category. Thanks for the great giveaway opportunity!
Theresa B
What makes me think “I can cook that”? Oh it has everything to do with the photograph and the title of the recipe. If it looks bright, cheerful, and yummy then I’m going to want to make it.
Malou
I’m the cook-as-I-need kind and rely on friends and the food blogs like yours for recipe ideas. So how do I sift through the numerous search engine results? I usually look for those with pictures. If the recipe is clear and simple, and the picture looks mouth-watering, then it makes me want to try it. I think that a picture is proof that it can be done and deliciously so. I’m attracted to clean, clear, minimalist arrangements with vibrant colors. Thanks for sharing your life and your recipes. They are truly inspiring.
Marith
Yup, nothing grabs my attention like the staging and composition. As the old chef’s saying goes, presentation is EVERYTHING!
Connie
I enjoy talking pictures of everything. I have a blog that I post recipes and I am looking for a DSLR camera to take better pictures of my food. I would love to win this camera!
Andrea
Good pictures motivate me to cook and try new recipes. I’d rather see no photo than a bad one.
Vero p.
i find cooking a bit of a challenge. I can follow a recipe but only if it has a picture. An appetizing picture is a must!
Gillian
The photo often leads me, but it’s the simplicity of the recipe that brings me to actually make it.
Cathy K
I want to eat that! I love reading your blog. I’ve learned so much just reading this! I’m so loving watching your journey. Thank you for sharing life with us.
Maria
Photos are all I look at. I love the photos you post with the recipes. And the ebook on Thanksgiving, part of the reason for buying it – it has the photos to all the recipes. Thank you!
Cathy Kelly
I want to eat that soup! Wow I learned so much just reading your blog. Love love love this and would love and Olympus:) Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing life with us! Love watching the journey in life that you are on.
Cassie Webster
What makes me want to eat and make a recipe is when the final product is shown. I’m such a picky eater, that a photo is a make or break deal with me. I have to see what it looks like before it goes into the mouth so I can see if it’s cheesy enough, or thick enough, etc. It also tells me if I need to include fritos or rice if it’s runny,for example. Who knew there was so much to photographing food?! Fascinating post!
Marisa S
The photo needs to draw me in with its yumminess, but the recipe has to be easy because I’m not a great cook 🙂
Rachel Clark
I love seeing photos of the recipe to get ideas on how to add color and texture with garnishes. Also i try to pay attention with how it’s plated so it’s playing to the eye as well as the stomach. And I’m more inclined to make it of i don’t need to dirty a ton of pots or a lot of expensive specialty ingredients.
Kimberly Ashton
High quality photographs of healthy looking meals make me want to click on the link and make that recipe right away. I loved reading this article. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Ashlee
Vibrant color and simple background makes food look good to me. I love your wood cutting boards.
Carol Gamble
I generally won’t look at a recipe that doesn’t have a photo with it. The photo is the first thing that catches my eye – if it is bland or boring looking, then I’m not going to make it. Thanks for the info about how you take photos. I had no idea you had to put so much effort in getting just the right shot.
Stephanie
You eat with your eyes – that being said, I’m a daring cook, If the ingredients sound like things we’ll eat, I’ll attempt the recipe, sight unseen. I’m usually pretty successful. I do enjoy cookbooks with pictures but that is not a deciding factor for me.
Alexis Dwyer
Photos are everything to a recipe. The photos show you what type of texture to expect, they reflect how the meal will come together, they make your mouth water, help you quickly organize your palettable sides that compliment the recipe, and provide a perfect glimpse of what you are about to make. I always anticipate the finished product because I want to see how savory it comes out after seeing the potential in a photographed recipe. There’s not always a better way to explain the finished products than throuhh a photo! Words are nice, but my mouth doesn’t immediately water like it would if I saw a photograph! Pictures are powerful. How can the mere sight of a greatly put together recipe stimulate so many senses? 🙂
Cris
I usually like a recipe based on the ingredient list. Do they make my mouth water or not?
Bridget
I am always drawn to food photographs that have contrasting colors and where they tell a story. Thanks for sharing your tips about food photography.
Mari
Photos are really important! What I look for is – will my kids eat it??!? Often to answer this I show them the picture and ask. Thank you!
Kelly
Nice clean photos are usually what captures my eye to look at a blog or website since I usually start on Pinterest. I like how you talk about showing the different garnishes. It helps me think of ways I can personalize the meal.
Patti
I found myself drawn to your two boys and then my eyes followed down the tripod stand
I thought it look inviting and very colorful and yummy
Susanne
The photos definitely make the recipe more appealing!
Joanne
I’m definitely that person that thinks “I can cook that!” But I’m also definitely that person that posts pictures with #fail. Hahaha.
And let’s face it anything with cheese in the picture, “I want to eat that”
Dona Perkins
Photos are nice when they are GOOD photos…I love to see food with vivid colors, closeup details, and fancy garnishes. Luckily I also have the talent of scanning the list of ingredients and knowing pretty quickly if my family will eat it! 😉
Wendy C
Having a photo to go with a recipe always wins over no photo…it’s just so nice to have some sort of reference point for the size of chopped ingredients, color and texture of final product, and it can help make a decision for me whether or not to cook it if something appeals to me visually.
Alba Figueroa
Thanks for the great tips! I work great with my hubby’s upcoming chef food blog.
Angie
When I see pictures of yummy food on a blog, I’m very inspired to want to cook and then of course, eat it. The photographs help me to see what is possible. I love trying new recipes and the photos of the dish make me excited about what could be in front of me very soon.
Jamie
Photos, photos, photos are what draws me in and then the ingredient list is what determines if I’ll make it our not.
rig
When I look at a recipe photo, what makes me decide to make it is if it looks good to me. I know that is a completely personal value, but that is how I decide on recipes. I look at the picture, then read the ingredients and instructions to see if I have what’s required to make it and how easy or hard the recipe seems.
janice hughes
I like when there is a picture to help me figure out if I’m doing it right!
janice
having a photo helps me know if I’m doing it right…
kristi v
if a picture makes my mouth water then i want to try the recipe
Sarah
A photo helps draw me to a recipe. I appreciate it when the phot makes you feel as if you were in the kitchen with the chef as she prepared the meal. Having a balance of colors, light and accessories/garnish are key to creating a visually appealing photo. I also look for how things are done in the photos, I like to see textures and shapes.
Dana
The soup picture makes me want to eat it because of all the toppings you sprinkled on top! I love to cook and have cooked since I was a little kid. I will try most any recipe although I almost always change something in it. Always love reading recipes to give me new ideas.
Charlotte K.
I’m generally drawn to food photos with lots of varied, vibrant colors. Photos are so important. I have both your books (snacks and lunches) and I always tend to use the recipes that include photos. I’m just visual that way!
Kristina
I agree I feel so much more confident I know what a recipe will be like if I see some pictures. I look for things where I can see ingredients I enjoy, or that make it looks somewhat indulgent.
Vivian
Hi Laura,
Funny I just realized by answering your question that I mostly cook a recipe where I have seen a photo of it. Goodness when the food looks delicious and the lighting falls just right on the food, I am seriously sold! I remember purchasing a cookbook online and there were literally no photos, I was disappointed. I use it also as a reference as to how the recipe is supposed to come out. Photos entice the eyes and stomach! So, yes photos are uber importante!
I love taking photos of my food! I make it a challenge to make a super photo with my phone. I like taking a photo slightly angled upward with a side of the plate cut-off. A bit hard to explain, a visual would be easier to show what I mean.
Thank you for all your great tips on food and I enjoy your professional looking photos and the “behind the scenes” photos with your iphone too. My daughter whooos and aaaaahs when she sees your photos, and then we are motivated to try a new recipe.
Getting your kids involved in your business is very inspirational! I would like to do that more too. I appreciate you sharing that very much.
Thanks again for giving and sharing so much!
Vivian
Jessica Dauscher
Garnishes get me every time! Grated cheese always does the trick but…so does cilantro. I know there are people who completely detest its taste, but if I see cilantro, I’m in! Also color-wise, if a main dish is yellow, I am going to assume it has saffron or tumeric in it and I would inhale it! Thanks for these tips!
Tina Tuamoheloa
A photo is MUST in my book, I only look further into it when the photo gets my attention. You can usually tell it if is something the family will like and if its something I could cook by the photo.
Suzie
You eat with your eyes first right? I am absolutely drawn to beautifully lit photos. I prefer the ones that look like they are shot in natural lighting. I seem to be drawn to the more rustic styled photos. Gorgeous food porn photos make me want to eat what I see and want to attempt to make what I see. I recently stopped subscribing to a popular food blog when I realized that every single photo she took was a close up. Every single one. I emailed her asking where she found such large chicken breasts because they were so huge and almost took up the entire plate. Turns out everything she shoots is styled on a small salad plate or saucer or in a small, albeit, cute bowl. I felt that she wasn’t being honest in her photos. No wonder her entire quinoa stir fry recipe barely made enough for my family of four.
Stacy
I love pictures and they play a key role in whether or not I attempt a new recipe. That’s why I adore Pinterest! I rarely consider a recipe that doesn’t have images especially high quality images with good lighting and ingredients that I am familiar with!
Alison
I am one of those people that only tries recipes there are pictures of so that I know if I did it right when I make the recipe.
Kathy
I love pics of food! I love when cookbooks include them so I can have a visual of what my dish should resemble!
By the way, I don’t mind your give-aways at all! Haha
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Michelle
I love it when pictures of recipes with few ingredients have tiny piles of everything involved. Not only is the colour amazing, but I can definitely see myself cooking something with “just that” in it. Or even, if there is an involved or “difficult” step, having that particular prepped phase/ingredient included inspires me to say “oh, well, if it’s only that…”
The pictures I most want to eat are the ones that show moisture. I know that sounds crazy, but I’m talking about the shiny, bubbly inside of a brownie or a creamy plate of pasta. I hope that makes sense to someone out there…
Anyone else need a bowl of baked brie and arugula pasta now?
Tykesha
I had no idea so much preparation went into taking the perfect picture of your food. When looking at recipes pictures always tempt me to make the dish. If i can see the finished product, i can visualize myself making it and i know what it should look like. The soup looks delicious by the way. I would love to have an Olumpus camera to take pictures of my kids growing up, various foods i try out as well as my diy and other projects. Thanks for sharing, this was great information and i can now attempt to take these rhings into consideration when taking my food pictures.
Tiffany
Color definitely helps make the food look more appetizing, but I really enjoy (and often need) the step by step photos. It helps to confirm I’m doing the more complicated recipes right. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Melissa
Pictures are everything in a recipe me! It has to appear delicious for me even consider eating it. Colorful dishes are always eye catching as well. Since we are a family with severe food allergies my next step is whether or not I can or even have to replace or eliminate an ingredient. I can say… Since your recipes are made with fresh ingredients its easier to make the necessary changes to keep my family safe.
Keisha A
I know it’s a good food pic when I immediately want to go out and purchase those food items or go to the market and buy the ingredients to make the food. Sometimes I see certain foods that I don’t like or would never even try, but the way the food is presented in a photo and the presentation makes my mouth water and I crave that meal or item. Now I’m hungry!!!! Haha:) Thank you for the opportunity!
Rachel
I only try recipes that have a photo so I can see what I’m working towards. I will try recipes that have fresh ingredients and ingredients that my fussy children like! I think that composition and color in food photographs are really important, I like bright pictures.
Denise F
If food looks like it was really cooked and not fake stuff made to look like food and it looks like something I could replicate, those are the recipes I make from food photos. I have made several of your recipes and they always look just like your photos 🙂
Zeynep
When I search for a recipe there should be pictures. Because I am a visual person.
I like step by step pictures or prefer to watch a video of that recipe.
Natalee
Color, color, color of the food subject and If i can see or guess almost every ingredient in the pic those are the things that make me want to say, “I want to eat that!” Yumm!
Yuko
Photos are always biggest and most important part to see the recipe online or/and cook book for me.
I look into ingredients next to check if they’re easy to access.
That was interested to see how you take the food photos!
I assume the dish was always on the kitchen counter;)
From now on I’ll see those differently!
Valerie
Pictures are really important for me when it comes to new recipes. If it appears appetizing then I am more likely to try and make it. Plus I always compare mine to how it looks in the photo!
Marie
I tend to scroll through the photos pretty quickly to get to the recipe. Since we have so many food restrictions, there’s not point in all that info until I determine if we can actually eat it 🙂 (usually, no).
But the food pictures, on a good recipe blog, help clarify the recipe and how to make it.
Renee Baude
Laura, let me just say–I love your photography.
As a food writer I look at photos and wonder if it will really look like that when I make it.
As a Mom to 4 kids, I look at the photos and wonder will my kids eat that. I have been home schooling for 7 years now and love the flexibility it offers our family and gets the kids in the kitchen with me.
My personal style is a mix of light box photography and snap shots–I want my readers to get to know the real me. I have a Periscope “show” in the morning featuring the (usually healthy/vegetarian/vegan) lunches that I make. Sometimes I’m still in my bathrobe–for me the message is more important than the wardrobe!
I appreciate your healthy/doable approach to meals–especially lunches.
Have a great thanksliving!
PS. I made my own photo backdrop for $10! What a great tip–thank you.
Laura Fuentes
how did the pictures turn out!!?? when you take them tag me on instagram, I’d love to see!!
Katherine S.
I love foods photographed with lots of color.
Lori Barrett
I love recipes that don’t have a lot of fussy ingredients and won’t take a ton of time! Cooking isn’t my favorite thing to do, however I mainly cook from scratch, so I don’t really want to spend hours in the kitchen. I love a good photo to go along with a recipe to give me an idea if a dish would be worth making. 😉
Anastacia
Photos are so important to me when I’m looking at a recipe. It gives that extra bit of motivation to attempt something new. I like to see simple photos of food and nothing too fancy in the way of garnishes. For hot dishes I like to see the stream rising off it for that feel that it’s fresh baked from the oven. Vibrant colors and crisp, clean photos with some texture with linens or cutting board is always a good touch!
beth c
i’m following both you & olympus on instagram as sol.tropism as well! 🙂
thanks again- i would so love to be able to capture my child’s magical moments and the beauty of daily life with a camera!
happy holidays to everyone!
~*~
beth c
really i’m always looking for easy, delicious healthy vegan recipes for myself & the family. anything that fits that bill generally sounds good to me!! 😀 thanks for the great recipe inspiration & the fabulous giveaway!!
Annie
an enticing food picture to me would be warmly lit with lots of bright colors 🙂
Erica Stein
I am just starting to work on food photography myself and have been using my iPhone as it’s better than the camera I have. I’d love to have a DSLR. I love seeing pictures of the foods from recipes. I won’t buy a cookbook if there isn’t a picture for each recipe. I need to see it!
Thank you for this!
Jennifer
Love all your tips. We moved to a new house and I am struggling with having enough natural light.
Laura Fuentes
I used to struggle with natural light in this house too, but one day I sat in my living room ALL DAY and timed the light. I took photos on the hour on two different spots and now I know!!
Barbara P
Photos definitely help! It allows us to see how our food should look before we prepare it, just in case we didn’t quite understand the directions or get confused. What makes me want to eat the food is when the photo shows the food in such a manner and depth that we think we can just reach out and pick it up. A clear photo with the dish and just enough other items to enhance the food and setting is nice and appealing.
Carrie
Good photography is absolutely what first draws me to a recipe on a blog or in a cookbook! No matter how good a recipe sounds, I’m unlikely to make it if the pictures are bad. To me, good food photography means beautiful, bright and soft lighting, simple composition, and not too much in the frame.
As far as what makes me think I can cook something: a simple ingredient list, clear and simple instructions — and lots of pictures! I love step-by-step pictures for a lot of recipes and video tutorials for the really complicated stuff! 🙂
Thanks for the chance to win! I love your blog and find it very inspiring!
Stephanie
Loved the tips for photo taking, thanks! For me, a photo with a recipe helps me visualize the finished product so I can decide whether or not I can/want to make the recipe. I am a very visual learner and recipes without photos don’t usually get a second look.
Thanks Laura!
Juanita Consoer
I love your photos and following you and Olympus on IG! What draws my eye to food pics is the finished product. I’m very visual, so if a recipe doesn’t have a pic, I’m more hesitant to try it. But all your food pics makes me drool!
PreK Teacher
Great pictures are inspiring…and I don’t even have a camera 🙁
Susanne
Great pics are a MUST…they are what catch my eye and entice me to actually read the recipe!
Kim Teasdale
Love your website and your food pics. I think that it should be a rule that all recipes have a photo. It really helps the cook get inspired to try and determine the end result.
Unfortunately I take all my pictures in real time and after the natural light as long disappeared. I have purchased several LED video lights which are amazing and really improved my blog’s photos.
I still have some work to do but much happier with the end result.
Thanks for you inspiring pics and recipes
Amy VS
I LOVE when the food looks pretty, but not too complicated. I never want to try a recipe if it is missing a photo!
Anna
I’m not sure what exactly it is that makes me look a a picture and think “I want to eat that,” but I do know that pictures are very important to me in wanting to try a recipe or not! Whatever you’re doing is right though, your food always looks delicious!
Thanks for the giveaway.
Sarah
I can’t resist a good clear picture with lots of texture! And something that looks toasty warm on a cold day or something that looks clean and refreshing during the hot months.
Amanda PC
I think lighting is key to making food pictures look delicious! Also, I always seem to like when a bite is on a utensil, like it’s just waiting for you to take a bite.
Nicole M
The coloring of the photos really impacts whether or not the food looks worth trying to me!
Tracie M
I usually go for the recipes that have pictures of the steps, especially if the recipe is challenging. I also love to see the fresh ingredients in the pictures, it just seems to make the food more appealing to me. Thanks for the giveaway!
Amy Ragland
Seeing such beautiful things always makes me want to make them whether I actually can or not! Lol! Some people have a gift of photographing food to make it look so delicious.
Stefanie Sisson
Pictures are a huge part of why I would choose a recipe to cook. The picture has to have the three C’s – clear, colorful, and clean.
Gwen
This is great info on taking photos – I take tons of pictures of my kids – would love to have a great camera to take them with!
Jeanette O'Brien
Hi Laura, I’m also a mom of three and have been following you for a few years now. Pictures make a big difference…we use many of the recipes from your “Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet” book and even though I describe some of the yummy items to the kids…it is the photographs that really influence (PB&J pinwheels and Hawaiian Puff-wheels being some favorites). I have some picky eaters who aren’t always fans of veggies so if I can make them fun or disguise them, it helps. I’m eager to make your Baked Honey Salmon in foil, especially with the spiralized zucchini. Through you I have also fallen in love with the easy lunch boxes and find this helps to make sure we pack a balanced lunch. Keep up the great work! Happy Thanksgiving!
Laura Fuentes
Thank you so much Jeannette! I am thrilled to be able to help you make great meals for your family! I am as excited as you when I find that a recipe is a winner with the kids. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Chayne
A good eye catching photograph is what draws my attention and make me look at the recipe. I’m not a great cook, so I’m also looking for something uncomplicated but delicious most of the time. I like to see what the item is meant to look like when complete.
Susan M
Photos are what makes me click on a recipe. If it doesn’t look yummy I move on! 🙂
Araceli
Lots of color makes me think “I would love eating that!”
Leigh
I am obsessed with beautiful food photography – I buy recipe books and magazines not just for good recipes but to page through the beautiful photos. Colour, the staging of the photo and good accessorizing all make a huge difference!
Wendy
Picture are important! Sometimes I won’t even look at the recipe unless there’s a picture! !
Kelly G
If a recipe looks yummy but not too complicated I will check it out. Also, havong bacon or cheese doesn’t hurt
Melanie
I love when pictures are featured on a recipe!! Then. I know if what I’m making was made correctly!! Plus, who doesn’t like to see pics of delicious goodness?!?! I sure do!! If a recipe has simple ingredients…especially once on hand, I think “I can make that!”
Connie Prime
I love to see a lot of colors and texture in pictures of food. I think it makes the food look more appetizing and in turn makes me want to make it.
Shannon nelson
If it looks yummy in a picture I’ll be very attracted to it and tempted to try it. Hot and savory usually does it for me.
Jennifer
I believe the photo is super important if blogging about food. I like the more rustic looking backgrounds, it really gives me the feel of home cooking. Usually, if I don’t like the photo, I won’t even look at how to cook it and move on. Thanks for your tips on photography! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family 🙂
Gabrielle
I’d love to win that! I’m trying to make another family cookbook and this time I’d love to have some photos to go in it for Christmas!
Whenever I take photos myself my hands shake from arthritis so it’s hard to hold the camera still. Then I see the color of the food in the photo and it never looks appealing so I don’t bother trying anymore. I made these Moroccan lamb meatballs with roasted fennel, carrots, and apricots and it looked SO good in the dish. But when I took a picture it looked awful, blurriness aside, and I gave up on illustrating my annual family cookbooks.
It wasn’t until I saw the same bowl of soup you took a picture of that I realized how much of a difference lighting makes in food photography as well. We don’t even have a camera proper any more since my hands shook to take the photos but with a tripod and the way that one’s set up I bet it would be easy to take pictures!
What makes something look appealing to eat is the bright color and a little garnish. The garnish turns it from hmmmn to ahhh! And a clear, non-blurry photo of course. hahaha.
Kelly Olsakovsky
I think seeing all the steps makes me feel more capable in the kitchen. When you see how someone lays out their supplies, what it actually looks like as it’s coming together, and THEN seeing the finished product, I can get a much better idea of whether or not I’m on the right track.
I have taken a few blog pictures, but I think since my camera is either my phone camera, or our point and shoot, they just never come out properly. I’m considering taking a class or two to improve my skills.
Dawn K
Wow! Reading your tips and seeing the comparison photos is so helpful! Great attention to detail! Any time I see color contrast in food photos I want to eat that dish. Honestly the picture with the stew pre-garnish made me think, “meh, I might try it”, but once the cheese and cilantro was added, I was more like, “that’s looks awesome and I want it now!” Thank you for always having great tips!
Mary Kate
I love your pics and recipe ideas! I think what draws me to a pic of a recipe or not is the lighting and presentation. Simplicity too. I follow you on Instagram and Olympus 😉
Veronica
I love seeing posts with pictures. It helps a lot to see what the meal should look like when I’m done.
pat
I know that because something looks good doesn’t mean it will always taste good, but good photos are definitely a factor when I’m deciding to try a new recipe; that and a short list of readily available ingredients.
Stephanie Harter
Color, presentation, and freshness of ingredients are what grab my attention and make me want to look at foods and recipes. Your photos are the bomb!
Jennifer Armao
i love food photos! but if i decide it is worth making it is because I think my kids will eat it. they are hardest to feed. And basic photos, not overdone make me think I can do it too
Aubrey
I follow you and Olympus on Instagram!
Aubrey
Showing how to do the steps. And then a good finished picture with nice plating!
Christina Moore
When blogs show step by step photo instructions it makes it look easier and I want to try and make it!
Leslie Camp
I am more likely to try a recipe if it has a photo attach. When I cook or make , I want to know what it is supposed to look like. Nothing is worse than not knowing if you are doing it right. When I do try a recipe, I always show their picture and then mine to see how I did. I hope by doing this, people are like if she can do it , so can i.
Michelle
I love to see pictures of food, I’m much more likely to try a new recipe if I can see the picture! A crisp, clear photo helps something look more appetizing.
Leanne
Food pictures, if done right, can definitely draw me in and make my mouth water! I love a few different shots of the finished product, including a picture of the food sliced (want to see the inside of that pie or bread!), broken (let me see the inside goodness of that cookie!), or ladled up (grab me a spoonful of that soup and show it up close!).
Laura Fuentes
Yes, definitely seeing the inside “goodness” of the cookie makes a difference! 🙂
Jamie Wark
Pictures are an absolute must for me! I’m very visual so if I don’t know what it’s supposed to look like in the end, I probably won’t even bother attempting to cook it.
Kelley
I think pictures add more to a blog post and actually make me more intrigued on trying the recipe. I really didn’t realize the effort it takes to put into the pictures – this was a great post! Love the camera too!
Susan V
Pictures and more pictures! Also a reasonable-sized list of ingredients – if there’s “weird stuff”, I’ll probably avoid it, unless it says “optional”.
Lee Anne Boyd
A photo of a dish entices me if doesn’t make the food look complicated. I don’t like to cook things that have too many steps. I like photos throughout a recipe because it reassures me that I am following the instructions correctly. I can also give me a feel for what the texture of a dish should be a different points of the process and tht can be very helpful.
Chris
Color, contrast in color and texture, and chocolate – all of these make me want to make and eat the recipe!
Christine Stanley
Gosh…I’ve always loved ur pics and thought to myself how beautiful ur kitchen must be. The pics show the beauty of your food and makes me want to make your dishes, as well as follow your posts on Facebook (I don’t do Instagram).
Jade
Hey Laura! Always appreciate your emails and recipes, especially because you often show how to make one recipe gluten free & also grain free in the same post. Before I found you, I would just convert recipes myself to meet dietary needs/allergy restrictions but you’ve made it so much easier, thank you!! As far as food photography on a blog, I think it’s very important. I see a pic that’s styled well & looks appealing & I think I want to make and eat that! I’m currently 7 months pregnant so a lot looks good but I also need easy and fast! So if your recipe not only looks yummy but also looks simple, I’m in. Doesn’t hurt to have beautiful garnish & adorable kids to help out! Sometimes, when I make a recipe I do compare mine to the photo & if it looks different I will wonder if/what I did wrong lol. But as long as it tastes good, no matter! Thanks for your hard work
Mitzi
I love photos of recipes, especially the steps to making it. I’m very visual and like to know how involved a recipe is before trying it.
Amy
Love the way you present your recipes (how you style them). I feel like I can accomplish it and add my own twist, too.
Lindsey Vittitow
When i see photos of food it makes me think i can cook that or boy does that look amazing. Pictures determine if i decide to cook that reciepe or not
Shana
I love how you include the individual ingredients. When I see a recipe that doesn’t include a whole lot of ingredients I think “I can do that!”
Luce F
I need pictures if I’m going to try a new recipe. For some reasons, I find it very difficult to try a new dish if there’s no photograph. We eat first with our eyes:) If it looks like something my family will eat, then I make it. One thing I find very frustrating is when photographs end up being so different from the actual dish I make. It makes me doubt the recipe developer published an actual photograph of the same recipe. I think it is a great idea you take pictures of your own dish–we know you made the recipe and it works. Thank you Laura!
Heather Hutchinson
Most of the time it’s the name of the item – like the name of the dish and the picture. I like to use recipes that have pictures so that I get at least a general idea of what it should like that. Hopefully I get it close to the picture..lol:)
Karen
I always enjoy reading recipes, but a luscious color picture can make me want to cook NOW. Thanks for all the neat photography tips too.
Melissa H.
I typically look for color when I am looking at a recipe photo. I look for vibrancy as well as ideas of what to pair the dish with. In a recipe the photos are everything. If I was looking two photos of the same recipe I will always choose the one which looks brighter and more thought out.
jennyonthespot
Usually cheese. That makes me say, “I WOULD EAT THAT!” Though, I’ve integrated “clean eating” into much of my menu so cheese happens much less often for me. However, I still love her and the sight of her makes me go a little nuts 😉
Elizabeth
Great photo tips on photographing food! I believe photos are important in a recipe because as the expression goes, “we eat with our eyes!”
Melanie
It can’t look mushy or like it has been sitting 🙂
Stephanie
I am attracted to photos of recipes with natural light (familiar) and fresh ingredients.
Amanda
I’m following you and Olympus on Instagram!!
Ashlee
The crisp, vibrant colors make my tastebuds tingle. I can almost smell the food from great pictures:)
Amanda
For me to feel as though I could handle a recipe, I like to see step by step photos if at all possible. I love learning visually and checking to make sure mine looks like yours boosts my confidence when attempting something new!
Maria Malaveci
It honestly really depends on the type of food/dessert that is being photographed. But, normally I love when it is photographed step by step and there are instructions on how to make it! Usually I always LOVE Dessert photographs, because I love baking! And, I love to eat it too!
mmalavec(at)med(dot)umich(dot)edu
Liz
Love this post! As for the giveaway, here’s what I love in a food photo: I like when the dish is cut or sliced so that I can see the inside. For example, show a piece of cut cake or a slice or the meatloaf, or cut open the chicken breast. This makes it look like the food is about to be served, which makes it look even more delicious!
thuy n.
I like pretty food pics with simple ingredients listed underneath…too many ingredients that I have to go buy and aren’t usually in my cupboard, I won’t make it.
Mitsuko Grube
I like simple recipes and if pictures show how easy it is to make, I’m more likely to try new recipes.
Jennifer Quinn
I don’t recall ever making a new recipe that I have not seen a photo of! It is the picture that lets me know if this is something worth trying…. does it look like something my family would enjoy? does it look approachable? does it seem familiar? So, thank you for your awesome food photos and for taking the time to share with me!
Maegan
When I see vibrant food that looks like you can smell it through the photo, that’s when “I want to cook that”! The less ingredients, but still so tasty are the best.
Love how colorful yet simple your photos look. The photographs you take show how truly passionate you are about making each recipe. Thank you for all your healthy fun ideas with all the recipes, especially the ones for the kiddos!
Debbie
I look for the quirky steps in the recipe and the finished product.
Marion
I love colored pictures of recipes. It makes it more appealing if there are pictures. I have to have a color cookbook with pictures. Thank you for doing this with your cookbooks. One is sitting on my coffee table now.
Sarah
Using common, easy to use kitchen tools in your photos energize me and help me think “I can cook that!” Green garnishes also make an awesome statement and screams “healthy” and “desireable”! Photos are key to recipe photos- many women need visuals for inspiration– especially for kids lunches– posting photos of actual lunch box shots help me branch out of the common sandwhich routine.
I love your site! Keep up the inspiring work!!!
Sheila Torres
Following both on Instagram!
Leslie Hernandez
A recipe with simple everyday ingredients makes me want to try to cook it. A yummy photo is even better and makes me want to eat!
Angelika underweod
Showing how to do the steps. And then a good finished product with texture.
Susan L
When I’m flipping through recipes deciding what to cook, I usually skip the ones with no photos. The same is true when I buy cook books. Photos of the prepared food are absolutely important.
Lisa
Simple, easy to read instructions, along with tasty looking photos make me want to “attempt” a recipe!
Tray
I love colors and how the food is set up. If it looks pretty and yummy i’m gonna wanna try it. It also depends on my mood, and what time of the month it is. Also if it looks easy enough, and if I think my kid would try it I’ll make it.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone!!!!!!!!!
Stephanie
A clear, in focus picture with good lighting and color usually draw me in. I really hate when a post looks like to writer didn’t bother to plate it in a nice way. It might be a great recipe, but if it looks like brown sludge on a plate, there is a really good chance I won’t bother to click, let alone make it.
Jen Butler
Sitting here shivering from the cold and the warm bowl of soup, accompanied by the perfect amount of garnishments that look freshly diced and grated literally makes my tummy grumble and my mouth salivate. Guess what we are having for dinner? The layers of texture and color makes these photos pop and make you feel as if you are sitting at the table ready to consume the yummy goodness. Thank you for making me feel capable!
Holly
If the recipe comes from your site, then I know it will be good and easy to make. I get excited to try a new recipe when I see something my kids like to eat, (ex: pop-tarts) and see a fairly easy way of doing it. Recipes are more enticing to try when they are arranged ‘pretty’ on the plate. Simply, but pretty 🙂
Amy
I like it when there are just enough pictures to entice me that the dish is fantastic, but not so many that I can’t find the recipe! I would like to learn to take better photos myself! Thanks for all the tips!
Sheila Torres
I typically am more tempted to try a new recipe when there is a photo along with it. I love photos that, as silly as it may seem, jump off the screen and say “eat me, I’m yummy”. Some photos really do this for me. It’s as though I just have to try them ❤️
Laurie
The second I see cilantro, I want to try the recipe.
Laura Fuentes
I have a thing for cilantro too Laurie 😉
Orlena
I really struggle with food photography. I always try to take photos just before dinner which is not a great idea. My favourite tip is from Pinch of Yum who recommended using a white pillow case for a white back ground. So simple!
Laura Fuentes
Yes! this way, you know you’ve got something white for balance! 🙂
John
Laura,
I find that pictures that show ingredients and tools used to prepare them are the ones that convey to me the thought; “I can do that one!” . Most recipies sound good, but the reality of this process is one of convincing the mind that it is something that I can do that really causes me to cross the line from; “Sound good.” to “I’m making that for dinner!” .
John
Each moment is precious! Enjoy and savor it for it shall never be yours again!
Grace
Great pictures make me say “I want to eat that.” It’s when I look at the ingredients and how to make it that makes me say either, “I’ll just buy it” or “I want to make that!” I like your simple, easy to make recipes.
Kiomi
I think I gravitate towards bright and airy photos – not just food, but everything else. I love close-ups, as well as views-from-above. I love food blogs and recipe blogs that have lots of photos, especially of each step (tedious for the photo-taker, but as a viewer, I love to see more photos than less). Love seeing textures and colors…Love how you set up your studio amongst the kids and chaos 🙂
Sherri Carter
If I see a recipe online and the photo is dark or poorly taken, it makes me think the recipe might be a bit off, too. Not fair, I know – but if you are going to include a pic with a recipe (which I think you should) then it should be as appetizing as the recipe!
off to follow you and Olympus on Instagram…
lisa
Two things help me when pictures come with a recipe…”ooo, that’s so pretty!” and “that looks like something I could make!” The picture of the overexposed soup/no props…I probably wouldn’t make it. But with props and rich red/vibrant green/warm wood?? DEFINITELY want to make it!
LaTanya
I look for color, garnishes, and how you plated the dish/what you paired the dish with
IG follower as @sweetums82
Emily
I would love to win a new camera! Photos are SO important in recipes. Being able to see what it actually looks like makes a big difference for me when looking for things to make. I bought a cookbook all about cooking beans with a beautiful cover photo of all different types of beans, and was terribly disappointed to find no pictures in it at all!
As far as what makes me think “I can cook that!”, it’s more about the instructions; straight-forward, and not too many of them!
Jess D
Pictures of the process and the end product is super important to me for recipes, especially ones I’ve never tried beforehand. I want to know what things are supposed to look like. I’m most tempted to try new recipes that are homey sounding, have easy to find ingredients and does not have a lengthy on hands time requirement.
Amy S
I love photos that tell a story – food stories should be about ingredients and sharing. The picture with the cilantro and cheese with the soup is much more appealing to me than a picture of a bowl of soup and a spoon.
Ginny Banks
cheese and props! I love food, so most anything will make me look at it….
Amy U
I enjoy seeing a photo of what the food is “supposed” to look like….as a guideline. Also, it plain old makes the recipe more appealing to me.
I also enjoy seeing photos of packed kids’ lunches, as well. Mostly for options as to what to pack—-love the new ideas!
Jennifer
Definitely the vibrant colors and varied textures add appeal to food photography.
H. McKean
This is GREAT! I want one too!!
Laura B
I think photos of food are very important! I’m a very visual person, so if the food doesn’t look appealing in the photo, I won’t even try it! If I see a photo that’s clear, colorful, and the food is presented well it makes me want to eat it.
Amanda Mauch
Great pictures are inspiring, I do most of my meal planning by getting inspired by beautiful yummy photos. I would also love to learn how to take shots of some of the yummy recipes I come up with at home!!
Cassie
When I see a picture pf food and say I want to eat is is when I see any thing Mexican or a creamy cheese sauce or cheese!!! I love it when the picture shows a ooyy gooy yumminess.
I am wanting to get into food photography but I am still learning. Thank you for this post! It was helpful!
Charity
I’m following you & Olympus on instigram.
Charity
I think “I can cook that!” Of a recipe doesn’t have 1000 ingredients.
Shawnna Williams
I make something if the flavors sound good and there aren’t too many steps.
Stephanie Bice
I miss photographing! I bought Fiesta plates in various colors which make photographing food a bit easier because it adds some color to the image (even though most photographers want white dishes to highlight the food). (But I would still love a new camera!)
Meghan
Simple ingredients and step by step instructions accompanied by beautiful photos make me want to try recipes. I love all your pictures! I want to try them all!
Dori
I love your pictures! When I’m about to cook or bake something, I usually go online to look for it. I always want a picture to look at so I can know what the final product is supposed to look like. Once I have finished, my camera immediately comes out. I don’t have a real camera though, I use my iPhone 5c, which takes great photos, but not good enough.
On another note, I love how easy and enticing your recipes look! I want to try them all!
Angel
To me…. It’s all about color the more color the more cheerful the more appetizing both to my eyes and taste buds!
Tamara
I’m not an expert cook, so if it’s a healthy recipe and the directions look basic enough and the food looks delicious, I’ll try it!
Claudia Bitner
I know its a good food pic when my mouth starts to water and i make a note to try the recipe.
Mary Ellen
Thanks for sharing your tips! Even if the picture looks amazing, I always go to the ingredient list to determine if I’m going to make something. If it’s stuff I usually have on hand (or I can sub something I already have) and don’t have to buy too many ingredients I don’t use very often, I’ll end up making it!
VIANEY
I am a working mom with little time. When I come home its dinner time and there are times when my ideas are out. I dont do fast food. Following you on instagram gives me ideas when i come home. I can make healthy and yummy family meals and snacks. They are easy to follow and dont have a long list of ingredients. I may have to change them up at times to fit my family’s pallet, but they are so easy to do. Fresh and healthy is what i like and that is why i follow you.
Deanna
I love searching flea markets and yard sales for inexpensive props and linens – I store them in a box that rolls under my bed 🙂
Kelly F
When deciding what I want to cook, pictures are the key! I love to see pictures of the end result. It’s what catches my attention. (Sometimes I look at the picture before I even look at the recipe!) The saying “we eat with our eyes” is so true! If I can’t have a taste, the picture is the next best thing to get my mouth watering! (Love all the vibrant colors in your pictures above!)
Ash
Clear photos of not only the finished product but also the process, make all the difference when it comes to deciding whether to attempt a recipe.
Angie
Identifiable ingredients and bright pictures generally make me want to cook things. If I see certain ingredients (example mushrooms) I tend to skip that recipe.
Laura Fuentes
I tend to skip mushroom recipes too 😉
Ashley
I love quick easy steps! It simplifies the process and makes me feel like I can do it!
Annette Broussard
I want to eat the Heathy ABC Spagetti-ABC-O’s recipe! My daughter is a picky eater and her go-to is “Spaghettio’s” which really means Beefaroni. I always feel like a bad parent, but I figure, “at least she’s eating!” I’m going to try your healthy version next week and see how it comes out. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Laura Fuentes
don’t feel bad!! they key is to be prepared and make the best choices you can. 🙂
Lindsey D
The picture definitely draws me in.. If it doesn’t take a ton of ingredients, I’ll try it!
lorena
Pictures and cleat easy instrucons are what draw me to think I’d like to try that!!
anna_toddk
This is so cool!
I’ve tried to photograph food before, and it’s never been my parfait (ahhahahah get it like food like I’ve never photographed my parfait hahahaha but like also something I’m good at okay I’ll stop hahhaha)
I wish I knew this! I never knew toppings and lighting can make SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!! Thanks for sharing this ☺️
Laurie
I’m following you and Olympus on Instagram.
Laurie
Definitely a pretty professional looking picture makes a difference in whether I want to try making a recipe.
Katie Rae
Great post 🙂 Seeing the pictures makes me think “I want to cook that”…buuuuttttt it makes me think even more “I want to eat that” haha 🙂
Melanie King
Simplicity is usually what I am looking for in a recipe.
kristin Goodson
I love to try recipes from good bloggers when they have pictures from each step in the recipe. It helps me to really think that I can do it if I have a visual. I love when the pictures of food are colorful and detailed. Great pictures of food are so important! I see some where the pictures definitely don’t make me want to eat the food. Its important to get the right light and to make the focal point appetizing. I love experimenting with different apps.
Amy
The picture usually draws me in and the ingredients is what makes me want to eat or make that. I have always taken photos outdoors and close-up to disguise what the object was. Once met a commercial food photographer and found the tips and tricks fascinating.
Emily Ruffino
I laugh about being a marketers dream. If it looks good then it makes me want to try it. If it doesn’t look appealing then I pass it right up. I can definitely see how having a good camera, and knowledge can help with that. I also love how your recipes look so easy, it encourages me and clients to try new stuff.
Brittany B
Photos play a big part when I look for a recipe online. My biggest pet peeve is when I click the print recipe button and the photo isn’t a part of it. I am a pretty good cook, but I still want to know what the item is suppose to look at when done. When I flip through my recipe collection at home to find things to make for the week a photo totally helps me visualize if I will be in the mood for it.
Sylvie Morrow
I love your pictures and am drawn towards dishes that look simple because I am not an experienced cook and get easily intimidated.
Follow you and Olympus on Instagram
Karrir
I’ll try almost any soup once. Soups are my favorite and I love to cook them. Seems like there is alot of prep work to make a good soup
Ruth P.
Good photographs on a food blog are really what draw me to click on the post and actually read it and look at the recipe. If the food in the photo looks attractive and the composition is simple and straight-forward, the usually makes me think “I can cook that!”. Love your blog and your photos! 🙂
Martha
I typically stayed out of the kitchen till I was in my late teens, so I didnt learn much from my mom like I should have. Then when I wanted to cook, I wasnt so great. Lacked technical skills and know-how.
My hisband is a very good cook so he taught me a LOT.
So with my newfound talents, what really makes me go “I can cook that!” or “I want to cook/eat that!” is when I see a version of my mom’s old meals and want to finally guve it a go with all the knowledge Ive accumulated this far. I like trying recipes my mom used to cook but I could never get right before i met my hubby.:-)
I sometimes photograph my dishes and email them to my mom now.
So this Olympus sounds great! I’m wondering if you have any recommendations for photographing meats, particularly beef or ground beef dishes? What have you found that works best there? Seems any light I use–direct, indirect, low, high, etc–yields yellows and makes the dish look greasy and unappetizing, even when everything is drained properly… Hmph.
Laura Fuentes
Martha, meats are in the same category as brown soups/beans = bown. You have to “accessorize” with color (garnish). It’s the only way to make it appetizing.
Jennifer
That soup looks good!! I love these types of posts. It does make me feel more like something I can do myself at home. The cooking part and the picture taking.