How To Boost Your Food Photography in Adobe Photoshop & Elements

Guess what?  I started a food blog!

I don't do portraits anymore or take on commercial jobs and so I have been struggling to find my photo groove for the last year or so.  I think I have finally found it in food photography and styling.  I love it.  Do you know what I love the most?  There are no people involved.  No skin tones to get right, no...people...to deal with.  It's peaceful.

Here at MLC, we released Essential Food Photography (Action Set) about a month ago.  This set is amazing.  Editing food photography has truly never been easier or faster.  In working with it everyday, I am always excited and amazed at how quickly I can process images.

"Editing food photography has never been easier or faster"

Here is todays post over on the food blog (FoodieFoodster.com).  The before image is a typical RAW image, really dull.  

The new Essential Food Photography Action set allowed me to edit this image in less than a minute.  The colors are amazing and the lighting is smooth and even.  The first step is to run the Image Cleaner, this is an Action that mimics Camera RAW and allows to quickly produce a clean edit without the guess work.  You play the Action and then simply slide the sliders until your image is perfect.
Notice that the shadows on the right side of the first plate are gone.  That is thanks to the "Fill Flash Brush" included with the set.  You simply brush on areas that need to be brightened!  It is not simply a Light Brush, but rather a brush that brightens the shadows in the areas where you may have needed a reflector or...a fill flash (but don't ever use flash on your food photography)

A detailed list of all 33 Actions and 3 storyboards included is provided on the Essential Food Photography page, it is available for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements 11-13.


On this image, I also used the 5 for $5, Magic Finish© Actions to get that great color bar on the left of the image.

If you are interested in the food blog, head over to FoodieFoodster.com

Love the font?  It is called Country Chic and you can find it at Creative Market!

One thing I have learned over the last 5 years of blogging is that the images can make or break you.  This is especially true in food blogging but translates across the web.  Essential Food Photography has applications that transcend use for food bloggers, have you ever considered taking pictures for restaurants or hotels?  They need images of their food for menus!

I will tell you a little secret that I learned when I stopped taking portraits and started doing commercial.

"There are a million portrait photographers"

Portrait photographers are a dime a dozen.  While I feel like there is room for everyone and their unique style, the market is saturated with portrait photographers.  If you feel interested in commercial photography i.e. Real Estate Photography, Product Photography, Food Photography, etc.  the market is wide open.   Before I left my commercial photography business to work on MLC full time, I didn't even have time for portraits because the commercial side of my business was so busy.  There was no one else in my area that did Real Estate Photography, and all of the business landed in my lap.  I literally started a job for myself out of nowhere that became the foundation of my business, and provided a full time income.  I know the same principles ring true for Food Photography.  The options are endless, restaurants, hotels, etc. all need professionally rendered images specific to their own menus (which is something stock photography cannot provide).
The opportunities for photographers that want to build their businesses and branch outside of portrait photography are endless!