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Bea Lubas first bought a camera to take holiday photos and family portraits. As a lover of cookbooks and food magazines, she soon taught herself to snap her latest baking creations. “One day I was Googling ‘tips on food photography’ when I came across the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Competition,” she recalls. “I was blown away. When I discovered that there are photographers who specialize only in food, it was like a whole new world had just opened for me.” She entered a photo of a bar of chocolate — featuring a playful bite mark — and was shocked to win second place in the Cream of the Crop category.

Bea Lubas first bought a camera to take holiday photos and family portraits. As a lover of cookbooks and food magazines, she soon taught herself to snap her latest baking creations. “One day I was Googling ‘tips on food photography’ when I came across the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Competition,” she recalls. “I was blown away. When I discovered that there are photographers who specialize only in food, it was like a whole new world had just opened for me.” She entered a photo of a bar of chocolate — featuring a playful bite mark — and was shocked to win second place in the Cream of the Crop category.

Bea takes photos that are so good, you can almost taste them.

“I didn’t even tell anyone because I was convinced the organizers would phone me to say it was a mistake,” Bea recalls. “I was invited to a ceremony at the Mall Galleries in London, where I saw my image hanging on the wall among so many incredible artists. It felt surreal and it gave me so much motivation.” Bea decided to launch a blog and invested all her spare time in learning the art and craft of food photography. “It took quite a while, but I started getting more and more commissions.” She became a full-time photographer and published a book, How to Photograph Food.

 

Today, Bea is a Lightroom Ambassador specializing in studio food photography. “That means a huge part of my job is building scenes rather than finding scenes,” she explains. She spends her days dusting powdered sugar onto irresistible desserts and arranging macaroons. She will shoot a pan of shakshuka with a dishcloth tied around its handle, giving it a fresh-from-the-oven look. And a casually discarded spoon often provides kitchen realism. “When building a scene it’s important to make it look natural and effortless,” she says. 

Food photography is a piece of cake…when you have the right preset.

Thanks to Instagram, food photography has grown in popularity, and Bea has some advice for those hoping to make their plate picture pop. Sometimes too much light can be a problem. “If you find that your images lack shadows and end up looking flat, try photographing the same food in a room with one medium or small window,” she says. “Place your subject on a table near the window, and you’ll see the difference immediately.”  

 

But be quick. “Food is often a time-sensitive subject and ingredients can wilt, lose their juiciness, or dry out,” Bea adds. “Try composing your image with empty dishes first, then plate the food only when you are happy with your camera settings, light, and composition.”

Bea takes photos that are so good, you can almost taste them.

“I didn’t even tell anyone because I was convinced the organizers would phone me to say it was a mistake,” Bea recalls. “I was invited to a ceremony at the Mall Galleries in London, where I saw my image hanging on the wall among so many incredible artists. It felt surreal and it gave me so much motivation.” Bea decided to launch a blog and invested all her spare time in learning the art and craft of food photography. “It took quite a while, but I started getting more and more commissions.” She became a full-time photographer and published a book, How to Photograph Food.

 

 

“Building a scene means making it look natural and effortless.”

 

 

Today, Bea is a Lightroom Ambassador specializing in studio food photography. “That means a huge part of my job is building scenes rather than finding scenes,” she explains. She spends her days dusting powdered sugar onto irresistible desserts and arranging macaroons. She will shoot a pan of shakshuka with a dishcloth tied around its handle, giving it a fresh-from-the-oven look. And a casually discarded spoon often provides kitchen realism. “When building a scene it’s important to make it look natural and effortless,” she says.

Low, natural light, is the key to beautiful food photography, says Bea.

Once you get the shot right it’s time for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Bea says. “If it’s an autumnal soup recipe, I’ll think about how I can create that cozy, comforting atmosphere in my photo. Then in post-production, I’ll strengthen the shadows and use color grading to warm up the image.” 

 

Bea has created a free preset that is the perfect foundation for anyone hoping to add warmth to their food photography. “I moved the temperature slider slightly to the warm side,” she says. “I lifted the left end of the curve, just a bit, to create a faded effect in the shadow area, and I added a touch of red to the shadows in the Color Grading panel. Finally, I added a subtle vignette. This preset works well if you have red and orange ingredients in your images, like strawberry cake.” 

Bea’s Lightroom preset is perfect for editing photographs of red-colored food, like strawberries.

Don’t forget to share your work, Bea says. “The creativity I see in the food photography community is so inspiring and encourages me to develop my own creativity, too.…I’m so grateful for this wonderful and enriching journey. I still wake up some days and think, ‘Wow, I’m a food photographer.’”

 

See more on Instagram.

Bea’s Lightroom preset is perfect for editing photographs of red-colored food, like strawberries.

Thanks to Instagram, food photography has grown in popularity, and Bea has some advice for those hoping to make their plate picture pop. Sometimes too much light can be a problem. “If you find that your images lack shadows and end up looking flat, try photographing the same food in a room with one medium or small window,” she says. “Place your subject on a table near the window, and you’ll see the difference immediately.”  

 

But be quick. “Food is often a time-sensitive subject and ingredients can wilt, lose their juiciness, or dry out,” Bea adds. “Try composing your image with empty dishes first, then plate the food only when you are happy with your camera settings, light, and composition.”

 

Once you get the shot right it’s time for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Bea says. “If it’s an autumnal soup recipe, I’ll think about how I can create that cozy, comforting atmosphere in my photo. Then in post-production, I’ll strengthen the shadows and use color grading to warm up the image.” 

 

Bea has created a free preset that is the perfect foundation for anyone hoping to add warmth to their food photography. “I moved the temperature slider slightly to the warm side,” she says. “I lifted the left end of the curve, just a bit, to create a faded effect in the shadow area, and I added a touch of red to the shadows in the Color Grading panel. Finally, I added a subtle vignette. This preset works well if you have red and orange ingredients in your images, like strawberry cake.” 

 

Don’t forget to share your work, Bea says. “The creativity I see in the food photography community is so inspiring and encourages me to develop my own creativity, too.…I’m so grateful for this wonderful and enriching journey. I still wake up some days and think, ‘Wow, I’m a food photographer.’” 

 

See more on Instagram.