The Best Camera Angles for Food Photography

Oct 14 • 2022

When it comes time to head into a food photography shoot, one of the first things you’ll want to figure out is which angle to use. The angle of your photo is also known as the perspective, or your camera’s positioning relative to your subject. It’s essentially where you point your camera. Almost all food photography is shot with one of three different angles. Here are the best three food photography camera angles to focus on in your next shoot:

1. The Overhead Camera Angle

collage of a pie, chocolate cake, and tacos all shot from an overhead angle

The first food photography angle you’ll want to master is the overhead shot. The overhead is a bird’s-eye-view perspective.

It’s ideal for capturing geometric shapes (squares, triangles, circles, etc.), anything symmetrical, and for highlighting patterns and repetition.

The overhead angle is perfect for: 

  1. · pies with crust patterns
  2. · sweets made in a sheet pan
  3. · tacos
  4. · pasta bowls
  5. · anything flat!

 

2. The Straight-On Camera Angle

straight up shots of pancakes with syrup drizzle, a jar of cookie butter, and angel food cake with berries

The second food photography angle to remember is the straight-on angle, which is when you’re “nose-to-nose” with your subject. 

Make sure to get directly in front of your subject and perfectly parallel (no angling slightly left or right!). 

The straight-on is also the best perspective to get drips, drizzles, and dusts in full focus.

Use the straight-on angle for:

  1. · stacks of syrupy pancakes
  2. · cheese pulls
  3. · decorated cakes
  4. · anything tall with layers!

 

3. The 45° Camera Angle

a collage of tiramisu, blondies, and blueberry coffee cake all shot from a 45 degree camera angle

Finally, the 45° angle is the last food photography angle to know. It’s somewhere in the middle of both the overhead and the straight-on! 

The 45° angle is ideal for showing depth and capturing things in the front and back of the scene. You can also use it to highlight a specific part of your subject, since the focus of the camera will only dial in on one spot. 

The 45° angle is ideal for: 

  1. · cutting shots
  2. · bite shots
  3. · showing the top and sides of a dish
  4. · any kind of bar!

As you go into your next shoot, consider which food photography camera angle you want to use. 

  1. Does your subject have a geometric pattern? You’ll probably want to use the overhead angle. 
  2. Is it a stack of something? Probably a good idea to use the straight-on angle. 
  3. Or maybe you want to showcase the depth of your scene? Time for the 45° angle!

Once you can identify the important elements of your shoot, you’re halfway to snapping an amazing food photo.

We hope these tips got your creative juices flowing. Happy shooting and remember to tag us @foodtographyschool with your fav shots. We wanna see ‘em!