The 6 top food photography trends for 2023
Get Inspired with these 6 Must-Know, Food and Drink Photography Trends. I explain how to use them and how they are effective….
As a female photographer and table top director based in London, I feel privileged to collaborate with some of the leading creatives in the food and drink industry. I'm excited to share with you the top trends to look out for in 2023 with suggestions for creating powerful, emotive images through the use of light and human touch. The latest trends in food photography embrace authenticity depict real life through the human element. Motion is also becoming increasingly popular by bringing food to life with the emphasis on perfectly imperfect food.
1. The Human Element – Hands in Shots
Showing the human element with hands in the shot is currently incredibly popular as it adds visual interest, implies movement, and, most importantly, tells the story. This trend for real-life interaction makes the image very believable. as the human element draws the viewer in, which makes them feel part of the scene.
A hand can portray many elements of the story and should be considered carefully to ensure a good fit. The tattooed hand of a man, the manicured hand of a lady, or the weathered hand of a farmer, all add a different angle to the story and speak to a different client.
2. Motion Brings Food Photography to Life
Motion in the form of videos, stop-motion and animated GIFs is expected to increase in popularity in food photography in 2023. Video content is highly effective as it is so dynamic and eye-catching- it can literally bring the food to life and tell the story in a matter of seconds. Videos are brilliant as they can be used in many ways and across so many different media, in both long and short forms. If combined with music properly, they can become particularly powerful creating strong and clear messages.
This is my latest showreel, combining a wide range of assets, including video, stop motion and stills….
Why Movement Is Effective in Food Photography
One of the great appeals of stop motions and videos is that they're perfect for social media as they grab the viewers' attention to make something thumb stopping.
Stop-motion is created by compiling hundreds of still images to make the unmistakable eye-catching flipbook style. The almost clicky movements of stop-motion builds a story created with the stills images - it stands out from many of the slick, smooth images we have become used to and has a life of its own.
3. Lighting and Bold Colour Trends – The 80s are back!
This trend is all about bold and contemporary imagery. Colour blocking is used with bright colours to create vibrant, striking sets which bring the images to life like a blast from the 80s. It is very on-trend for this to be combined with hard lighting and strong graphic shadows.
4. Perfectly Imperfect – Authenticity
This year it is all about creating authentic real food with images that appear to be less staged and more spontaneous. The phrase "perfectly imperfect" initially came from English-speaking and Scandinavian countries, emphasising the beauty of imperfection and is set to continue. This style of photography has been heavily influenced by food bloggers and social media. It shows real delicious food which looks totally effortless but in reality it can be very time consuming to get "perfect" ice cream drip or scatter of crumbs. In terms of lighting, the daylight feel is wonderful for these kinds of shots.
This trend has also influenced some recent advertising campaigns by global retailers such as McDonald's- the styling of the food has become looser, and the burgers a lot saucier. Expect more scattered crumbs and oozing sauce as consumers embrace natural food and are drawn towards the imperfectly perfect.
5. Real Content
The move away from overly produced content and polished models and actors is likely to continue. With the growth of social media channels like TikTok, people have shown they crave realness and prefer to see real life with real people. Many big brands have shifted to playing the underdog as the power has shifted to the consumer.
For example - this Bombay Bramble campaign was shot for a younger audience who want to see real life and might make delicious cocktails at home themselves. The studio shots are designed to look less polished as though they were taken at home, which in turn makes them feel more accessible to the viewer.
6. Mouth-watering Food Closeups
Macro shots, the art of making a dish look so good it makes your taste buds tingle, will have tummies rumbling in 2023. These style of "food porn" shots draw the audience in, so much so that they can almost taste, touch and smell the food. This type of work is incredibly detailed and precise- the graphic style of photography allows the viewers to see the quality and freshness of the ingredients super close in all their glory. The fluffiness of freshly baked bread. The bubbles in the cool refreshing drink. The gooeyness of the decadent chocolate pudding.
Working with food stylists is essential for these kinds of shots – as they know the tricks of the trade and can bring out the best in every ingredient to get the perfect ooze, drip, and texture.
In 2023 food photography trends will likely be heavily influenced by the human element as people continue to crave real life. There will probably be a strong emphasis on motion and lots of "perfectly imperfect" real authentic food. So, expect to see more drips, oozes and crumbs scattered "effortlessly" in pictures in 2023.
Malou Burger is a London food photographer and table-top director specialising in food and drink. She collaborates with crazed ad agencies, award-winning publishers, and brands needing a creative and down-to-earth photographer.
If you want to see more of my commercial food photography and moving images or my full portfolio, head over here, or you can contact me directly here.