If you want to get professional images for your food blog, create a modern menu for a restaurant, or jazz up your feed on social networks with interesting images, make sure to learn these cookie photography ideas. Most of them are very easy to bring to life and you only need a camera or smartphone, some kitchen utensils, and cookies to get cool photos. In fact, such cookie images can even serve as materials for attracting new customers.
Though this is rather an unusual cookies photoshoot idea, it totally worth trying as you will get a dynamic image that will surely attract attention. The easiest way to realize it is to hold cookies in the air and photograph them separately. Then, you can merge shots in any photo editing software for beginners with layer support. For instance, Photoshop or GIMP perfectly cope with such a task. Examine the shot to make sure everything is OK with shadows.
In case you want to photograph several cookies levitating simultaneously or create a levitating composition in a photo, you need to fix cookies in the air with the help of wire, wooden skewers, or any other object you have at hand. Thus, you will avoid inky shadows or strange reflections. While editing pictures, you simply need to erase the support.
If you are searching for non-trivial cookies photo ideas, it makes sense to pay attention to the shape and decoration of biscuits in the first place. You can bake cookies in the shape of unicorns, rabbits, birds, and whatnot. To make the process flawless, you should use a cookie cutters set and find detailed tutorials on how to decorate cookies. YouTube offers lots of channels about baking and the most popular are Little Cookie Co, Cake House, and SweetAmbsCookies.
Use cookies instead of stars, and replace a dark sky with a tablecloth of the same color, a painted board, or a night sky backdrop. Try recreating familiar constellations, or create a picture of your own universe with cookies instead of planets, relying only on your imagination.
When it comes to a good food photography angle, there are several variants you can try for such a photo session:
If you are dealing with cookies that have ornate decorations, you should definitely choose a flat-lay angle. You can put them on a tray, wax paper, a baking sheet, or a beautiful plate.
This cookies photoshoot idea requires thinking outside the box but the result is totally worth all the time and efforts spent. You need to think of a story, namely an adventurous one, where cookies will become important elements of a plot. For example, you can make cookies in the shape of boats and capture a sea battle, or decorate them as spaceships and document an intergalactic journey.
If you only have a chalkboard and several cookies, you can still take very cool images. Draw a bicycle and use cookies as its wheels or make an air balloon and make a cookie its part.
To bring this food photography idea to life, you need to bake cookies several times. Thus, you will get several portions with slight defects, be it jagged edges, incorrect shape, etc., and one tray with flawless cookies. Next, you need to combine such cookies on a one-color background, focusing attention on the perfect pastry.
Instead of simply putting cookies on a plate or a table, you need to think about a creative way of presenting them to viewers. For example, you can hang cookies with clothespins, put them into a hat, or attach them to a curtain.
There are two variants to realize this cookies photoshoot idea. You can either “write” a word using standard cookies or bake them in the form of a specific word. For the second option, you should use alphabet cookie cutters and thematic accessories to complement the composition.
First, you need to come up with an interesting idea, making cookies an indispensable part of a scene. For instance, you can make a cookie a museum piece, the last element of a treasure map, etc. After taking photos, open Photoshop and finish your story. By editing your food photos in Adobe Photoshop, it is possible to add some details, improve contrast and brightness, and replace the background.
Typically, cookies have warm colors. These can be chocolaty dark, golden yellow, and other tones in this range. You can create eye-pleasing color contrast in images by complementing cookies with backgrounds and props of colder shades. To create a beautiful composition, learn more about complementary colors.
Since orange is a contrasting color to blue, you can arrange a winsome scene with sandy-tone cookies against a bright blue background. Sometimes, a darker blue backdrop is also a suitable option. Another alternative is a neutral gray background with transient blue, green, or purple touches.
The same principle is applicable to props, including napkins, teacups, or baking utensils. Photos of cookies on a blue ceramic plate will surely spur the appetite. Such a combo not only highlights the contras in colors but also in textures.
You can use chocolate drops, lemon zest, sugar or cocoa powder, nuts, glazing, sprinkles, and lots of other materials to garnish your cookies.
Those afraid of using complicated techniques can take advantage of chocolate drops. Take a small syringe, fill it with liquid chocolate, and make drops in any way you like. Creating whimsical patterns is a breeze.
Put cookies on a plate and sprinkle with powder, coconut flakes, or flour. This is also one of the easiest cupcake photography ideas that you can use while taking images of cookies. By adding a themed element, e.g., a snow globe or an ice yurt, you can create an original winter composition.
This cookies photoshoot idea relates to the previous concept. People really like observing how different meals are cooked, and there is a certain magic in backing cookies. Of course, the process involves making some mess on the table and I highly recommend capturing flour covering the surface, scattered utensils, etc. However, you need to stick to composition standards, with the rule of thirds being the most popular ones.
Simply put, you need to divide the frame into 9 equal squares by visually drawing 3 horizontal and 3 vertical lines (see the sample below). Next, locate the key elements at the intersection of lines so that they immediately draw viewers’ attention.
If you are photographing cookies without garnishment, you should arrange them in stacks. However, simple piles will look uninteresting, so you should put 3-5 cookies on the edge of a teacup, near a glass of milk, or any other matching beverage. Thus, the composition will look great and natural. For such shots, hold a camera at a lower angle close to a frontal view.
If you want to add a human component to the frame, this is the best cookies photoshoot idea to try. You need to take a bite of one cookie and lean it on the stack. Or, you can capture how you dip such a cookie into a glass of milk. Alternatively, split a cookie into 2 halves and decorate them with chocolate paste for an aesthetic mess.
Cookies and milk make a perfect duo. Simply place cookies next to a glass of milk, dip a cookie into a glass, or hang it gently on a glass milk bottle.
Cookies can have different shapes and patterns, so don’t miss a chance to arrange original compositions. Besides, by taking images from a non-standard perspective, you will surely get captivating photos.
Place cookies in a glass jar or open box and take a photo. Using such a dessert photography idea, you can enliven your food blog, recipe book, or website.
Prepare cookies in the form of Christmas trees, snowflakes, and candies, and create an interesting Christmas composition. Add details such as spruce branches, cones, candles, Christmas decorations, and a glass of milk. Such cookies photo ideas are easy to bring to life and the result is always fantastic.
If you want to improve your cookie photos in a quick way, these actions will definitely come in handy. They affect white balance, exposure, light, colors, and other parameters without making images look unrealistic. You can customize the actions if you want and start editing your pictures in Photoshop CS3-CS6, Creative Cloud, and PSE 11-1.
