Food photography trends that’ll frame 2021

Food photography is becoming less contrived, with the rise of Instagram and food bloggers in recent years and the pandemic shifting the way food and drink brands connect with consumers through content. Behind-the-scenes and user generated, authentic photography are amongst the top food photography trends which we can expect to see more of in 2021.

Image to left captured and styled by the team for Stoves as part of their 12 days of Christmas campaign.

Keep it real

Capturing real, genuine photography which mirrors reality has been key for brands and even more so this year. With more people cooking at home due to the pandemic it’s never been so important to make food look desirable yet achievable. Crumbs, stacks of plates and food with forkfuls taken out have resonated more with consumers. Family time has been important this year, so we’ve seen shots of several serves become more popular and there’ll be more of this to come next year. With Instagram and food bloggers increasingly being used by brands to market their products and services, we’ve seen a growing need to capture user generated style photography to remain authentic and credible.

Build a story around the food

We can expect to see the definition of food photography become more ‘loose’. Consumers like to see more of the story surrounding food, from the people, the environment and even the source of the food as we start to become a more culture and sustainability aware society. Introducing people, props, backgrounds into the shot helps build a story around the food, expressing the culture and celebrating it.

Provide insight into how food photography is created

We’ve seen restaurants introduce more behind the scenes content, which not only shows off their culinary skills but allows customers to take a sneak peek into the full cooking process. Step by step recipes and videos have been an even bigger hit this year, arming consumers with the relevant tools to produce dishes at home. The recently introduced Reels tool on Instagram is a new way to introduce branded video content, providing multiple solid brand benefits. Becoming increasingly popular, brands are using the tool to get across key messages and useful information in a digestible and engaging format.

Above all food photography trends, the food must continue to do all the talking and look absolutely delicious! Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @eatandbreatheuk.

We’re looking forward to 2021 and creating tasty new content for various retailers and food manufacturers early in the New Year.

View a selection of our recent work here.