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Rustic Summer Galette & Tips for better food photography from Lenka's Lense
Beautiful table linens and tasty food both belong on the table and even complement each other. Isn’t it somewhat magical to have a meal by the table decorated with beautiful table linen pieces? We certainly do think so! This week we have asked Lenka from Lenka’s Lense to share her tips on food photography and an extremely tasty recipe for a rustic summer galette. Here’s what she’s told us, enjoy!
This is the best galette I’ve ever made. And it’s simple to make too. Try for yourself and tell me if you like it as much as I do.
Taking pictures of food had been a huge trend before the pandemic and has become even bigger with it (we always have food at home, right?!).
But that doesn’t mean that all the food pictures we see around Instagram and social media, in general, look beautiful or even appetizing. If you want to take better food pictures I have a few tips for you:
Always use natural light and switch off all ambient lighting (unless you own and know how to control professional studio lighting)
Use one light source (one window) and move really close to it (the light should come from the side or back)
For light and bright images, use a white carton, foam board, or anything like that on the opposite side of the light source to soften the shadows and reflect some light back onto the scene.
If you take the picture with your phone, the overhead angle is the best.
Remove all elements that could distract. Only use props that help your storytelling and add to the scene.
Use props with a matte finish and mostly in neutral colors. Artisan ceramics and linen provide nice textures.
Focus on a hero subject and use a composition that attracts attention to it.
Use color theory (often less is more when it comes to color).
Make a bit of a mess to make the scene more relatable and natural (but keep it controlled, you don’t want it to look dirty).
Use the human element, it helps your storytelling and lends dimension to the food.
Edit your images to add some contrast. Temperature-wise, food often looks fresher on the cooler side.
Ready to make and shoot the galette? Here you go:
For the Crust:
- 2 cups/220g White spelt flour (all-purpose works too) + more for rolling out if needed
- 200g cold butter, cut into cubes
- ⅓ cup sugar + 1 tbsp sugar for sprinkling (I use organic cane sugar)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg (for brushing)
- 3 tbsp laminated almonds for sprinkling
For the Frangipane:
- 1 egg
- 1 cup almond meal/almond flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 80g butter, melted
Around 500g of fruit (berries, plums, apricots, peaches alone, or any combination...)
Whipped cream or ice cream to serve (optional).
Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Mix the flour, butter, sugar, and salt for the crust either with the paddle attachment of a kitchen machine or by hand just until combined (don’t overdo it). Form a disc and refrigerate for 30min.
Meanwhile, make the frangipane by whisking all the ingredients together and prep your fruit.
Roll the dough into a large circle. Spread the frangipane on top, leaving a margin of about 4-5cm. Spread the fruit on top of the frangipane. Fold the margins in (don’t worry about perfection, the galette is called rustic for a reason ;-).
Beat the egg and brush the crust with it. Sprinkle the laminated almonds and sugar on top.
Bake for around 30min.
Enjoy warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream (optional).
