25 Vibrant Food Color Palettes for Food Photography

November 11, 2021
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Food lovers know that for a dish to be considered delectable, it not only needs to taste delicious, but it should look appetizing as well. In this day and age, it’s not farfetched to think that some people might even prefer a visually appealing choice to a delicious one, just because it generates more buzz on social media.

We noticed that chefs are adapting to this trend of food plating as well as playing around with different colors to enhance the appearance of their dishes. Food photography has been increasingly popular and in trend too. For some individuals, it has even transformed from just a hobby of taking food photos to professional food photography. Certainly, food preparation has become more complex as a wider variety of garnish are being used to achieve a good mix of colors in each dish.

Shades like greens and yellows are constantly combined with reds, oranges, and even brown to create a symphony of hues like no other. Very rarely are neutral colors used because the primary objective is to attract and amaze the consumer. Even so, bright pastel colors will typically be paired together to enhance the overall outlook of the dish.

I guess no matter how evolved we become, we are still very visual-oriented. Before even sampling something with our taste buds or stomach, we dissect it with our eyes first. In order for the dish to wow us – or at least intrigue us – it should be aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well as look good for the gram.

In this post you will learn, how colors are related to food and how can we utilize color palettes for food photography and inspirations. So let’s get started.

#1 – Fruitsicle

The beautiful food color palette has a relaxing and vibrant summer vibe. These pretty pink popsicles showcase a very cool color scheme. A very delicate shade of pink forms a sharp contrast with colors of dark red that bring out the best punch in the color palette.

#2 – Morning Like This

The start to a beautiful day after waking up should be fresh and bright, just like the food color palette here which has all the colors harmonizing perfectly. The color of the table, flowers, and the napkin are in beautiful pastel shades with succulent hues while the earthy tones add a bit of contrast to it. The orange color and dark olive green color also add a unique feel to the image. This color scheme can also be used as an inspiration too if you are considering a kitchen room makeover because of its subtle nature.

#3 – Double Trouble

The Food color palette is a feast for the eye with earthy tones combined with beautiful silver, green shades, chocolate, and aquamarine. The color schemes, as well as props, are all carefully selected to give you that perfect range of colors – whether it be black-and-white or bright and bold!

#4 – Blueberries Stacking

The pancakes with blueberries look really delicious. This can be attributed to the wonderful food color palette used in the image. The color of the tabletop provides a sharp contrast to the color of the serving plate whose color matches that of the kitchen towel. The blueberries have a slightly darker tone than that of the plate and towel and that is why the image looks like a beautiful layer with contrasting tones in between for enhancing the image. Use the mentioned food color palette to bring a bright color in combination with earthy colors.

#5 – Crododo Latte

Thinking of coffee today? Well, then this blog has some inspiration for your coffee pictures. The food color palette here is earthy and has shades of tan, olive green, gray and crimson. It will work well for morning photography, where you can find these hues in your breakfast too. Waking up or staying up late having coffee-derive inspiration from the food color palette.

#6 – AvoEggy Toast

A very well-balanced food color palette with warm and cool colors together enhances the subtlety of the photograph. Red and dark green perfectly balance out the brown and light blue shades. Yellow and whiter add a bright pop in the center. It might be added to our autumn inspiration board because when we think of nature and mainly autumn, our minds run wild with deep rustic browns and every shade of orange you could imagine.

#7 – Food For The Soul

The food color palette here is designed to create an atmosphere of calmness and harmony. The two shades, light and the other darker are beautifully juxtaposed with each other for a sense that everything can be put into balance. A perfect example would be in the various colors on your plate; from yellow tones at first glance to more earthy browns as you look closer around it–the lighter shade being used primarily as accents while also showing off its brighter qualities against those deeper hues.

#8 – Blended Summer Fruity-licious

Think of pastel, when you look at this food color palette. The blue backdrop makes for a beautiful contrast with the shades of pink and yellow. Color palettes like this give us color inspiration for the food to stand out with the backdrop complimenting it wonderfully.

#9 – Poppin’ Sweetness

Absolutely lip-smacking and looking yummy to the last bite, the food comes to life in this image. It is really well with a color combination of brown and white hues. The tabletop and the coating on the outer layer of the dish are the same to avoid a lot of colors and give clarity. The food color palette has brown hues like saddle brown and sienna and the muted grey background on top of it adds the contrast element to the food palette without overdoing it. Food color palettes like this open the sensory buds of the person looking at it.

#10 – The Milky Way

Who doesn’t love coffee, right! With all-natural shades here with natural lighting, the food color here stands out. The brown hues of coffee and the white ice cubes along with the cup of milk pouring down add a subtle yet different touch to it. The chips of chocolate and the blender jar in the food color palette also blend in quite well because of the use of colors in them. Who thought color palettes could be so tempting?

#11 – BGF & Everything Nice

Looks like it is burger o clock! A picture of a food palette very simply clicked with no extra props but with all that is available. But, it still works for us. The reason the food color palette stands out is because the brown-ish shades in the burger and fries go well with the color of the box and the tissues. Though, it is not as bright as the other ice cream pictures it still has its own analogous quality that makes it beautiful. Each to its own!

#12 – Infinity Or Spaghe(ni)tti

White in perfect combination with tints of yellow, green, and wine red gives a classy and minimalistic look to the food color palette. Without taking away anything from the colorful subject(spaghetti) the photographer very cleverly has used a white background and white serving plates as well as napkins to make the food stand out. Using any other brighter color would have taken the focus away from the food so this could be one of the tricks you can use when selecting color palettes.

#13 – Hooked Onto Benny

The use of the same brown colors on food and plate in the food color palette here is a testament to how well this color scheme captures attention, while still being an elegant combination. The khaki color and olive garnish at the top adds just enough pop without overwhelming your appetite with too many contrasting colors or textures.

#14 – Dine & Wine Maybe?

This vibrant food color scheme with colors like lime, dark olive green, sienna, brown, and tan inculcates all the elements on the plate to give a very different look. The lighter shades of the tabletop and the serving plate perfectly balance out the elements on the plate.

#15 – Hearty-licious Mix

The usage of props in the picture adds sophistication to the food palette. The light pink flowers and green avocados with some honey create a warm feel. Food is from the heart is what this picture tells us about, this hearty bowl of cereals and fruits gives a wonderful aesthetic touch. The food color palette that can be seen here is shades of green with white, Peru, and cherry red.

#16 – Sorry, I’m P(late)

The color combinations that always work are white with some greens and red. The beauty of the Indian food color palette here is, it uses simple basic colors and still gives us the best image. The serving plate itself is white which contains some green, brown and red elements that add contrast while adding another layer of white on top of it. Color palettes like this symbolize the harmonious mixture of colors reminds us of nature and renders a picture-perfect plate.

#17 – Blendin’ In Slowly

The food color palette here is so wonderfully pictured that we can see all the different elements distinctly. Shades of brown and grey and predominant with a little bit of green.

#18 – Book-o-Loco

Blue tones can be risky to use, because if not used properly then it can turn into a disaster. The food color palette here combines lighter shades like grey and white that give the image freshness and a subtle look. Different shades of brown are carefully used to highlight the main element. Adding sprinkles o different colors like red and green further add some texture.

#19 – DIPper Than The Ocean

Among our favorites is this food color palette, where we do not have too much going on. It has a simple white background with shades of brown that work well to give it a contrast. The plates and the napkins on the tabletop all are of the same color, which gives a lot of clarity and lays focus on the subject.

#20 – Food From The Heart

The food color palette is an interesting mix of brown, grey, and yellow. These colors fit together like a perfect puzzle with each color balancing the other two out perfectly instead of clashing or overpowering them as many often do. The richness in these three shades makes for a very Indian feel that exudes traditional vibes while still being vibrant to engage those who are looking for more life from their foods on the plate.

#21 – A Refreshing Shot

All this pretty color inspiration in this food color palette in coral, green, brown, and gainsboro. If you’re looking for a balanced image of muted and bright colors then look no further than the full spectrum on display here! Coral shades go really well with sea greens while browns add texture to these photographs.

#22 – Citrus Goodness

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! Yeah well! who doesn’t love a lemonade! Captured perfectly in the image, are the cool green and warm yellows that create a balance in this picture just coordinating with blue shades and whites. This food color palette is refreshing and gives beautiful results.

#23 – CaraMELT For You

The use of pastel and light shades, coupled with bright colors like orange gives a wonderful colour combination to the food color palette. The brightness is muted by the right amount of light shades, which makes for a great contrast in lighting to make certain items pop out more than others. This way viewers can enjoy all that this food has to offer without any distractions from anything else on the screen or simply enjoying the meal itself!

#24 – Nasty Sweet Mess

The food color palette above is a really surprising way to combine earthy colors with pastels. It gives the drinks the main focus and also highlights the toppings and props too. A very new combination of colors gives a very fresh and bright touch to the photography.

#25 – Not Just Any Puncake

Different colors of food sit beautifully together in this well-thought-out photograph. The brown color is soothing to the eye because it’s set on a beautiful dark tabletop with a white plate. Adding to the food color palette are the contrasting strawberries and olives bring the whole picture together, making for an appetizing breakfast that will leave you wanting more!

Frequently asked questions on Food Color Palette Ideas:

What is the best color for food?

While red might be considered blacklisted but, we can tell you red, green, and yellow are considered primary colors in the food industry for their effectiveness. The color can be decided as the best based on the type of consumers. For people, looking for healthy food choices green and earthy tones work best while people looking for rich and appetizing food find colors like red, yellow, and orange better. There are many choices of color palettes but, finally, it depends on what you want.

How do I choose a food color palette?

Choosing the color palettes for your food might be tricky but the most important thing you have to remember is the food should shine. So, if you want to portray your food as something organic and natural then go for an earthy tone color palette. First of all, you have to decide what you want to showcase, if it is healthy then choosing green will work. If it is something for the summers, then cool and bright pastel colors do their job well here. For gourmet dishes, you can try intense colors like dark shades of brown or black giving it a trendy vibe too. Desserts and confectionaries can use cheerful shades like pink shades or blue ones. Finally, if it is something hot or a baked item the rich browns and black with contrasting themes will work best.

What are the 3 best colors that go together?

There are primary, secondary, and tertiary color wheels. Primary colors include red, blue, and yellow; these are the fundamental hues that cannot be created by mixing any other. Secondary colors (purple, green, or orange) can only be obtained from a mixture of two primaries together with black or white in place of a single pigment’s complementary hue. Tertiaries are made up of combinations between the first two groups such as combining a pure middle-colored tone with its neighboring color.

Within these color wheels, we can make educated guesses on what colors will look good together and make a color palette based on it. There are complementary colors and analogous colors. Complementary – opposites of each other on the wheel; Analogous- next to one another (combining primary with secondary); Monochromatic – tints or shades of a single hue.

What are Pyo palettes?

These are Paint your own palettes, which can be used in food photography to decorate cookies. These are color palettes of edible paint that help in making fun and decorative cookies just like watercolors. The results are beautiful and delicious cookies.

What Colours are associated with food?

The chief colors associated with food are red and yellow because they are believed to have appetizing abilities and also attention-grabbing.

What is the color scheme for 2022?

According to Fashionista, The key Spring 2022 hues are an electrifying pink, a yellowish orange, a calming blue, a plant-based green, and a creamy shade of butter.

What types of color schemes can be used in a cafe?

While considering what type of color scheme to use in a restaurant, an owner must assess how the colors will affect not only their patrons’ stomachs and moods. For instance, light-colored walls may look bigger than they are because white reflects more light back into your eyes than darker shades do; but that means you’ll have lower visibility during busy hours – which might be good for upscale restaurants with slower turnover rates such as bistros or cafes where people often linger over mealtimes. The earthy colors of browns, greens, and some neutral tones represent the natural beauty found in nature. The color scheme is ideal for cafes where people can get cozy while enjoying a delicious cup of coffee or tea with friends. Earthy green shades on the color palette are also great for restaurants that focus on healthy food options because they give off an inviting vibe to customers who want fresh ingredients from sustainable sources.

What are the 9 color schemes?

A color scheme is a group of colors that work well together. Choosing the right set can make or break your design, and picking one’s own favorite combinations could be disastrous! In the end, it all comes down to personal preference and what you are trying to go for in your design. A few things that should always be considered when laying out an outfit or project is how colors work together with each other on their own but also complement one another as well? Below are a few color tradeoffs to consider-

  1. Warm vs cool
  2. Background vs foreground
  3. Analogous vs complementary
  4. Light vs dark
  5. Chromatic vs achromatic
  6. Matching vs clashing
  7. Bright vs dull
  8. Monochromatic vs polychromatic
The Top 9 Resources For Color Schemes | by Bob Kruse | Prototypr
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So, if you’re looking to create your own color palette, maybe this blog will be all the inspiration you need! You can design your own color palette based on the inspiration and ideas discussed in this blog and up your game. Use this in your new project and see how it ends up being one of the favorites on the internet.

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