National Spaghetti Day I Food Photography Ideas
Celebrate National Spaghetti Day with visually engaging photography that makes your dishes pop! As a food photographer in Northamptonshire, I focus on styling, lighting, and composition to capture raw and cooked spaghetti for restaurant photography and product photography for restaurants.
About National Spaghetti Day
National Spaghetti Day is celebrated in America every year on January 4th. Spaghetti has a rich history, originating in Southern Italy around the 12th century. By the 19th century, pasta became widely popular, eventually making its way to the USA as “Spaghetti Italienne.”
Over time, dishes like spaghetti with tomato sauce, meatballs, and carbonara have become staples. For food photography, these variations offer exciting opportunities for styling and creativity.
Source: Awareness Days
Planning the Food Photoshoot
Being a food photographer Northamptonshire, I always plan shoots in advance. Key steps include:
Research the recipe – For National Spaghetti Day, I used a recipe from BBC Good Food: BBC Good Food – Bloody Mary Recipe
Decide on the theme – Raw, cooked, or styled with additional ingredients.
Select props and backgrounds – For this shoot, I used dark backgrounds and minimalistic props to highlight the pasta.
The two images above are simple and minimalistic which is what I like and another way to take photos of this food product is when it is cooked.
Below are two examples of cooked pasta.
Styled Food Photography I Raw vs. Cooked
For this shoot, I photographed both raw and cooked spaghetti:
Raw spaghetti shots – Minimalistic, simple lines, highlighting texture.
Cooked spaghetti shots – Steaming, with garnishes and utensils for a natural, appetizing look.
Lighting & Composition Techniques
Key Light Setup – Silver umbrella on flashgun to create soft, directional light.
Reflectors – White and silver reflectors bounced light to reduce shadows and add highlights on pasta and props.
Background Choices – Dark backgrounds for contrast; occasional Bokeh from seasonal decorations for depth.
Final Photography Approach
For the final images:
Captured spaghetti from multiple angles – front, below, and top-down.
Focus stacking for depth of field.
Edited brightness, contrast, and cropping for social media-ready images.
Takeaway Tips for Restaurant Photography
Minimalistic props emphasize the food.
Dark backgrounds make colors pop.
Garnishes and utensils add context and story.
Experiment with lighting to create depth and highlights.
Newsletter & Updates
If you enjoyed this blog, sign up for my newsletter to get updates on food photography tips, workshops
