The Bite Shot

The bite shot is photographer speak for a photo that captures that first bite, whether it’s a fork plunged into a slice of cake, a spoon sweeping across a bowl of pudding, or the tooth marks left on a soft cookie. It’s the closest thing, in the food photography world, to actually tasting the food itself, and probably my favorite shot of all to take.

Our eyes take the first ‘bite’

Research has found that simply looking at food images can activate the parts of our brain that are involved in taste, so we really do “eat with our eyes” first. Visual food cues help the brain predict flavor, texture, richness, even temperature before we take an actual bite.

The bite shot reels you in

A whole untouched dessert can be beautiful, but things really get interesting when you plunge a fork into it. The same holds true for food photography. Whether it’s a bite taken, a bite in progress, or even just the anticipation of a bite, that’s what connects a photo of food to the human experience.

I’ve compiled some favorite recipes along with their bite shots to show you how it works.

Glazed Old Fashioned Doughnut Cake

The first bite

• In this bite shot the cake is up close and personal, with that wonderful doughnutty crumb front and center.

Salted Caramel Pot de Crème

The first bite

• The first swoopy bite reveals the glossy custard. It tells the story of a cool and silky custard hit with the sharp crunch of a stray flake of sea salt.

Ina Garten’s Brownie Pudding

The first bite

• No that’s what I’m talking about. The dark chocolate saucy bite sells the brownie pudding better than a hundred words ever could.

Mary Berry’s Coffee Fudge Traybake

The first bite

• I love how this bite shot doubles down on the name of the recipe. You can see the crusty sugar texture where the fork has broken through the fudge-like frosting and into the nutty textured cake underneath.

The Ultimate Maple Cheesecake

The first bite

• It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the first bite of cheesecake ~ the pointy tip ~ is always the most delicious and satisfying.

Dreamy Nutella Mousse Pie!

The first bite

• Ahhhh the fork marks. You don’t always get them, but when you do it tells you so much about a dessert. This chocolatey mousse is chilled and firm, not gooey, and full of little air pockets that keep it light as a cloud.

Black Bottom Lemon Bars

The first bite

• Sometimes it’s what’s left behind after the first bite that’s the most tempting, like the way the tart filling droops down over its brownie crust in these lemon bars.

Homemade Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut Spread)

The first bite

• The way a spoon or fork interacts with the food before a bite can send all kinds of signals. A twist of the spoon tells you all you need to know about this luscious spread.

Meyer Lemon Cake

The first bite

• Some of my favorite bite shots showcase the crumb of a cake. This lemon cake is made with the whole lemon, peel and all, and results in a very distinctive loose texture, which shows up well in this tempting shot.

White Chocolate Mousse

The first bite

• Anticipation ~ it’s the shot just before the first bite and it can be just as effective.

Gingerbread Cookies

The first bite

• Sometimes, if I’ve got a model handy, I’ll show the actual bite. These shots capture the satisfying snap of thick gingerbread as you bite through it.

Raspberry Cake with Lemon Buttercream

The first bite

• Early in my career this bite shot catapulted this cake to stardom. It’s been a hit ever since and I think that’s because the image conveys so much of what is delicious about this cake: the fluffy crumb studded with juicy berries, and that firm fudgy edge on the lemon icing.

Homemade Thin Mints Recipe

The first bite

• This is such a great bite shot partly, I think, because it evokes something so many of us have experienced up close: you can almost taste the minty cookie and that snappy chocolate coating. We all stacked them, too, didn’t we 😉

Homemade Butterscotch Sauce

The first bite

• Bite shots don’t have to be neat and tidy. Sometimes melty, sloppy, and sticky is just what makes a dessert so tempting.

Pumpkin Pudding Cakes

The first bite

• I love the way the spoon displaces the edge of this pudding cake and reveals all those light soufflé-like layers.

No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

The first bite

• Here the focus is actually on what clings to the fork during or after a bite. I love this unexpected twist on a bite shot ~ those deep dark crumbs are pretty enticing.