Food Photography 101
Posted on 12/10/2020
Wanting to improve your photography skills and gain more followers on Instagram? You need to be creating scroll stopping photos to demand the attention of users.
I’m no photography expert, but I thought I’d share some tips I’ve picked up along the way which has helped me gain over 5000 followers in less than a year.
The food has to speak for itself
Order the most aesthetic dish on the menu! If you really want to be successful as a food blogger, sometimes you have to order the dish that you don’t particularly feel like, if it is the most visually stunning. Or you can do what I do and indulge with multiple dishes!
You would have already checked out the cafe/restaurant’s Instagram before your visit, but if you’re still unsure which dish is the most pleasing to the eye, I’d recommend simply asking the staff which dish they would recommend. Sometimes cafes do daily specials which the waiter might have seen in the kitchen and thought looked amazing.
Also, if the plate is served with compliments e.g a vibrant beetroot hummus on the side, don’t be afraid to take it out of the pot and spread it on the dish for added colour. Another classic example would be with poached eggs, actually pop the egg with your knife so you get that beautiful yolk running through the dish.
Add human touch
When you add a human element to the photo, it adds personality and actually enables the viewer to imagine themselves enjoying the dish. An example would be if you’re taking a photo of an aesthetic teacup, get someone to hold it up with their hand being in the shot. Or get your friend to use a knife and fork, and start cutting through the hotcake stack.
Adding these kinds of human elements provide extra depth to your photos and helps the viewer to easily relate to your experience.
It’s all about the lighting
This can be difficult to navigate sometimes as venues can have such different lighting situations. If you can, sit by the window where you have a source of natural lighting. If you’re at home, experiment with taking photos at different times of the day. The best time for me to take photos is between 2 and 3pm, if I try any earlier than this I tend to get harsh dark shadows appearing.
A pro tip with photography at venues is to visit at off peak hours so that you have more flexibility of where to sit. Or if they’re all full, let the team know that you don’t mind waiting for a specific table - it will be worth it! If this isn’t possible and there's only poor quality overhead lighting, sit in a spot which doesn’t have harsh shadows from the lights and do your best.
If you use an app such as Lightroom, you can edit the photo to play on the lighting and create something moody which can give more personality to the photo. Fix the balance, edit the saturation and highlights.
Do not over edit
If you can’t get that natural source of light, don’t try to make the photo look like it has good lighting through editing as it almost always looks over edited. The photo can actually appear quite poor quality and flat looking. Editing apps should be used to accentuate an already great photo but not to completely change the lighting or colours.
When I’m editing my food photos, all I usually do is increase whites, clarity, highlights and the exposure and saturation a little bit too. Less is definitely more when it comes to photo editing.
Don’t be afraid to show your face
This isn’t a food photography tip but I couldn’t help including it as it is so important to consider this when crafting your feed. I’d definitely recommend posting portrait shots of you with the food somewhat regularly.
This will allow your audience to develop a natural connection with you and come to understand you a little bit better. Knowing the face behind the food will also make your account a whole lot more memorable.
And no, you don’t need to be a model and it doesn’t have to be your best photo - we just want to see you! You definitely want to be doing anything you can to stand out in a sea of mediocrity.
Utilise these tips and you’ll be taking your Insta photos to the next level!