10 food photography tips from the experts

#food, #foodie, #foodstagram, #nomnomnom… half a billion pictures of food photography have been uploaded to Instagram with these popular hashtags, demonstrating that food is still hugely popular on social media – as if we didn’t know that already. So to keep you at the top of this modern game, you might need some food photography hacks.

Food photography is even shaping tourism with one in seven people choosing where to go on holiday according to food they have seen on Instagram You can see the top ten most  Instagrammed food destinations around the world here.

To help you improve your insta-skills, the famed foodie sisters Hemsley + Hemsley have shared their top food photography hacks with me…

1. How to light food for photos

As with any kind of photography, lighting is key. We think that natural light is best for food photography, so if you’re dining out and want a great snap for the gram, ask for a table by the window if possible. Flash lighting can look harsh and never looks as good as naturally lit images once it’s been edited or overlaid with a filter. If you really need a little extra light, using the torch on someone else’s phone can be a more subtle way around using a flash. iPhones are equipped with pretty good exposure settings too so you can tap the darkest part of an image to brighten it up a bit.

2. How to flatlay food

Normally, we’d say don’t play around with your food, but in this instance, do! By that, we mean rearranging food on your plate to make it look more striking, or adding contrasting garnishes like fresh herbs, chilli flakes or black sesame seeds. Food can start to wilt quite quickly, so be conscious that you’ll have to snap away relatively fast to get the most mouth-watering shot. Having olive oil or water to hand helps as a little spray can help bring dishes, especially salads and veg, back to life.

3. Food photography ideas to play with

Experiment with your food photography by playing colours and textures off of each other, such as glossy desserts on a matte plate, or stark, bold ingredients laid out on to a neutral or marble surface. Creating contrast in some of your images will make them more eye-catching and memorable. Try getting napkins and candles into the frame too to really set the scene. Hands reaching for food also brings the photos to life and can make them look more personable.

4. Minimal food photography advice

Leave a little to the imagination, and by that we mean don’t stress if you can’t to fit everything into one frame. Letting plates of food, ingredients, napkins or chopping boards fall outside of the photo can look natural and allows the viewer to picture the full scene for themselves. Some people like to divide images up into tiles using other apps such as PicSlit or Instagrid, giving the full image a greater impact on your feed.

5. How to layout a foodie instagram

It’s important to look at the bigger picture when considering your food photography, such as where it is going. Be sure to bear in mind how your Instagram feed looks as a whole. Do all the tiles complement each other or do they clash? Develop a look and feel that is uniquely yours and roll with it, people will follow you because of that! You can keep the consistency by paying attention to the kinds of images you like and the favorites that you’ve taken yourself.

6. How to take photos of food

An easy food photography hacks in case you have got the jitters? Try tucking your elbows closely into your sides to keep the camera as still and stable as possible. This will avoid blurring the image and may or may not also work those tricep and core muscles! Tapping on the screen of your phone helps focus the image too.

7. An easy food photography hack

We like to get up close and personal with our food photography, so if you’re after a more closely cropped shot, move yourself and the camera lens closer to the subject as opposed to zooming in, as this can decrease the quality of the image, especially if you’re using a mobile phone.

8. Food photography composition idea

Variety is the spice of life so mix up your composition with a main course, drinks and a side or dessert, it’s nice to be able to see a full meal in a shot and can inspire future visitors to order similar dish combinations. What’s more, having a variety of dishes and drinks can add different dimensions to your food photos.

9. How to grow your food account on social media

When posting your image, it’s helpful to geotag the place you’re eating at and also include the handle (if they have one) in the image so that people can find your recommendation easily via Instagram and Google maps. If we’re posting a home-cooked meal, our followers love to see which ingredients we’ve used so sometimes we will tag our favourite brands/suppliers too.

10. Practice photography frequently 

Don’t be afraid to get snap happy and take multiple images from different angles until you find the best one. Practice makes perfect! Hope you enjoyed the food photography hacks 🙂