Foodstagram 101: How To Take Instagram Worthy Food Photos

6/30/17


People love taking photos of themselves that #selfie has become a regular entry on instagram. Can you guess what is the second most photographed subject? If you answered food, you are absolutely corrrect! I love food photography so much that I created an instagram account, for everything edible. 

Do you sometimes wonder how food instagrammers take perfect food photos all the time? Well, perfection requires practice. Plus a few tricks and tips can help big time. 

How To Take Instagram Worthy Food Photos

Lighting



The best source of light for your photos is natural light. The warm light used in the restaurants can affect the color of your photos. Insufficient light can also make the food looks flat. Whenever I am invited for a restaurant review or feature, I love it when it's lunch time. I also make sure I am seated where natural light passes through. On occasions where time and venue lighting are beyond my control, I make sure I bring along an led light. 

OPPO F3  makes wonderful night shots. Its 13 MP rear camera has 1/3-inch sensor that allows it to maximize light sensitivity.

Composition


You just don't put everything on a plate and then capture a photo without thinking whether the food looks appetizing. The photo above was taken when I attended an event that served buffet style. I always make a conscious effort of "plating" the food. I mean, we don't need to get all the desserts or the viands on the spread at the same time right? You can always return for seconds. 

Angle 


I'm not a fan of flat lay. I believe food looks better if you present it to your followers as if it's right in front of them FOR REAL. I only do flat lays for my article's cover photo.

Color Contrast


The difference in color and brightness of an object makes it standout. See how the black background made the red of the watermelon more vivid? 

Photo Editing App


We all need help sometimes. It's okay to use photo editing apps. But make sure you do not over process. You can use either your phone's built-in filters or you can download Pixlr, Photoshop, or Snapseed. 

Practice, Practice, Practice


Take as many shots as you can until you are satisfied with the photo. We are lucky that technology saved us from using films and waiting for the photos to be developed. It took me months to achieve instagram worthy photos. I still make sure I continue to improve. 

Are you ready to create your own foodstagram?

If you are planning to get a new smartphone, consider buying OPPO F3. Its Ultra HD Mode shoots several photos and combine the best parts of the images to create a very detailed image. The anti-shake feature makes sure you don't have blurry photos. And if you are already on the #SelfieExpert level, you can switch to the Expert Mode and manually adjust the settings of the camera.

If you are not following Foodie Cheat Day yet, click on the link now. Promise, you won't get fat!