If you've been on Instagram lately (or ever), you know that food photos are the way to make your friends and fellow amateur photogs green with envy. With Thanksgiving almost upon us, you will have the perfect opportunity to snap and post plenty of drool-worthy food shots. Sure you can play with filters to find ways to make your food photos more enticing, but there are plenty of other unique ways to create food images that will inspire photo envy.
Want to snap some images that will make your friends' stomachs rumble with envy on Thanksgiving? Here are some tips to keep in mind to take the best food photos across social media.
Select Your Subject Wisely
Don't waste a mobile upload on plain mashed potatoes or everyday rolls. Any photos you post will need to incite jealousy among your peers (and when was the last time anyone was jealous over a photo of plain mashed potatoes?). Pick the foods that offer the most visually appealing color contrast and differences in textures. Think of stuffing with mandarin oranges or gooey marshmallows melting on top of sweet potatoes. You should also consider "framing" your foods on plates that will complement your food items, not make the shots busier.
Light it Right
Anything like the glow of a television in your photo will be sure to distract your followers from the photo's subject. Make sure you use whatever natural lighting is available (instead of your flash) and don't hover over your subject—no one wants to see your shadow in the stuffing. If you won't be eating next to a source of natural lighting, or your meal will take place after it's dark outside, see if you can use overhead lighting as opposed to a harsh forced flash.
Upgrade Your Gear
If you're a food blogger (or are just really, really into taking top-notch photos of your meals), consider investing in some camera phone accessories like lens attachments or even monopods (a miniature version of a tripod). There are several varieties of lens attachments you can use to create a perfect shot, such as fisheye lenses, lens filters, and wide-angle lens attachments that snap onto cell phones to increase the quality of your photos.
Article comments