Tips & Tricks to help your recipe look its best…
Want some tips on how to take amazing food shots using just your smartphone? We can help.
Today’s smartphones generally come complete with a pretty great camera, but you can take your photos from just ok to absolutely mouthwatering by following a few simple guidelines. Build your shot & consider your approach. When working to create a very specific picture, consider the following advice:
HOW TO MAKE YOUR FOOD LOOK FANTASTIC
- Find a source of natural light: Do you have a window in your kitchen? Perfect! Take your plate over there and make the most of the soft, beautiful light. If not, take the plate to another room or outside – just be careful of harsh shadows if the sun is bright overhead.
- Composition: Use your smartphone’s built-in gridlines to balance out your shot and help you embrace negative space.
- Pick the perfect angle: Shoot straight-on to showcase the height of your recipe, or try an overhead shot to highlight a beautiful plate presentation.
- Watch your leading lines: Draw your viewer’s eye into your photograph by making the most of the natural curves of your recipe or dish.
- Get close to your dish instead of zooming in: This will result in the best-quality image, rather than using your digital zoom.
- Don’t be afraid to edit & filter: Make your photos Instagram-worthy by trying out some of the readily available filters to make your food look even more delicious.
STYLE YOUR SHOT TO TELL YOUR RECIPE STORY
- Background: Keep your background simple, and don’t let it overpower your focal point. Contrasting backgrounds are a great way to go. Be careful that there isn’t anything you wouldn’t want seen in your background, such as a trash can.
- Vessel: Choose an attractive plate, bowl, cup and/or cutting board.
- Texture: Get messy, but not dirty! A little mess can help tell a story, but say no to dirt, streaks or dirty plates. Instead, show some scattered ingredients or a missing bite.
- Utensil: This is optional, but we like to show utensils to add another layer to the image.
- Garnish: Lemon wedges and fresh herbs always work great with seafood items, but you can also get creative.
- Sauces/Accompaniments: Adding these to the shot will give your viewers an idea of what they can expect with the item.
