Our Project 52 Week 24: Food Photography for Instagram
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY FOR INSTAGRAM
So I haven’t had meat for 10 days. Let that marinate…….
CDub had this grand idea that going vegetarian for the month of June was the way to a healthier life and a possible lifestyle change. I’ll share more details at the end of the month( they say it takes 21 days to form a habit you know). The photo above was walnut tacos. Basically walnuts with some coriander, cumin, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, and coconut aminos, all ground up in the food processor, spread on lettuce and topped with avocado, tomatoes and lime and sea salt. It was…good actually. And after 10 days, I’m getting used to the fact that THERE WILL BE NO MEAT. I might actually survive until the end of the month.
BUT ANYHOO, back to the point of this post…food…and Instagram!
Or more specifically, food photography for Instagram.
There is nothing better really, than a photo of food on Instagram. Especially when done right! Since I like food and like to share what I’m eating, I’ve had to learn a few things to improve my food photography for Instagram. And today, I thought I’d share
3 tips to improve your food photography for Instagram
1. Find the light: Just like with your DSLR, light matters. Even more so with your mobile camera. Turn off your overhead lights, find a window and place your food near it. I placed this bowl of salad next to a window in my dining room and turned off the overhead lights.
2. Remember the rules of composition: Just because it’s Instagram doesn’t mean you can’t follow the basic rules of composition. It’s even more important! Here, I used the rule of thirds to make this bowl of cherries more interesting since the photo was really minimalistic with just the cherries for a pop of color.
3. What’s the story? Tell a story with your food photography. Are you having dinner with friends? Is it a big event? Is your plate empty because it smelled so good that you didn’t stop to take a photo? In this photo, I made gluten free granola for the first time. I was excited because not only was it good, but being gluten free meant Pookah could eat it too.
Hope that helps! I can’t wait to see your photos on Instagram and your food photos on your blogs! It’s my favorite type of photography after maco!
Now, head on over to Mimi to see what she’s cooking. It’s always something good.
who knew eating clean can actually be good…goodness knows our body needs it once in awhile. i know i feel lighter each time i go off meat!
Thanks for these tips! I’ve been trying to shy away from food photography at home but I want to face my fears and start adding food photos.
Girrrl, I tried to institute Meatless Monday and nearly had a revolt in my house. ONE DAY!!! My family couldn’t give me one day out of the month. LOL
That taco sounds, ummmm, interesting. I’d try it.
Amazing things happen when you use natural light! I remember the day it dawned on me to just move whatever I was taking a picture of closer to the window,lol. Great tips, LaShawn!
Thank you for sharing this! I really appreciate your tips as they are really true for making your pictures pop. I actually think these tips are great for almost any type of product photography, I will definitely remember this the next time I go to take a picture for Instagram!
Great post, thanks for the advice! It’s so funny, I just did a food post, sort of! I don’t photograph food too often, but I will definitely be using these tips the next time I do!
Kasi | http://www.thestyleperk.com
I am vegan, and I take lots of pictures on Instagram. I get a lot of engagement, and have learned a lot about food photography. However, I had never
thought about adding a narrative to each image. Thanks for the advice.
I’ve been a pescatarian for about 2 or o, however I do eat fried turkey on Thanksgiving. There are so many options for non meat eaters and I think the key to sticking to it is having variety in what you eat. Your pictures look amazing and the walnut tacos sounds yummy.
I don’t know how you can take such beautiful pics of meat and not eat it, or at least want to. It’s breakfast time and I want to eat that lettuce taco!
I really need to try going vegan and gluten free for a month to see if I feel better! As always love your photos and your tips! I use my IPhone 6 for most of my pics and I try to capture good pics since I love food and I love Instagram lol
These are great but simple tips! I never even think about the rule of thirds so thanks for the reminder. My hubby was vegan for almost 4 years so I know the struggle of trying to find something to not only eat, but that tastes good.
Your photography is great as always, I love the pic with the bowl of fruit and granola. I can’t wait to read the details of going vegetarian, the thought of it makes me hungry already.
I actually went “meatless” a year ago and don’t really miss it. Love the photos and the composition. Good stuff!
My husband is coming around to the vegetarian idea. I really need to step up my spice game to pull it off. Those tacos are interesting. I wouldn’t have thought of nuts.
I could seriously stare at these food photos all day….
Thank you for these really awesome tips. I love that first photo and all your photos really. I’m working on improving my Instagram photos as it’s not as easy as it appears.
There is an art to taking photos of food and you seem to be great and have learned the technique Your tips are very informative and do help to direct one on the correct path to do this and have great photos to post on Pinterest.
I absolutely LOVED this post. I have been growing a ton on Instagram and have been trying to improve my food photography. Can’t wait to apply what I have learned (I already knew about the importance of light) to get more likes, comments, and follows. Congrats on your yearly project coming to an end!
Great tips! Instagram is definitely a work in progress for me. I try to not make it to kid stuff but have a nice balance of family, blog, recipes, and crafts. I need to work better at utilizing light!
These are great tips! I love that they’re food specific. My secret tip is that I brighten a lot of photos but I almost never use filters. With filters, I think you loose too much contrast. Since people are usually looking at instagram on a pretty small mobile device, it can come across as blurry. But that’s just my opinion!
I haven’t found the light in my house yet *sigh* I love food photography but I have given up with trying to get it how I want it so I will just drool over pictures
There is nothing like natural light when you are shooting food! Finding the right time to shot in your area is crucial too. Over time I have learned that mornings are great for my lighting.
I need to implement your tips, these photos are phenomenal. You also have to have an eye for photography compositions, a trait I clearly don’t have.
I love food photography. I think I do a pretty good job at it for Instagram. It’s the professional style that I struggle with the most. I do admire your photos. They are beautiful.
Find the light! I love it and probably one of the most important parts of food photography. Pictures have to have the appropriate light or they will just not look right. Great tips!
Getting my images to look just right for Instagram has always been a challenge! I will definitely have to try some of these tips and see how it turns out! Thank you sharing! 🙂
These are great tips and I think they can apply to all types of subject matter! Composition is so important when staging photos, it really makes a huge difference in the way a photo is perceived! And I think getting the caption right is equally important to the story telling!
Great tips! I think that these are definitely important for food bloggers because when it comes to food we are so visual…and when it is a good food photo, I usually want to face plant right into it here I have tried some food photography