This Is How to Take the Most Gorgeous Instagram Food Pics ????
If you're a little bit of a foodie, you're probably guilty of taking snaps of most of your food dishes before consuming them. And if you're a full-blown foodie, you're probably guilty of posting those snaps to Instagram.
What makes a good food pic? Is it the lighting, the subject matter or the angle at which the food is captured?
We reached out to Kylie Mazon, writer, cook and photographer of the popular site Cooking With Cocktail Rings for the answer.
(Photo Credit: Kate Edwards)
Kylie revealed to us that her personal favorite thing about snapping shots of her food is that a picture showcases so much more than just what you're eating.
"You can see the colors, textures and you can even get an idea for the flavors of the food," she explained. "It's a great way to document your culinary adventures and remember great restaurant dishes you've had."
For Insta-worthy shots like Kylie's, follow her below seven tips for getting the perfect food pic. ????
1. Shoot Something That Looks Tasty
This is Kylie's simplest rule of thumb: "I know it sounds weird and kind of straightforward, but don't shoot/post food that doesn't look appetizing," she explained. "Some things taste absolutely delicious but just don't photograph well. It happens."
Aim to only select food that you know will look delish photographed, and you'll be good to go.
2. Check Out Your Lighting
Lighting is everything when it comes to getting a good picture of any subject matter. Kylie suggests you aim for natural light, perhaps somewhere by a window, to get the best outcome.
because I'll always be a kid at heart – homemade pop tarts recipe on the blog today!
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3. Set the Scene and Channel Your Inner Food Stylist
Getting a great shot is all about styling your food using your surroundings. If you're in a restaurant or at home, find props that can bring your food to life.
"I shoot a lot of my food in a controlled studio, but if I am at a restaurant, I try to show some of the surroundings in the photos," said Kylie. "For example, If I am at a restaurant with a cool table or floor I try to get that partly in the shot."
4. Decide What You Want in the Frame
When it's finally time to get your shot, make sure you've already decided exactly what you want to include in your frame. Does a certain angle best highlight the details of your dish? Do you want a close up? Or do you want an aerial picture from above? These are all things to consider.
Kylie personally likes to shoot from a few different angles and viewpoints. The more pictures, the better, so that you have more options to sort through when your choosing what to post.
"For some dishes, I like an overhead shot, but for others, like sandwiches, I like a close-up side view so that you can see all the layered ingredients," she said.
5. Make Sure the Food Is in Focus
This is a simple but crucial step in the picture posting process, girls. Kylie said it best when she explained, "It's not worth posting if it's not in focus."
If your food is in focus, your image will look that much more crisp and clear, making your food look that much more edible.
6. Edit Away
This is our fave step! Kylie typically edits her photos on Photoshop, but if you're using a phone app she says less is more.
"You don't want to go so far that you distort the image," she said. "I like to boost the brightness, contrast a bit and maybe sharpen the image to bring out some of the details of the food."
It's as simple as that!
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7. Write a Great Caption
Kylie hit the nail on the head when she said, "The perfect Instagram picture isn't complete without a good caption."
For food it's best to decide between a witty or pun-related caption or a nice drool-worthy description of the food.
This is the fun part, so get creative and let your imagination run wild. ????
For more of Kylie's amazing food pictures, check her out on Instagram @cookingwithcocktailrings or visit her site Cooking With Cocktail Rings.
Need more tips for stepping up your Instagram game? Check out THESE seven hacks for maintaining your Insta aesthetic.