How to take the best food pictures

Tips from the Wonderfood team

In recent years, meal pictures have undoubtedly became a hot-button issue for food and drink enthusiasts. Having a stuffed brioche french toast in a cool cafeteria is no longer just a personal experience, but a staged event that comes with the desire to share the food we love with friends and family.

Even if you don’t keep a blog or photograph food as a hobby, you may want to share that chocolate cookies you made or the cannelloni from last weekend. If you want to step up your photography game, follow these simple tips from the Wonderfood team and start capturing amazing food pictures with your smartphone.

1. Take advantage of natural light

Turn off the automatic flash and use natural light whenever possible. The flash on your phone produces a harsh light that’s rarely flattering. Move the food next to a bright window; if that’s not an option you can brighten the photos with filters and photo editing apps (we’ll discuss later!). Another benefit of no flash — you’re less likely to annoy other diners if you’re in a restaurant.

2. Search for the right perspective

Remember that you’re not confined to your seat and your frontal view of the dish. Some plates of food look better from above (like pizza), some from the side (burgers) and some at a 45-degree angle (drinks). It takes some practice with aim, but try different angles with each photo you take to see what makes the food look the most delicious.

3. Shoot Fresh Food

A juicy steak will dry out, fresh herbs brown and wilt, and cheese becomes greasy — food loses its visual appeal quickly! Don’t let it sit around too long before taking photos.

4. Add personality with context

Add some personality with context and accessories. The restaurant background, napkins, utensils, glassware, and other placements (even the open surroundings, if you’re eating some street food!) can fill up the composition and make your images more engaging, but do not lose sight of the goal: the food should always be the star.

5. Interact with the food

If a shot feels flat, consider having someone lift a fork or a spoon and focus on that. Taking a bite out of a sandwich or scattering some crumbs in the foreground can also create a sense of activity that only makes the food seem more desirable.

Final thoughts

Food photography can take a bit of practice, but you’ll get the hang of it. If you love to spot great food and search for new restaurants around, you can try out Wonderfood app for iOS and join our food lovers community. How do you do that? It’s super easy!

Download Wonderfood for iOS from the App Store: https://appsto.re/it/acxwhb.i

Stay connected here on Medium, on our website www.wonderfoodapp.com or on our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram) and discover the date when Wonderfood will hit the App Store.

Thanks for reading us ❤
The Wonderfood team