Have you ever wondered how foodies do it? How they’re somehow always going out to eat and posting a perfect picture of food on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook? I’ll let you in on a little bit of a secret: being a foodie is some serious work. You thought it took 2 seconds to capture a dramatic cheese pull? Not quite. Capturing a photo a meal is the key to success on social media these days, and it's not as easy as you think. Here’s how it's done.
1. Have No Shame
Taking a photo a meal can be a pretty hard task, especially if you get embarrassed easily. Asking people to not take a bite of the food before you capture a legit picture might seem like a daunting task. Therefore, the first rule to taking the perfect photo is having absolutely no ability to feel embarrassment. When you go to a restaurant, make it known that you are a food blogger, and you’d be surprised how many complimentary dishes will come your way. Then, take your snaps and don't worry about what everyone thinks. If anything, you're the coolest person there!
2. Make Sure You Get the Right Angle
Taking a picture of food at the wrong angle can make or break the outcome of the photo. Take a mozzarella stick, for example. If you’re taking a picture of a mozzarella stick when it’s face down, the picture won’t show its true beauty, right? Rather than take a dull picture, do the famous cheese pull and you’ll get a lot more likes. Plus, it shows the real message behind the photograph: the texture, the drool-worthy flavor, and the appearance.
3. Flash is Your Best Friend
You don’t necessarily have to own a professional camera in order to be a food blogger, although that is a plus. The key is to know when to use flash and when to skip it. Try to take a few pictures with flash and a few without. Most of the time the photo with flash will come out a lot nicer. However, sometimes it'll be too light or too dark, so know the difference. All it takes is practicing by taking a few pics with, and a few without, and comparing.
4. Know How to Edit
Before:
After:
Editing is one of those things that can either be extremely good or extremely bad, there’s hardly an in between. Some people go extremely overboard in their editing choices that their food begins to look like it came out of a cartoon. Nobody wants to see fake photos, so make all of your posts look as real as possible. The more natural your photo looks, the better. Adjust the lighting a bit, add some saturation, and sometimes, that's all the picture ever really needs. A little more, and your audience will tell you tried too hard.
5. Keep Some Extra
Going out to eat every night is a very difficult task, and most people don’t do it. The trick to having enough content to post daily is simple: when you go out to eat with friends or family that one time, make sure you take pictures of every dish separately, so that you have lots of extra pictures for later. Saving money and being a foodie can go hand in hand.
6. Know When It's Bad
Not all foods have a picture perfect look, and it’s important to know when a picture just can’t be posted. Refrain from posting pictures of food that don't have that special look to it; you know when you see it. If it's not prepared beautifully, the lighting is bad, or it simply doesn't look that great, don't post it. Chances are no one's going to really enjoy it.
Sharing your passion for food the right way can help you to make a lot of connections with other foodies and help build relationships you never thought would happen. With enough practice, soon you will be creating amazing recipes, being invited to famous restaurants, or even starting your own business. The food industry can take you anywhere, and there's always room for more talented people. If you put the time and effort into editing your photos and captions the right way, you can and you will go very far. Always remember..."A photo a meal."