Spooners go through rigorous training and initiation before we are allowed to take a photo of our food. We can't reveal all of our secrets, but we'll share a couple quick tips.
Whether you're eager to start your own food blog, or just want to share quality SnapChats of your dinner, here are a few ways to up your food photo game.
Lighting
In any photo of anything, there is nothing more important than lighting. Photos of food are especially hard because restaurants can be so dimly lit. The ideal situation would involve natural light. Try to photograph food near a window or even outside, but avoid so much direct light that your food gets washed out.
Avoid using your camera's flash. If you desperately need the extra light, get your friends to shine their phone's flashlights on the food as you take the photo.
Background and Presentation
While your messy kitchen is an accurate showing of what it took to get that gorgeous pie, we don't want to look at it. Instead, find a solid colored wall and avoid having too much pattern or distracting stuff in the frame. Similarly, food itself can be messy. Close up shots of oozing egg yolk or running syrup can be great but they should look intentional and polished rather than really messy.
Plating is key. Paper plates are for real life, not for Instagram. Plan ahead and find a dish that complements what you've made. Other dishes, like sauces, or decorations, like mint springs or lemon slices, can add to the photo but shouldn't take away from the central focus.
Strategy
Plan ahead. If you're making something, make sure you can photograph it in the daylight and pick out the right dishes beforehand. In a restaurant, be photo-ready before the food comes so you can capture it before it melts, collapses, or gets eaten.
Take a ton of photos. Try different angles: from directly above, straight on, close up, wide angle. Try with different lighting and with different objects in the background. You can always delete photos but you can't take more.