Breakfast In creator Liz Lyons shares her tips for photographing food

THE most important meal of the day has provided plenty of sustenance for one Instagrammer, whose daily breakfast snaps are seen by more than 420,000 people.

Liz Lyons recommends the pan-fried banana roti from Monroe in Richmond. Picture: @BreakfastinMelbourne

EVERYONE you meet these days appears to be a food blogger.

And in a world where we seem to know what people eat before we know their names, and Instagram is awash with snaps of sushi and pics of pancakes, one clever blogger has tasted success by tapping into our food-porn obsession and documenting best first meals of the day.

Liz Lyons, 25, started Breakfast In in 2013 and has amassed an Instagram following of more than 420,000 across three accounts detailing her picks of places to enjoy the first meal of the day in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Liz Lyons’ breakfast pics are seen by more than 420,000 followers. Picture: @BreakfastinMelbourne

But why did Lyons choose to focus on breakfast specifically?

“I’ve found there’s a real affection for breakfast food that I don’t think exists as much for lunch and dinner,” she said.

“It’s just a really nice way to start your day as well.”

A marketing consultant, Lyons said consistency with posts was key to growing followers.

“(Instagram) responds positively when you are posting regularly and you’re consistent with your content,” she said.

“I generally post two to three times a day, it’s important for me to be consistent but I’m always out and about taking pics and have so much content so it makes sense to post a couple a day.”

Lyons could never have predicted the success of Breakfast In which she said started as a hobby and grew from there.

“I wanted to develop a little social media side project ... now it’s very much central to what I do,” she said.

“It’s crazy how much it has taken off.”

Lyons said the beauty of Instagram was in its simplicity.

“You can have a quick scroll through and see beautiful images and get quick updates on people’s life without reading lengthy posts,” she said.

“People just like attractive content, they always like looking at nice things and there’s a real sense of community among users.”

And with so many fingers tapping away to compose the perfect posts, Lyons said the way a dish is presented is more important than ever.

“I don’t think the visual element has completely removed the need for food to taste nice, but it is definitely a bigger consideration for cafes now,” she said.

“The look of the food will get people to come to your cafe but what will keep them coming back is if you deliver on the taste as well.

“Everyone has an iPhone and everyone is taking photos — basically everyone is a reviewer these days,” she said.

“Social media is word-of-mouth amplified.”

And while Lyons’ feed is full of pics of decadent breakfast dishes, she swears she enjoys “a simple muesli and yoghurt situation” at home too.

LYONS’ TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING FOOD

■ Natural light is best, particularly if you’re using an iPhone. Grab a window seat and sit with your back to it.

■ Bright food like acai bowls and pancakes always photograph well and they’re probably a bit more exciting than eggs on toast.

■ Check your surroundings. Make sure there are no unsightly objects like rubbish bins in the background of your shots.

TOP TASTEBUD TEMPTERS

■ Monroe, 189 Bridge Rd, Richmond. Try: Pan fried banana-filled roti, with mascarpone, biscuit crumb and strawberries.

■ Faraday’s Cage, 325 Gore St, Fitzroy. Try: Smashed avo with feta, sourdough toast, beetroot hummus, a poached egg, black olive oil, dukkah and mint.

■ Rogue District, 179 Albion St, Brunswick. Try: Tim Tam hotcakes with Nutella mascarpone, maple strawberries, Tim Tam crumble, and chocolate sauce.

SHOW US YOUR SNAPS

We want to see and celebrate how Melburnians are eating, playing and living — brush up on your photography skills ahead of Snap Melbourne this Wednesday, when Melburnians are invited to post photographs to social media to build a living gallery of a day in the life of our wonderful city.

Use the #SnapMelbourne tag on Instagram and Facebook and don’t forget to tag your local Leader paper and keep your profile public so we can see your fantastic pictures. Follow us @SnapMelbourne