How to be an Instagram food superstar
JUST made the perfect avocado on toast? Ordered a pretty-as-a-picture plate at a cafe? Don’t just eat it - you’ll want to post it to Instagram. Here’s how to make it look and sound amazing.
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JUST made the perfect avocado on toast? Ordered a pretty-as-a-picture plate at a cafe? Don’t just post it on Instagram, the food lover’s social-media platform of choice - make it look and sound amazing.
Virgin Mobile research shows 49 per cent of Australians regularly post food pictures on social media, equating to about 71 million food shots a year.
And 41 per cent of us admit to standing on a chair if needed to get the perfect food shot.
The most popular food hashtag on Instrgram is #breakfast, with about 40 million posts.
The pub classic chicken parmiagana is under threat these days in favour of trendy New York-style hamburgers because the crumbed delight is deemed too ugly for Melbourne diners to snap and share on social media.
We asked 12 top food Instagrammers - including professional food photographers and stylists, food bloggers and social media-savvy MasterChef judge Matt Preston - their tips for taking the tastiest shot.
Whether you’re using a fancy SLR camera or an iPhone at home or dining out, all agree natural light is best.
But if you’re in a cafe, be swift. Remember you’re there to enjoy the delicious meal, not let it go cold while you take dozens of photos at slightly different angles.
“If you have to photograph every dish, please try to do it in under 20 seconds so you can eat the food while it’s hot and appreciate our hard work,” warns St Ali cafe owner Salvatore Malatesta.
TOP TIPS
“Window light is usually best for food. Turn off the flash on your phone and also turn off any lamps or overhead lights in the room. If in a restaurant, try to get a table by a window during the daytime of course, so you can use the natural light.”
“Make a mess. Have fun with it and let your future self worry about the clean up. Nothing creates more excitement than the ooze of caramel running off the edge of a jug, the lickability factor of that rich chocolate ganache dribbling down a cake or the artistic mess of the excess flour as you make pasta. The messier the better, it makes it real, and it makes it likable!”
“Shooting food overhead or on straight angles works best, as the lens on phones are quite wide and can distort your image. And the best way to boost followers is to hashtag names and certain words that relate to your images, along with tagging locations where your shots are taken.”
“If you’re posting photos of a restaurant meal, take a photo of the menu before you order. That way when you post the photo, you can describe exactly what you ate rather than relying on your memory. It’s always more engaging for people to know what the photo is of.”
“Don’t photograph everything; just those dishes that are beautiful or interesting. The rest of the time, put the camera away and enjoy the meal and the people you are with. And remember that hopefully anything you post should enhance the life of those who see it. Post for them; not for you! Justify why the image matters in the caption.”
“Lighting is key. The most important thing when photographing using your phone is to use the best light source available. There’s no point uploading a poorly lit, grainy image of a stunning meal because your followers aren’t able to see how amazing it was. All they see is a bad photo.”
“I like to keep the “insta” in Instagram. I only use my phone and natural light, frame up the food in a way that makes it look it’s best and most delicious, and shoot! I might add a filter to mood it up a bit, but for the most part, it’s a simple “shoot the moment” thing for me, a snapshot of my day, my work, or of something that looks pretty or interesting and the food involved.”
“Try to include different textures and colours in your image to make it pop. Most importantly: have fun! Let your personality and style shine through, be honest and don’t be afraid to have a laugh.”
“Add an element of what I call a ‘degree of difficulty’ and make your audience think about how you managed to take the shot. The images I post that get the most ‘likes’ are the ones with a lot of hands digging in for the food. The more people you involve the better _ it’s impressive. Also, seek out the highest angle you can find.”
“Composition, natural light, beautiful ceramics and most importantly pretty food makes for a great Instagram food shot. Be selective about what you post, it’s quality not quantity.”
“Take as many photos as you can and from different angles because that gives you more options later when you go Instagram. If all angles fail try the ‘flat lay’ or ‘top down’ view. That always sets the scene and gives the food more character.”
“Imperfections are just perfect. After all, that’s what makes for the most intriguing still-life paintings because they always look more lived in and engaging. A grabby hand, a chunk missing, some stray crumbs — it’s food, people. Get among it!”
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