6 Ways to Take Food Photos

by - Sunday, July 29, 2018


I know it can be quite annoying to see people taking photos of their food, especially in public places. Pero aminin, we all take snaps of our pretty-looking orders once in a while. I know it shouldn't be done EVERY TIME you have food in front of you, but taking snaps of our good-looking dishes won't hurt. There's a thing called food photography anyway. :) And let's face it, we all want to share photos of our well-deserved treat or newly discovered recipe or our little cafe latte.

In every barkada, there is always that annoying friend who takes photos of the food and lets everybody wait. In our group, that would proudly be me. Lol sorry not sorry! I love taking photos of just about anything, and food is no exception. I know some of you do, too.

To save us time (and to save our friends from pasmo), I'm posting a few tips for us to remember. Hopefully, these tips can help you decide which angle is best to use when taking photos of your instagrammable dish.

Master the art of flat lays.


Taking a photo of each of your dish has become quite outdated. These days, the top down or the flat lay shot has vastly become the most popular angle since it shows everything on your table in just a single shot. This angle is perfect if you want to show the details on top of your food. If you have a colorful table scene, a nice plating, some cute latte art, or a flat dish, then this angle is your best bet. 

Improve flat lays by using props.


Another reason why it's fun to take snaps on a top-down angle is that you can get creative. By adding your everyday gadgets like cellphone, camera, sunglasses or anything you have lying around the corner, you can instantly tell a story in your photo and make it look more interesting. 

Use someone's hands.


During brunch dates, avoid eye-rolls, judgement, and boring your friends while you take a few shots by letting them contribute. Ask them to pour milk on your cereal, drizzle syrup on your pancake, slice the steak, or let them slowly pick up/hold the food as if they are about to eat.


Show layers with the straight-on angle.


When capturing a stack of pancakes, a burger, a slice of cake, it is best to position your camera beside the subject to show its layers and height. Using the flat lay angle will only make your food flat, and will not correctly showcase what it is. You don't want people to think you're eating a bun instead of a burger.

Show both layers and the surface from a 45 degree angle.


When there is both depth/height in your food and some details on top, then the good ol' 45 degree angle shot works best. In these photos, I used this angle to show the puffiness of the egg in my pasta, the layers of the nigiri and maki, and the depth of my katsudon bowl, while still showing the details of their surfaces which is also essential.

Hold your cute little treat up against a good background.


When taking a photo of your ice cream, or cup of coffee, or snack, make it look more appealing by holding it up in front of a good view, or just the surrounding environment. This also tells a little story which is ideal for travel photos.

That's it for now. All these photos are taken by me (see more on my Instagram @innalucero). These are just the angles I personally use. But in order to have clear photos of your food, shoot in soft natural light. You can hop on to my other blog post where I shared 10 Tips on How to Take Good Photos Using Your Smartphone.


If you have something to add here, feel free to share in the comments :)

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