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Whether you’re an avid foodie or simply enjoy sharing photos of your meals on social media, it’s really important to know the basics of food photography. The simplest task of having your plate at a certain angle could be the difference between a photo with few likes and a photo with a bunch of shares. In this blog, we’ll give you the basics of food photography!


Muffalatta

Muffalatta

As we said above, the angle that you take the photo from is extremely important. If you’re shooting a dish with lots of height, it may be better to take the photo from table-eye level like this: 

If you would have taken this photo of the Muffalatta from the aerial view, you would only see the top of the bread and fries. You would miss out on all the layers of meat and the gooey cheese!

Another aspect of food-photography that can make a difference is lighting. You may be saying, “Thank goodness for filters,” but sometimes you can save a lot of time by taking your photo perpendicular with the light. If you’re sitting next to a window, take your photo from the window view so the natural light hits the plate like this:


Bacon Burger

Bacon Burger

You can see the natural highlights on the burger that makes it look even more bright and delicious without filters!


Fried oysters

Fried oysters

When taking a photo of a plate that has many ingredients, it may be best to take a photo from above the plate. If you choose to go this route, make sure to get as close to the plate as you can without cropping out the food elements. Having a lot of table surface and extra objects in your shot can distract the viewer from your meal. You should aim for a shot like this: 

If you took a photo that is level with the table of these Fried Oysters with Red Beans and Rice, you would miss all the details on the plate. The bread would look one-dimensional and you probably wouldn’t be able to see the red beans on the edge of the plate.

We hope this intro to food photography helps you to create great content for your business or food blog! Share your cool food pics with us by tagging us at @SocialApeMktg

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