How to take bomb food photos for Instagram

Food boasting has become quite the trend these days. Chances are, if you're sitting down for a meal, you probably take a picture of at least one meal, especially if you're at a fancy brunch or a super cool restaurant. How can you not take the opportunity to show off your artsy skills by clicking a strategically angled picture of your food before you actually dig in?!

Everyday hundreds of people like you and I take to the image sharing site and add pictures of what they're up to, however, only some make the cut to becoming Insta-photo stars. So what does it actually take to get the perfect food shot for your page? Let's find out...

1. Composition

Just because you're clicking a picture on your phone and not a DSLR, doesn't mean you can't act like a pro. Put some thought into your picture and get into the details. Set up your picture, think about how it will look within the frame and play around with placing. It doesn't have to be fancy; just make it interesting. For example, a half eaten cupcake can look more inviting than a whole one sometimes. Don't be afraid to play around. 

Clash your colours. Try colour blocking - pinks and orange, red and greens. However, keep in mind that if you play with more than three colours at a time. That might make your picture look amateur.

3. Lighting is everything 

Nothing beats natural sunlight! Indoor lighting is harsh and can often make your shots look flat. If you want flawless food shots, take your food outside or try to find the best source of natural light at home.

4. Play with the shape 

If you're cooking and want your followers to not just envy your dinner but your life, think about the presentation. Use your peeler and knife to make interesting shapes and designs. Get creative! 

5. Rule of third

A principle of the Golden ratio, artists, designers and photographers use the rule of third when composing their visuals. Imagine your image divided into nine equal parts by two equally placed horizontal lines and two equally placed vertical line. Now the important elements of your picture should be placed along these lines or their intersections. This captures a feeling of immediacy and energy that cannot be replicated if you're simply placing your food in the centre of the frame.

6. Don't use your own flash 

While clicking a picture, avoid using your phone's flash and instead, use a torch or another phone's flashlight. Your phone's flash will bleach your picture and make it look harsh and cold. Get another phone (or torchlight) to illuminate your food from different and unexpected angles so you create dramatic shadows and interesting shapes.

7. Don't hesitate to move around

Crouch if you need to, stand on a chair if you must (except maybe if you're in a restaurant) or angle your phone so that it's slightly askew before you take your photo. Again, make the effort and play around!

8. Use the right apps (but don't go overboard with filters)

Yes they make your pictures look attractive and can enhance the mood and tension of your image but relying on filters too much will mean your picture will look too worked on. Instead of applying a generic filter on your picture you should adjust the colour levels, saturation, hue and warmth manually so you get an image which does not look as 'photoshopped' as it would do if you had just used an automatic filter. 

9. Blur things up

A really good food photo has a short depth of field which makes the image look more appealing on Instagram. Use the blur tool to keep the background out of focus, drawing the viewers eyes straight to the food, which will remain sharp and in focused. 

10. Don't over clutter 

While a busy picture can be pleasing, sometimes a simple and minimalist background works a lot better, especially when you are shooting around such a small and tight frame. Use a couple of napkins to add texture and depth to the image, or play around with the placing of cutlery so that your picture looks 'natural', rather than overly styled. 

11. Stay on the grid 

This is especially for iPhone users, all iPhone’s have a grid that you can use, and it can be helpful for lining up your shot. To enable the grid, go to Settings > Photos and Camera > Grid. This works especially well when shooting ingredients.

12. Hashtags

The last and final step - hashtags! Hashtags are great for building a fan base. Plus they’re a free and simple way of collating all your images together. Searching hashtags can help you find images and Instagrammers you might enjoy, and using them will help people find you and your photos. However, try not to use too many hashtags. It can look spammy if you do more than four.