There are some key concepts to consider when taking any good photograph such as great lighting and props regardless of whether it’s a street style shot or a fashion flatlay however for #foodporn shots we’ve highlighted some specific considerations to get you creating some drool-worthy images for Instagram that will have your friends calling to come over for a treat!
1. Focus first on what feeling/mood you want to convey, for example do you want it to look bright and summery or warm and wintery? How can your image reflect the food that you are shooting?
2. In order to bring out the features in a dish, you need to bring out the elements and ingredients around it. This can get messy if you are sprinkling cinnamon everywhere so be sure to quickly plan the layout on paper or at the very least think of a plan attack before you begin. Whilst planning may seem like overkill and you may prefer to wing it this simple step can save you a lot of time rearranging and cleaning up!
3. Find a spot in your home with good lighting that is going to convey your mood, for example soft filtered light for a winter dish or bright vibrant white light for a fresh summer recipe.
4. Select a background that will continue to support the mood you want to create, this could be a plain dark background to make a light coloured dish pop or perhaps a marble bench is more in line with your Instagram feed, it can also bring in some context as to trends within your Instagram feed.
5. Select your props to match your mood and your Instagram aesthetic, for example wooden boards and tea towels for a classic country look or perhaps a modern grey cement style bowl into tie into your industrial and monochrome feed. Every element you incorporate will help to strengthen the mood you are trying to convey.
6. Think outside the box when displaying your props and ingredients around your dish, for example drizzle strawberries in honey or fill a jar with cinnamon scrolls and tie twine around the top, have a play! Adding these layers of textures to the props will add deph and further convey the mood/theme.
7. Choose your angle, traditionally the two main angles used for food photography are shooting directly above or at 45 degrees. Find what you like best or whats more true to your current style, for example if most of your flatlays are at shot at 45 degrees you may want to provide some continuity by carrying the same angle across to your foodie shots.
8. Select the depth of field you want to show, think about what you want to be in focus and the cropping of the image.
9. Lastly add some life into your photo! Pop in a hand reaching for a spoonful of soup or perhaps break apart a piece of cake, having this touch of life can make the image more relatable.
