3 iPhone food photography mistakes you need to stop making immediately!

  • Posted on: 3 April 2018
  • By: jessica

You eat healthy. You love telling others about eating healthy. Creating recipes that are both tasty and nutritious is important to you. But, sometimes when you go to snap a picture on your iPhone you are frustrated at how it turns out. I know this feeling all too well. The first few years of my photography journey were this exactly. I would make the most nutrient-rich food that tasted fantastic, and when I would go to share it with the world, I felt completely let down that my photos didn't convey the true awesomeness of the recipe. 

So today, I'm going to tell you 3 things I wish someone had told me to instantly improve the quality of my photos to reach more people with my holistic recipes. 

1. Using your flash

I personally shoot 100% with natural daylight. I know other photographers that use professional lighting, but that's not my thing. There's something truly special about living, breathing, natural light straight from the sun. Now, all this to say, please, please, stop using the flash on your phone! This creates harsh, unnatural lighting and hideous shadows and most importatnly it is not flattering to the amazing food you are preparing and want to share with others. Do the food justice, turn off your flash, move towards a window, and let nature do its thing. 

2. Placing your food in the center of the photo

It may seem natural to set your plate of delicious food down on your counter and use your camera phone to frame the food dead center. But, did you know that our eyes are naturally drawn to white space? By framing the photo where the food is on the corner, you are actually creating a more appealing photo that will draw your audience in and have them asking how to make that incredibly delicious smoothie bowl for themselves! In the example below you can see how much cleaner and appealing it is to have the subject not in the center of the photo.  

 

3. Not using any props

Before you skip over this one, let me say a food photo prop doesn't have to be complicated. In the above photo the prop is the roasting pan. Props not only add to the overall look of a photo, but they also tell a story. By telling a story you are inviting your audience in to learn more about the food. Examples of great, simple food props could be a white linen, a fork, fresh herbs, a cooking utensal, crumpled brown paper bag, the possibilities are endless! 

I hope these three simple tips have given you more trust in your ability to get out and start taking awesome photos of food! Investing a little more energy in the aesthetics of your food photos is a great way to attract more clients to your wellness Instagram, coaching page, or blog. If you give these tips a try, please let me know by tagging #SpiffyEats. I love seeing your beautiful creations! 

 

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