Five Ways to Take a Better Food Photo for Social Media

By San Diego Food Girl / Photography By San Diego Food Girl | June 02, 2018

Blogger and Instagrammer, San Diego Food Girl, shares her top five tips for taking better food photos for social media.

I’ve always felt that San Diego is a truly unique food city, and my mission as San Diego Food Girl is to find and share the best places and dishes with locals, travelers, and those new to the area.

That said, food blogging was never part of my plan.

I was using social media as a way to document my own food adventures, without any intention behind it, and it developed into San Diego Food Girl, which has been the best and most unexpected journey.

Blogging allows me to tell the backstories of the local business owners and brands that I come across, which is important for me, because it is best to let the images speak for themselves on Instagram.

I really love using Instagram to share my discoveries through colorful and engaging images that bring this amazing city to life.

Five Tips for Taking Better Food Photos for Social Media

Since starting @SanDiegoFoodGirl, I’ve learned a few things about taking effective photos for Instagram, and I want to share my top five tips for taking a better food photo for social media.

Always tag the business and location where you are posting from. It is good for you and them!

Keep Your Photos Uncluttered

Quality over quantity; you don't need to tell the whole story of everything about your meal and the location and the area all in one shot. If your main discovery is an amazing coffee shop, then show us the shop and all it's cute decor, but if your focus is on the killer latte you're drinking, make it all about what's in your cup.

Take it outside for better light, and sometimes, a stunning background, too.

Natural Light is Your Best Friend

Using a flash makes food look weird, and overfiltering isn't much better. Noon light is pretty harsh and can wash out your images. The best light is in the morning or the evening. Artificial indoor light is probably the worst thing for making food look beautiful, so if you can, sit by a window or take your food outside to shoot it.

Do you really think those wine glasses were already positioned like that?

Get Hands On With Your Styling

Awesome images don't usually happen by chance. Move your plates around until you get the perfect composition for your overhead shot, rearrange the glasses so you can capture the gorgeous background, and if your nails are looking torn up, set down the item you want to shoot instead of holding it. The way you set up your shot will be the difference between a memorable image and a typical one.

This beauty was an easy edit.

Don’t Rely on Filters

Over filtered images look, well, over filtered. A well chosen filter enhances an already strong image, but no amount of filtering will save a photo you took in bad light or that is just plain poorly composed. Make sure to take several shots from different angles so you have more to work with when you go to edit and post.

This colorful cone is no gimmick; the flavor is as good as it looks.

Be Authentic. Always.

Post what you actually eat and drink. If you’re like me and weirded out by Unicorn Frappuccinos, then don’t post them. If you discover something that has amazing color AND is delicious, you've hit Instagram gold.