Tips from 5 Canadian Foodies on Creating the Perfect Food Photo

By Vitamin Daily

Food pics are practically their own section in the Canadian Food Guide at this point – everyone needs their daily serving of Insta-goodness. But what separates a truly delicious pic from the photographic equivalent of bad digestion (we’re looking at you, Martha)? To find out, we tracked down some of Canada’s most deft foodie-photographers, and asked them for some tips on shooting food to mouthwatering effect.

• Erin Ireland from itstodiefor.ca

  By Vitamin Daily

  Tip: “Lighting, proper camera angle and props (or lack thereof) are all important elements when it comes to capturing a great food shot, but the first and most important step is the concept behind the dish or scene. Is it photo-worthy to begin with? Is it unique, plated well, natural and beautiful? If so, it’ll be hard to mess up your shot.”

• Aimee Wimbush-Bourque from simplebites.net

  By Vitamin Daily

  Tip: "Natural light is everything: it makes colours pop and dishes come alive. Give your food legs by picking it up and walking it over to a window or out onto a patio. Then, if you have the option, choose softly diffused daylight over full sun."

• Gabriel Cabrera from theartfuldesperado.com

  By Vitamin Daily

  "It’s all about lighting. Lighting can make or break a photo. As simple as that. Ain’t no matter how mouthwatering you dish looks, if the light is crap, it’ll look like crap. Same goes for the opposite! If the dish is somewhat ok, some amazing lighting could save it! I find the best source of lighting is by a window either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Golden hour? That’s total magic! If you are taking photos at home, find the best spot for natural light and place your setup there, if you’re in a restaurant, try to ask for a table by a window (I do it, ha! No shame). One thing’s for sure, if the lighting is not working, then don’t take a photo! It’s better to savour that moment in your mind than to struggling to share a horrendous food photo that no one will care about. There’s plenty of those #fails already. Also, not worth getting your food cold!"

• Kelly Brisson from thegoudalife.ca

  By Vitamin Daily

  Tip: “The perfect food photo is all about texture, colour and lots of natural lighting (or simulated natural light). Using a color wheel to understand how complimentary colors work together makes a big difference in your overall shot; find props that are complimentary to the colors in your dish and your photo will look that much better. Making sure you have something eye catching to "garnish" the dish, whether it’s a grind of black pepper, a sprinkle of cheese, little droplets of water if you’re shooting produce, a drizzle of olive oil… any of these things catch the eye and create interesting texture, especially when shooting an otherwise blandly-colored dish. Lastly, shoot from a variety of angles. Sometimes what doesn’t work from one angle looks beautiful from another. So move around lots, turn your dish to get the light into different nooks and crannies and keep shooting!”

• Dan Clapson from dansgoodside.com

  By Vitamin Daily

  Tip: “My one tip? Don’t try too hard! Photo composition does count for a lot, but don’t spend too much time trying to perfectly position things (here’s an example we’ve all seen before: your morning cup of coffee with everything "effortlessly" scattered around it…sugar bowl, cream, spoon, a hipster vintage plate, a magazine, etc…). Just hope for some good natural light and try taking pictures from a couple different angles (bird’s eye view is better for more "deconstructed" plates, while head-on is great for assembled ones like pastas or salads). I always say real people like real food. Although highly stylized images can look nice, they rarely make you hungry. After all, isn’t that the whole point of #foodporn?”