How to Instagram Food like a Pro

By Leah Bourne, The Vivant


Martha Stewart has gotten a ton of flack lately for her Instagram photos of food, with many in the social media sphere calling them utterly "disgusting." Which got us thinking: Instagramming food like a pro is really not that easy. Take heed of our tips though, and you'll be to food Instagrams what Mario Testino is to fashion photography in no time.

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1. Perfect your photos outside of Instagram. One of our favorite photo apps for food shots is Hipstamatic. Hipstamatic's Foodie SnapPak includes a Loftus lens inspired by photographer David Loftus, a Tasty Pop Flash, and DC Film. Other apps to use include Aviary, great for brightening a shot and balancing out colors. If there are people in your food photos, use Facetune to make the people in your photos look as good as possible.

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2. Get in close for your shots, as details tend to work best. If you can't get the whole plate in the frame, it is really OK. Focus on textures.

3. Know when not to post. OK, so that cocktail in front of you might be gorgeous, but you can't get the lighting right. Just don't post the photo. Luckily, there is probably no shortage of gorgeous, Instagram-worthy food in your life.

4. Good light is really everything when it comes to food Instagram photos. Especially in dim restaurants and bars this can be a problem. Either use the flashlight app off a friend's phone or the steady light feature of the Camera+ app. Using the flash on your phone really isn't the best option, as it's best to have a steady light from a separate source so that you can hold it from the best angle.

5. Don't go overboard with HDR. It may be good for bringing out the details in a shot, but at the same time it will end up over saturating it. Above all, you want to make sure that you focus wisely.

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