The makings of food porn: A food photographer’s tips to an Instagram-worthy food photo

When you’re dining out, especially in a restaurant you’ve never tried before, what’s the first thing you do when the food gets served? If you’re one of the 400 million users of Instagram, chances are, you’d take a photo of your food prior to having a mouthful of the dish that you just ordered.

The concept of ‘food porn,’ or a good photo of food that will make your followers crave, if not hate you for making them feel hungry, has emerged since the dawn of social media and camera phones. And it’s not just foodies or food enthusiasts that adhere to the art of food photography—food business owners are even more competitive in getting perfect shots of their products. After all, their goal is to make their food delicious even if they’re intangible on cyberspace.

To help out food business owners and foodies achieve Instagram-worthy food photos, I Shoot Food Manila President and Chief Photographer Adrian Agulto shared shooting techniques in the Food Styling and Photography workshop by Globe myBusiness at Mercato Centrale last October 15.

Food stylist and photographer Adrian Agulto with host Sam Oh at Globe myBusiness' Food Styling and Photography workshop at Mercato Centrale last October 15.

“80% of the time is actually preparing the food, 20% is just actually photography,” Agulto shares, as he demonstrates his way of plating different kinds of dishes before the workshop’s crowd.

Here are the food stylist and photographer’s tips that you should remember when taking food photos:

Identify the best part of the dish

This is the first rule you should take note of, says Agulto. If the food you’re shooting is chicken, make sure that you get the best part, where the chicken looks juiciest. If it’s pastry you’re taking a photo of, get the perfectly baked ones. Make sure everything’s in order before pressing the shutter button.

Why this is important: Agulto explains, “Kung ano yung nakikita ng camera, yun na yun. If there are any imperfections on the food, lahat yun, makikita ng camera yun.”

On food styling, always go with the basics

Agulto puts it simply, “Food is the hero.” For him, the more “artsy” feel of food photos should be reserved for advertisements. “’Pag food kasi, you want it straightforward,” he says, “wala nang ibang makikita kung hindi food.”

In food photography, “food is the hero,” Agulto says.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t do any tricks to make your food pop up—like sprinkling a bit of sugar and cinnamon to garnish a plate of churros. “It’s okay to use more than you serve,” Agulto explains, “because every time you take photos of food, you want people to say, ‘Uy, ang sarap.’”

Another styling technique you should take note of? Using a sliced version of your food, especially if it’s cake or something rolled like lumpiang shanghai. “It’s very important for people to see what’s inside the food,” Agulto says.

Why this is important: Since you’re shooting food, it’s only natural for it to be the highlight of your photo.

Find your focus

“When doing food styling and plating,” Agulto points out, “you have to have one focal point.” He compared it to shooting portraits, where you’d want the person to face the camera. “’Di pwedeng you’re taking the photo [from one angle], but your food is actually facing another direction,” Agulto explains.

One must find a focal point when shooting food.

Why this is important: Again, food is the hero here. You’d want your audience to get drawn to your photo because of the food.

Use natural light as much as possible

“Kahit sabihin mong natural light, there’s a key to it,” Agulto says. Apparently, there’s a schedule for when the lighting is perfect for shooting food. “That will be from 9AM to 11AM and from 2PM to, let’s say, roughly 3:30PM,” the photographer notes. The reason? You’d want to achieve diffused lighting for your photos—instead of harsh, bright lighting from the sun.

If you’re shooting at night, make good use of a study lamp or go to the closest light source you see. Agulto, however, notes that you should never use a flash on your food photo since it will empower your original light source.

As for filters? Agulto says it’s best to avoid them since you want the real colors of your food to come out.

A participant shoots food with the help of a light box. Globe myBusiness later gave a similar light box to the one who took the best food photo.

Why this is important: Lighting is the main key to shooting a good food photo. “[Lighting] makes the colors pop, so ‘pag nag-shoot ka sa medyo madilim, everything falls apart,” Agulto shares.

Zoom in your shots

Prior to taking his food shots, Agulto does one thing to make his photos perfect. Using a Lenovo Phablet, he zooms in his frame before clicking the shutter.

For the Food Styling and Photography workshop, Agulto used a Lenovo Phablet to take his food shots.

The photographer reveals, zooming in your camera to one to two times is the safest way to take a photo of food. It’s a simple technique to take note of, as doing so will make the most out of your frame.

Why this is important: “It’s going to make the image sharper,” he explains. If you want your images to appear crisper, don’t forget to zoom in a bit.

Globe myBusiness' raffle promo during the Food Styling and Photography workshop.

Globe myBusiness organized the recent Food Styling and Photography workshop to help entrepreneurs market their products better online. Now, businesses will be able to level up their online selling game in no time. Like Agulto, entrepreneurs can also take shots of their products with a Lenovo Phablet through Globe myBusiness Unli Plus Postpaid Plan 1499. For more exclusive discounts and invites to workshops such as this one, sign up for Globe myBusiness’ mailing list.

The next time you take a snap of your food, don’t forget to use these pro tips to get more hearts and customers seeking for the best foodie experience.