5 tips to a delicious food photo – Orlando Sentinel

About four months ago, the Orlando Sentinel created a new food-centric Instagram account: orlando.foodie. Guess who has been uploading some (in my humble opinion) pretty delectable shots?

Its rare that one of my cooking creations makes it onto the account, thanks mostly to timing (you will understand why soon). Local restaurants make some really fantastic looking eats, anyway.

Im not a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I have picked up a few lessons through trial and error. The next time you grab your cellphone or camera to snap a photo of your meal, I hope you keep them in mind.

If you have any suggestions of your own, please email me at ldelgado@orlandosentinel.com. Im always trying to improve.

Lighting is so key you cant completely disguise bad lighting with edits or filters.

For those of us without access to great lighting equipment, natural light becomes our best friend. Between work and daytime activities, most of my cooking is done at night in my older, poorly lit home hence the lack of home-cooked food photos on my social media.

When Im in a restaurant, Ive been known to pick up my plate and move it into better light for a quick shot (as long as Im not disturbing my fellow diners).

Does the food have texture? Is it colorful? Is it interesting? Ive vetoed shots because the delicious food wasnt photogenic.

For Instagram, hone in on your subject especially if it includes several dishes. If youre aiming for Instagrams classic square shot, you may not fit in all of those items if they are spread too far apart.

Bringing in a human element makes the photo more engaging. Include a hand holding everything from an ice cream cone to a spoonful of pot pie. You get the picture.

Take a photo of your plate from above, on the side or at an angle. Some foods such as pizza look best when photographed from above. Burgers, however, look fantastic at a side view.

Still, its always a good idea to shoot a variety of photos from different directions. Dont take just one picture of your meal. Who knows? That shot of a pizza slice at an angle may be winner.

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5 tips to a delicious food photo - Orlando Sentinel