How to Take Perfect Instagram Shot Of Your Christmas Dinner
A STAR food photographer has revealed how to take the perfect Instagram snap of your Christmas dinner.
Using natural light and steering clear of filters were among the top tips handed out by Brit shutterbug David Loftus, who has captured photos for the recipe books of Jamie Oliver and The Great British Bake Off's Prue Leith.
Speaking to The Sun, David, who's been taking pictures of food for 20 years, gave some guidance during a lunch hosted by Sony at a lavish London restaurant this week.
Some of his top tips are below.
Don't use filters
That moody filter might work great on your bathroom selfie, but when it comes to food, it's a cardinal sin.
"Keep the images authentic and avoid using too many filters to ‘hide’ how the food really looks," David said. "Let the camera do all the work."
Filters often put strange colours on your Insta snaps, which can make your grub look a little unappetising.
At a push, a bit of vignette can put some focus on the centre of the image, but you don't need anything more than that, David said.
Take photos near windows
David's top tip of the bunch was to use natural light wherever possible.
Unsurprisingly, it makes your food snaps look more natural than when they're snapped under the harsh glare of a light fixture.
Outside of taking your plate out the front door, placing it close to a window is a good way to take advantage of the Sun's glow.
David said natural light makes a "huge difference" to photos and is best when coming at your food from an angle, rather than right above it.
Snap from above
While it's possible to get great photos of your lunch from the side, taking them from above is your best bet, David said.
This is because chefs – or relatives if you're at home – plate food while looking at it from on high.
If it's been arranged from this angle, then that's almost certainly the angle it looks best from.
This rule is particularly handy if you're at a restaurant, where chefs expertly arrange your grub before serving – perfect for that elegant Insta brag.
Use the law of thirds
An oldie but a goldie, using the law of thirds is an easy way to take your Christmas Instagram game to the next level.
It'll help you line up your framing in a way that's pleasing to the eye.
"Your dish should take up two thirds of your frame, leaving one third blank," David explained.
"Alternatively, take up one third of the frame with food and leave two thirds blank."
Most phone cameras have an option to add a grid of lines to the viewfinder to help you with this.
Instagram even has a grid in the app's photo editing tool.
Use objects around you to help you shoot
Everyday objects can give you a helping hand when snapping your food.
At a restaurant, a menu is a great way to block out aggressive light from a fixture, David said.
Menus can also reflect light and add a backdrop if you're snapping at a dark location.
If you need a steady hand, grab a water bottle and use it as a tripod to rest your phone on.
Employ your phone's 'portrait' effect
Lastly, take advantage of some of the camera features that come with your phone.
Most modern mobiles – particularly any with two cameras or more – now come with a "portrait" or "bokeh" mode.
It blurs the background while keeping the subject of the photo in focus for a professional-looking shot.
According to David, the effect works just as well for food as it does for portraits.
"Use the bokeh effect if it's there," he said.
"Hold your hand very steady as the phone is doing a lot of work for you. This gives a really delicious effect."
All photos in this story were shot using the Sony Xperia 5 smartphone on default settings.
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