Take Better Food Photos with Your Smartphone

Want to build the personal brand of your dreams? Think visually! Gorgeous, quality food photos are a game-changer. If that sounds a little far-fetched, consider that many potential clients find you through a quick Internet search and scan through your website and social media accounts.

Plus, as a registered dietitian, I believe it’s my job to show clients that healthy food can be affordable and nutritious while also being mouth-watering and beautiful. After all, we eat with our eyes first.

Thankfully, you don’t have to go out and invest thousands of dollars in camera equipment to produce beautiful photos. With your smartphone’s camera and a few techniques, you’ll achieve share-worthy food photos. Here are four tips to improve your food photos.

Use Natural Light

Take Better Food Photos with Your Smartphone

Turn off the flash and step away from the kitchen! Harsh artificial light and a flash will only make your photos look dull and off-colored.

Style and Composition Count

Make your photos interesting with props, backgrounds and garnishes. You don’t have to go out and purchase props to make this happen — get creative! Use different surfaces around your home and experiment with various dishes. A good rule of thumb for smartphone food photography: white plates and bowls always look great.

Avoid Filters

While Instagram filters are fun to play around with on other photos, they rarely make food look better. Instead, use a few editing apps (Afterlight is my favorite) to edit exposure, highlights, shadows and more.

Shoot Overhead — Not at a 45-Degree Angle

This makes a huge difference, as you aren’t able to apply aperture with a smartphone as you would with a fancy DSLR camera. Shooting overhead keeps everything in focus and eliminates unappealing background angles.

Of course, the best way to improve your food photography is the same as with anything: practice, practice, practice. It took me six months of solid practice before I felt really comfortable behind the camera, but the return on my social media brand has been well worth it.

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Alexandra Caspero
Alexandra Caspero, MA, RD, CLT, is a registered dietitian and nutrition expert with a passion for health and wellness. Alex is a nationally recognized nutritionist and appears regularly on TV, print and social media. She was most recently featured in Runner's World, Men's Health, Fitness, Shape Magazine & Vogue. As the campus dietitian, director of wellness and adjunct instructor at University of the Pacific, Alex teaches what she preaches. Through innovative programs and services, Alex inspires students to become their healthiest selves. Her blog, DelishKnowledge, focuses on making whole-food eating deliciously simple. Alex also dishes out delicious tips to her thousands of social media followers.