How to take amazing food photos for Instagram

Food and Instagram go together like two peas in a pod. Can you remember the last time you didn’t Instagram your food? Nor can we. Sad, we know, but that’s the price we pay to capture deliciously decadent, crave-worthy food porn.

But “gramming” food isn’t always as easy as people think, so here’s your chance to get inspired, find out the top-notch tips and explore the must-have apps.

TOP TIPS FOR AMAZING INSTAGRAM PICTURES

It’s all about the lighting. Always try to avoid using a flash and harsh direct sunlight. Instead, position your plate next to a window and allow the natural light to cascade across your dish from the side. Try not to light your dishes from the back, as this can make your photos appear dark.

Think about your angle. Shooting overhead can sometimes give good results and eliminates the need for background props, but it tends not to work as well for dishes with height, or drinks. If you can’t shoot overhead, try a 45-degree angle to capture the whole dish or drink.

Remember props. The scrumptiousness of your recipe will likely speak for itself, but keep an eye out for beautiful bowls, plates and wooden boards when you’re shopping at markets – they can add so much character and style to your images.

Imperfect is often perfect. Leave the crumbs, grains of sea salt and dollops of sauce – they’re real and they’re delicious.

Use filters with caution. Don’t always rely on preset app filters to edit your image – they might not suit the lighting, mood and composition of your shot.

Always clean your lens. Camera lenses on phones easily pick up fluff, dust and grease – give yours a quick wipe over before shooting for crystal-clear images.

A photo posted by Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) on Jun 9, 2016 at 10:02am PDT

MUST-HAVE APPS

Instagram: The king of photo apps. It has everything you need to produce top-quality snaps, from preset filters to individual settings including brightness and sharpness.

Hipstamatic: If classic photography is your thing, then this is the app for you. Choose your own lens and film, and transform your images into retro photos. You can even follow in the footsteps of Jamie's book photographer, David Loftus, using the Loftus Lens!

VSCO: This app is great for flexibility and has a range of filters. Experiment and customise your own preset filters, then copy and paste them to other photos. It’s a real time-saver.

Photo Mirror: If quirky, customisable images are what you’re after, then we can’t recommend this app highly enough. Easily add reflections to your photos to give your food that added wow-factor.

Diptic: This is great when you have loads of photos to upload but you don’t want to bombard your Instagram followers. Essentially, this app allows you to create your own collages and slideshows by combining multiple pics into one beautifully framed image.

TOP FOODIE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW

Once you’ve got the top-tips down, and you’re all set with your apps, check out some of our favourite foodie accounts for the ultimate inspiration:

David Loftus – @davidloftus

The pro photographer responsible for so many of Jamie Oliver’s beautiful book images, he’s our photography guru.

A photo posted by David Loftus (@davidloftus) on Aug 1, 2016 at 2:54am PDT

Georgie Hayden – @georgiepuddingnpie

Food stylist, writer and recipe developer here at Jamie Oliver HQ, Georgie's first cookbook, Stirring Slowly, is out now.

A photo posted by Georgina Hayden (@georgiepuddingnpie) on Jul 22, 2016 at 12:09pm PDT

Anna Jones – @we_are_food

Mum, cook, author of A Modern Way to Eat and A Modern Way to Cook, and contributor to Jamie’s Food Tube and Drinks Tube.

A photo posted by Anna Jones (@we_are_food) on Jun 25, 2016 at 6:30am PDT

Ed Loftus – @edloftus

Head of food development for Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, Ed is partial to a sweet bake and delicious treats.

A photo posted by Ed Loftus (@edloftus) on Apr 23, 2016 at 12:21pm PDT

Clerkenwell Boy – @clerkenwellboyec1

One of London’s greatest foodies and Instagram addicts.

A photo posted by Clerkenwell_Boy 🌞🌴🌊 (@clerkenwellboyec1) on Jul 31, 2016 at 4:45am PDT

There you have it, how to Instagram like a pro.