Thanksgiving Photography Tips Part 2: Instagram-Worthy Food Pictures

In the first post in this two-part Thanksgiving photography series, we talked about some tips for taking memorable photos of the family. A few of those tips are also applicable to photographing Thanksgiving food, perhaps the holiday’s most important guest of honor.

For example, natural lighting works best, but once the sun goes down, turn on as many lights as possible in order to avoid using the flash. And just like with the “Norman Rockwell”-style picture, it helps to photograph downward at your subject. A bird’s-eye view of food can be one of the most interesting angles.

Here are a few more tips to help your food photography stand out – whether in your own camera roll or on social media.

Frame the Shot, Tell a Story

Add interesting backgrounds to the photo to make it unique. Use props like family heirlooms, unusual serving utensils or vintage items, to create a more interesting composition. You can also frame the photo with flowers, nuts, seeds or anything harvest-themed, to make your photo of the turkey different than the thousands of others out there. Essentially, use anything you can find that take the photo from “turkey” to “Thanksgiving.”

Don’t Be Afraid to Play With Your Food

If it’s not too disruptive during the meal, take photos of the food at various stages: uneaten, with one bite taken out or even when it’s closer to half-eaten. Don’t be afraid to play with your food a bit and move it around in the serving dish or on your plate to create the most appetizing shot. Lightly brush the food with a bit of oil if it needs more shine. Wait a minute for the ice cream to drip down the sides of the slice of pie, or take a scoop out of the pie and leave the full fork on the plate.

Edit Your Image

Use an editing app like VSCO or Snapseed – or Photoshop, if you’re editing on your computer – to fine-tune the image and make the colors pop. Play with the brightness, warmth or color saturation, being careful not to go overboard with edits. No matter what edits or filters you apply, the food should look edible, not fake.

Back It All Up

Perhaps most important of all, don’t forget to back up all of your mouth-watering photos using the Fasetto app. Then, you can easily share photos of your feast with any family members or friends who also use the app.