Click Instagram Worthy Pics Of Your Food With These Simple Hacks

I am always mesmerized by stunning pictures of nature, food and people on Instagram and always aspired for my feed to look the same way. I was of the belief that you need special skills, an amazing camera, and lots of props to take great-looking pictures for your Instagram feed. Yes, you do need all of that. But only if you are a professional trying to make a living out of it. After numerous experiments and trials to get perfect pictures for my feed I came to realise it was killing the entire experience of enjoying the moment and I was also spending way too much time on the whole thing. 

If you are like me who is excited to share what you cook, eat, or even making a humble beginning as a blogger, here is what I learnt overall the food I clicked so far.

• Most of the pictures are taken on an iPhone and rarely on a Canon 700D camera. 
• The only things I use are a few plates and bowls to showcase the food – a few in pastel shades and a few in blacks and whites. A dark surface like a cement floor or a light surface.
• For a white surface, I use my three-year old's activity table.
• Occasionally I use textiles like a kitchen towel or block printed fabric to fill an empty space in the picture. Not only does it look nice, but it also adds character to the picture.
• Other things I like to add to my clicks are spoons and straws or even dried leaves if clicking outdoor in the backyard or the porch. 
• Taking pictures in natural light and in daylight is a preferred choice. I avoid night shots as much as possible. 

Making memories with my child: 

Once my gorgeous little boy was sitting around the food that I wanted to click, so I clicked it with him. Little did I know how much I would love having him in the pictures. Not only did he add so much love to that picture, but I also started making memories with him.

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Now he is a naughty 3-year-old who has developed a relationship with food by cooking with me. I started letting him be a part of the cooking process because he is a picky eater. That's made him more accepting of the food I make.

How much do his tiny feet and hands add to the shot? That bowl of loaded dark chocolate granola is looking even better.

Backyard bubbles and snack time

Fruits on a saucer- clicked on top of a dining table.

Doing what he does best; pinching his favourite things of the smoothie bowl!

Smoothie bowl on a plain white background, few straws, a spoon and little hands inching towards the chocolate.

Celebrations are even better when the kids are a part of the pictures!

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I also like holding food against dark walls and backdrops with my own hands or some one else's instead. No fancy or expensive setup needed.

Mocha overnight oats held against a fence

Phone in one hand and the plate in the other against the greenery in our backyard. Ok! Now I want some of those rice paper rolls! 

Taken while the husband was devouring his black rice pudding

Standing next to a subtle light source with roti aka thaalipeeth in hand.

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Let's talk about backgrounds and colours

When you live away from your home in a rented space, you have to work within the resources you have. You will probably have limited space to set up; which makes turning and moving things around also difficult. It's not wise to invest in too many things as it's difficult to transport them every time we move. I like to keep it as simple as possible. Also, I am not an expert at this but I do what pleases my aesthetics.

With a white table as the background, I have mixed and matched a set of my little one's bamboo serve ware to create this leftover waffle cereal bowl. I think the colours work so well with white.

Coconut Chia pudding resting on my 3 years old's painting representing the night sky. This is such a keeper.

Simple brown wrapper stuck as a background, so simple yet effective.

A steel bowl, sliced fruit and dark tiles for the win. Do you notice the dry twigs and leaves in the background? It reminds me that this picture was from autumn.

This one was taken on the kitchen counter with the salad in a black bowl and some chalk work. Old school is cool!

Adorable spill shots:

If you don't want the image to look plain, try this technique. I have strewn around the blueberries and let those sprouts spill out, to add more depth to my pics here.

Because top shots are a favourite!

I have a particular liking for top shots – taking photos from the top angle. Here the salad is placed strategically to look like a flower on a sliced pear.

The colour of the food and the plate are of similar shades that make it very appealing to the eye.