Taking photos of your meal is the modern-day craze that’s here to stay, with more than 250 million pictures tagged as #food on Instagram.
But while some people’s snaps rack up hundreds or thousands of likes, amateurs can struggle to make a delicious dinner look mouthwatering on camera.
Now food stylist Lisa Barber has shared the simple tips that can make your photographs snap, crackle and pop on the screen.
From squeezing lemon juice on avocado to brighten the green hue, to splashing oil on meat to make it look as if it’s sizzling, these tips will make your pictures look like the work of a professional.
Transform avocado on toast pictures by: squeezing lemon juice on the fruit to prevent it browning; sprinkling seeds and spices to add colour and texture; and using natural lighting
Lisa has taken 10 pictures: five pretending she is an amateur photographer, and five showing how she would style food as a professional.
While the ‘amateur’ pictures are by no means as bad as some of the worst pictures on Instagram – which can be stomach-churning – when side-by-side with the professional pictures they look dull.
Lisa, whose photos were commissioned by insurance company Towergate, reveals that to make avocado on toast pictures pop, squeeze fresh lemon or lime onto the avocado to stop it from browning.
She also recommends adding spices such as paprika or cayenne pepper and some seeds on top to add some colour.
And like with all her pictures, she says natural lighting will help make your snaps look even better.
It’s hard to make food photos in restaurants look good but Lisa says you can make a burger picture look the best it can by placing slices of tomato and onion on top of the burger to add height; by stacking fries in a vessel of some kind, bulking out with kitchen towel if necessary; and splashing the meat with olive oil to make it look as if it’s sizzling
Changing the angle from side on to top down could help boost the number of likes you get on a picture, says Lisa. She also recommends: topping a pizza with fresh herbs instead of dried; enlivening herbs with a damp towel to perk them up; and using a hairdryer to re-melt cheese that has hardened if you’ve spent too long trying to take the perfect snap
Salad is a tricky item to take pictures of as it can look lifeless and messy if you plate it all together (left). Try separating different elements into different bowls, and mixing and matching colours and textures by placing bowls on colourful tea towels (right). However Lisa says avoid fluffy towels as fluff can end up on your camera lens
Brushing water onto sushi can make it look fresher, says Lisa. She also advises zooming in on rolls instead of using a top-down approach for sushi, and to point the flash at the ceiling to create a more 3D effect
Lisa shared her food stylist camera kit with FEMAIL to reveal the tools that she never goes without so that all her snaps look the best they can. They include kitchen towel to wipe up any smudges, colourful prps, gaffer tape to hold items in place, a paintbrush to make food shine with water; and lemons and limes to add colour to dishes