Category: iPhone

How To Take Food Photos Without A Professional Camera

Food photography has gained popularity in recent years with the rise of Instagram. If you search #foodphotography or #onthetable, you’ll see an eclectic mix of styled food shots that could easily belong in your favourite cookbook. Many of my Toronto friends are food stylists, food bloggers/writers and professional food photographers, however, unbeknownst to most – many of their photos are taken with a humble iPhone.

The key to taking good food photos isn’t the quality of your lens, it’s all about positioning and lighting. Here are my super straightforward tips to getting a top notch photo without much fuss!

Dine during the daytime
Is your reservation at 9PM in the middle of winter? Don’t expect to get a great food photo without natural light. That brings me to my next point…

Sit near the window
When I make restaurant bookings, I always request to be seated near a window. You’ll want natural light streaming in, but be wary of weird shadows on super sunny days! If you find yourself seated in the back corner, don’t bother. And never use flash!

Wait until everything comes out
I find this increasingly hard in Christchurch where I only know a handful of food Instagrammers and typically eat out with friends and Nick. If you look back to some of my Toronto shots – you’ll see that we’ve waited patiently until everyone’s meal has been served before whipping out our phones. Also, the more meals, the better. You want to showcase the best of what the restaurant has to offer.

Be confident
Sure, you might get a few stares or weird looks, but my friend, Isabelle (food stylist extraordinaire) says it best: “I just stare right back. The people who look at me funny for styling and photographing my food are the same people who are liking and marvelling at my content on Instagram,” which is definitely true in her case!

Don’t be afraid to move things around…
The best food photos, in my opinion, are carefully styled. Just like a chef artfully arranges the food on the plate, urging you to first eat with your eyes, so should the plates. Experiment with moving plates around, adding or removing cutlery and glasses, and add a hand to humanise the photo.

Showcase unique elements of the restaurant
While many of my food photos showcase just that, the food, I also try to tie in interesting elements of the café or restaurant I’m shooting. Whether it’s a tiled floor or a beautiful bar, capture café interiors are often as beautiful as the food itself!

If you need some inspiration, I suggest following these accounts:
allons.y
food.diva
didieryhc
dialaskitchen
danielaaebliphotography
all_the_yumm
rosaalyn
thefoodnest
charlierosecreative

Are you into food photography? Tell me, what are your tips?

November 18, 2017
Simple Ways To Break Your Phone Addiction

It’s Sunday morning and I can’t remember the last weekend I spent without my phone. In fact, I often spend hours mindlessly scrolling through my social media feeds, sometimes over dinner or while watching a movie. Creating and posting new content is a weekend ritual, especially for bloggers who feel the pressure to constantly create.

As much as I love Instagram and all the inspiration it offers, it’s becoming increasingly time-consuming. Consistently posting, liking and commenting on all my favourite accounts means it’s all the more difficult to disconnect and spend time in the real world. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way, so here are a few easy ways to spend some time away from your phone:

Explore a new area of town
Leave your phone at home and go explore your city. Whether by foot or bike, heading out to see a different part of town is a surefire way to get the creative juices flowing. Have you been to the botanic gardens recently? Is there a new café you’ve been meaning to visit? Better yet, take a road trip to another city without the pressure to share the experience online.

Exercise
My workouts typically consist of runs around my neighbourhood or group classes at the gym. I’m always amazed by how great I feel after a sweat sesh; not only because of the endorphins but also the clarity from not having my phone surgically attached to me.

Unplug at the dinner table
As tempting as it is to order Uber Eats and watch Netflix, cooking a homemade meal is oh so satisfying. After months of feeling uninspired in the kitchen, Nick and I decided to give My Food Bag a whirl. We’ve both been loving the time spent preparing and savouring our meals. Dinnertime also feels more sacred when we spend more time preparing it, so neither of us want to reach for our phones.

Try Float Therapy
Floatation therapy helps reduce stress, repair muscles and offers quality time away from the screen. Read about my first floatation experience here.

At-Home Spa Night
While it’s nice booking in for a massage or facial, you don’t need to break the bank to pamper yourself. Spend a few hours on your skincare routine at home, have a bath or paint your nails. There are many affordable ways to disconnect and feel rejuvenated.

Are you addicted to your phone? What are your favourite ways to disconnect?

Photography by Jillian Miller

November 11, 2017