The technology gurus chose a select handful of media and bloggers and brought them to an evening filled with food and fine wine. Some experts were then introduced to show how best to portray what they were about to consume in its most flattering light and from its best angle – all for the purpose of optimal social media likes.
Together with UberEats in South Africa, Gabriella Esposito, a Cape Town-based chef, food photographer and stylist, and Claire Allen, a celebrity chef and well-known face on the Cape Town foodie scene, hosted the group of 30 media and bloggers on Thursday, 30 November 2017. The evening’s aim was not only to enjoy each other’s company and titillate taste buds with great food and wine, but also to impart wisdom on getting the best foodie pic using lighting, angles, and even props. The duo showed guests that no fancy photographic equipment is needed just their smart phone’s built-in camera, and maybe some editing apps.
Claire’s food provided visually inspirational content for Gabi to use when communicating her tips and tricks for taking that perfect shot. She also gave her insider tips on the best meals ordered from UberEats.
Gabriella’s number one tip was on lighting, with the brighter, the better being the golden rule when it comes to food. Too many meals can look unidentifiable when badly lit, so lots of lighting is needed to pick out the ingredients, colours and textures.
Tip number two was to find the best vantage point – when in doubt, get high were her exact words. This is to ensure that the image doesn’t look cut off, or like a simple snap. Ideally, the entire dish should be shown and the photographer should get some distance to capture steam or show the light playing flatteringly on the food. No flat or dark meals were snapped on this night!
Gabi strictly advised that tip three is to avoid being a flasher. She said: “Where possible, rely on natural light as opposed to artificial and overly bright overhead lighting. If that’s not possible, there’s nothing wrong with taking a handheld light with you to ensure you never let your followers down with a badly lit composition.
Finally, tip number four on post-production (and yes, there is such a thing when using your smartphone), Gabi revealed that there are a number of free apps available on Android or iOS for editing pictures which don’t require a degree to use them. Sharpen the image, crop it if needs be and brighten the colours. It’s not cheating if you’re just enhancing an already perfect dish!
When you go out and use these tips to take your top foodie pics, be sure to include #FeastYourEyes or #ShareYourEATS. You might even encourage more people to shoot and share gorgeous foodie images, the more the better!
