Remember how, a few years ago, a certain NYC restaurant didn’t understand why there was in an increase in the numbers of customers who were sending dishes back to be reheated? They decided to study security footage and discovered that 26 out of 45 customers spent an average of 3 minutes taking photos of food, and another 4 minutes to review and re-take the pictures. Before camera phones, when people were served food, they just ate. What’s up with this obsession with (often mediocre) food photography?
If you’re serious about food photography, you probably don’t photograph it while sitting in a restaurant. You set it up, perhaps use a stylist, and make it look flawless. If you fall into this category, and are looking for inspiration, look no farther than Instagram. They have an extensive menu of food photographers, some with tens of thousands of members. We’ve scoured the image-sharing app for sushi shooters, lasagna lovers, produce photographers, and restaurant recorders for great food shots.
Here’s our short-order list of food-related photo sources and hashtags on IG:
Chow or Never
With such a wide range of cuisines in New York City it’s no surprise that an NY-based photographer would have plenty of subject matter. Image quality varies, but the food looks yummylicious. Want a pickle?
#Foodporn
Follow the hashtag #foodporn and you’ll find a satisfying selection of mouthwatering food photos. With over 140,595,300 posts using that hashtag, it’s almost as popular as the other kind of porn. (Oddly, there were more racy kinds of photos under the plain #food hashtag, which has twice as many posts.)
#Foodie
Images vary in style and quality, with some dreaded “I shot this before I ate it at a restaurant” type shots mixed in with mostly high-quality and pro-level work.
food_photography1
This is a great educational feed by a food stylist. Here you can find setup photos as well as final images, as well as posts promoting instructional videos on YouTube.
Do you have a favorite food photo source on Instagram? Share it below!
