Since the dawn of social media, the foodie, and foodie post has become a staple in everyone’s News Feed staple. The popular saying “You eat with your eyes,” is now truer than ever, and could even be reworded to “You eat with your Instagram.” #Foodporn has gone mainstream with over 36 million instances. These tantalizing images you see in your feeds also helps drive sales to the brands they represent, and it is for this reason that the brands, and their social photography is more valuable than ever.At Socialtyze we are lucky to partner with a handful of clients in the casual dining and QSR verticals. Developing social content for these brands means bringing their menu to life in a way that connects and drives engagement across all social networks. It also means scale - with multiple posts going out daily, a food brand can gobble up 300 images in 2 months. Meeting this demand requires dozens of photo shoots in a variety of challenging locations, and it also means making sure each shot has an impact. Using that experience, I created this guide to help you craft your own successful foodie posts.

All NaturalThe recipe for a successful food post changes with each client but there are a few techniques that consistently drive engagement. Diffused natural is the secret ingredient to getting food images to shine. Shooting under a canopy outdoors or in front of a window with a diffuser provides an interesting light for your food to shine.

Backlight SuccessWhile we’re at it - make sure the food is between you and the light. Keeping the white balance honed in on the foreground will make sure the food looks soft, balanced and will highlight all the subtle details that appear in the dish. The rim lighting created with this technique will also give your food an elegant frame and.

Double TakeWhen you’re shooting social content for a brand - it’s important to understand their execution. Often times the food shots we create are later edited to highlight a promotion for the restaurant. To prepare for that use case, I typically will shoot the dish twice; once filling the frame and again with a big frame crop (usually above 60%). I want to make sure the angle I have will hold up after the design team has began working their magic.

StagingShooting food affords a pretty cool flexibility that most photography doesn’t - anything can become a stage. I’ve used patio floors, window sills, podiums, park benches and other non-traditional spaces as photography spots. The tightness of the shot lets me focus on the food and transform the unconventional location into an interesting back drop. Experiment and try shooting in random locations - I think you’ll be surprised.

The LensOn the subject of tight shots - there’s only one lens I count on for my food photography. The Canon 100mm 2.8L Macro lens is my work horse for foodie clients. This lens allows me to operate within inches of the food and lets all the little details shine. The prime lens means crystal clear shots and the open aperture gives me the flexibility to add bokeh or give the image a unique depth of field. The creative flexibility and the utility of the short focal length make this the perfect food photography lens.

Camera SettingsSocial posts perform best when they are light and bright. In the camera that means as wide as possible without losing your dish. Most of the time I shoot in the f/5 to f/8 range. For top-down shots (pizza, pasta) or a tall dishes (hamburgers, sandwiches) I can shoot as wide as f/3.5 and the food will stay sharp. Complex entrees or multi shot dishes may require f/10 or higher.

Angle of AttackThere is not one perfect angle for shooting food. Different dishes have a complexity that warrants understanding and adapting to. Big dishes like pizza and flatbread look more interested when cropped in the lens. People are used to seeing an entire pizza from a higher distance, when you crop half the pizza out of the frame and get closer to the toppings, it becomes a more unique and enticing proposition. Burgers and beverages look great when you get low and shoot up, making them larger than life. With social content, the images are often smaller and square - use that to your advantage. Round items contrast well with the Instagram square. Facebook and Twitter cover photos are both very wide and short - framing for this unique proportion will ensure your images look great in their final destination.There is No RecipeWith food (and really all photography) - the best shots are the least expected. Move around, grab different angles, shoot in different places. There is no perfect recipe, but hopefully some of these techniques will be useful to you in your next shoot.Part II - EditingIn part two of this blog, Geoff Roseborough will show some tips on processing and editing images for the social space.Want more tips and tricks for how to dominate social this year with Data, Creative and Amplification? Download our 2016 Social Media Survival Guide.