Top Tips For Great Instagram Pictures

We recently caught up with Jette Virdi, Ireland’s leading food stylist to get her top tips for great Instagram food pictures. You can watch our Facebook Live video here to get some really good tips about lighting, props, patterns and shapes. She shows us how to work with natural uncooked ingredients to highlight light, composition and the beauty of the ingredients.  Then working with different surfaces, plates, linens and textures to add layers to the photograph to create a moment rather than just a picture.

Natural light only

Work with the natural light in your studio/house to create atmosphere. Notice in this shot the light comes from the top of the image creating darkness down the bottom. It creates a natural ombre and it draws your eye through the picture.

Simplicity is best

Sometimes you don’t need loads of plates, cutlery, props and other things to create a beautiful image. Choose your textures wisely and keep it simple.

Tell a story

the best photographs work because you’re letting people in on a moment. You’re inviting them in to see the way you live your life, things that inspire you or trying to convey how good something tastes. Not all moments make good pictures though so be wise! Real life isn’t the prettiest all the time however real life always tells a story. Make sure to tell your pictures.

Use patterns and shapes

The way you position props can draw the viewers eye through your image, highlight the important factors and really makes a difference. Notice the positioning of the plates in an ‘s’ shape…it draws your eye through the picture. We start at the top with the fruit and the orange and pink with the help of the plates positioning draw our eye all the way down.