Tips for more beautiful food photos

Here are the best tips for more beautiful food photos!
Alexandra Gorsche © Conny Leitgeb Photography
16. August 2021 | 
Alexandra Gorsche
16. August 2021
|
Alexandra Gorsche

Social media is becoming more and more important. That's why it's one thing to conjure up great dishes, another to stage them perfectly for social media.

Without a reflex camera or specialist knowledge. Our cell phones can do more than we think! Including the best apps for mobile photo editing.

Tip 1: Light

A successful picture depends on the right light. If you don't have a suitable light source in your premises - then place your plate/dish near a window, for example, and use the natural light source.

Tip 2: Perspective

A bird's-eye view is an angle that never deceives. To do this, take a photo from above so that your plate or the entire dish appears in all its glory. If you want to show a side view, make sure that there is nothing in the background that distracts from the dish.

Tip 3: Background

A neutral and natural background will make your food stand out. It can also be something simple like a wooden board, cloth or paper. But tiles also make a great background.

Tip 4: Food styling

Sometimes less is more! Overloaded plates never look as appealing as plates on which the main ingredients are in the foreground.

Tip 5: Decoration

This can give the photo that certain something. Fresh ingredients such as crisp lettuce leaves, colorful tomatoes, but also a beautiful napkin or fine cutlery give a food picture more glamour.

Tip 6: Image editing

There are numerous apps for image editing. A little more contrast, saturation, sharpness - these are all edits that make you want to cook even more.

Here are a few app recommendations:

  • VSCO: For iOS and Android
    For corrections and effect filters, free app, user-friendly and compact.
  • Snapseed: For iOS and Android
    For image editing, corrections, effect filters, free app, an all-round package.
  • Lightroom Mobile: For iOS and Android
    Also for raw files, exports images, free app. Synchronization between computer and mobile device is only possible with a paid subscription.

So grab your cell phone - let's go!

A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît!

Book tip: A Guest in Rome

Discovering the flavours of the city

The best way to discover Rome is through its food. A Guest in Rome is less a traditional cookbook than a culinary stroll through the city – guided by Stefan Maiwald and brought to life visually by Andrea Di Lorenzo. Between antipasti and dolci, Roman cuisine unfolds as a living culture: authentic, unpretentious and deeply rooted.

Alongside iconic recipes such as cacio e pepe, carciofi alla romana and saltimbocca, the book opens doors to hidden trattorias, markets and cafés that lie far off the beaten track. Anecdotes, historical context and precise insider tips make it clear why food in Rome is always about identity too. A book that combines travel and cuisine – and inspires you to experience Rome with all your senses, whether you’re there or at home.

INFO
A Guest in Rome
Author: Stefan Maiwald
Photography: Andrea Di Lorenzo
Publisher: Callwey
Length: 224 pages
ISBN: 978-3-7667-2822-7
Price: €45.00
Publication date: September 2025

Book tip: HADN – The Buckwheat Cookbook

A local supergrain that bridges tradition, modernity and the future

Buckwheat, affectionately known as ‘Hadn’ in Southern Carinthia, is one of those products that quietly disappeared – and is now making a natural comeback. HADN – The Buckwheat Cookbook is dedicated to this almost forgotten powerhouse grain with remarkable dedication: rooted in culinary, cultural and regional traditions.

Together with the Klopeiner See – South Carinthia – Lavant Valley tourism region, food expert and editor cookingCatrin (Catrin Ferrari-Brunnenfeld) embarks on a journey to the roots of Carinthian ‘Hadn’. The book combines over 55 creative sweet and savoury recipes with in-depth background knowledge – from cultivation and history to its modern-day significance as a gluten-free, nutrient-rich superfood. Buckwheat is not only presented as flour, but also as semolina or rice: given a modern twist, suitable for everyday use and surprisingly versatile.

INFO
HADN – The Buckwheat Cookbook
Authors: Catrin Ferrari-Brunnenfeld (cookingCatrin)
Publisher: Klopeiner See Tourism Region – Southern Carinthia – Lavant Valley / KSL Tourismus Marketing GmbH
Length: 180 pages
ISBN: 978-3-200-09933-3
Price: €24.90
Publication date: September 2025

The Personal Touch

Italian rituals, as told by the people behind Portrait Hotels

With its new ongoing editorial series ‘The Personal Touch’, Portrait Hotels turns its attention to the individuals who shape the character of its properties in Milan, Florence and Rome: hosts, concierges, chefs, bartenders and members of the lifestyle team, whose stories, rituals and local perspectives become part of the Portrait Experience.

The focus is on personal insights, everyday Italian culture and those small gestures that turn a stay into more than just a trip. Rather than simply showcasing places, the series tells the stories of the people, memories and traditions that define the Italian way of life.

quick & dirty
Tipp 2: Himbeer-Marmelade in Vogelperspektive © Alexandra Gorsche
Tips for more beautiful food photos

Without a reflex camera or specialist knowledge. Our cell phones can do more than we think! Including the best apps for mobile photo editing.