A Beginner’s Guide to Taking ~Aesthetic~ Food Pics

You’ve just been presented with a culinary masterpiece, meticulously plated and begging to be shared. But how do you capture its true deliciousness and presentation glory, especially when you’re dealing with potentially dim lighting and nearby diners who aren’t keen to be disturbed by your photo-taking?

Luckily with the tech of iPhones these days, you don’t have to settle for grainy, dark shots that don’t do your meal justice anymore. Read on for some tips on how to transform your bland and boring food photos into appetising works of art — general advice and iOS 16 features you may not even have known about.

Use ‘Clean Up’ to Remove Distracting Objects

Clean Up is a Photos app feature that uses Apple Intelligence to remove distracting objects in a photo. For example, if you shoot the perfect flat lay of your dishes, then realise there’s a stain on the tablecloth, you can use Clean Up to get rid of it.

Lock Your Camera’s Focus and Exposure

Adjust the focus and exposure in your shot and then lock those settings, so you don’t have to keep doing it throughout your meal. Touch and hold the focus area until you see AE/AF Lock. Once it’s locked, you can drag the Adjust Exposure button (a sun icon) up or down to adjust the exposure. 

Turn on Grid and Level to Straighten Your Shot

To help you straighten and compose your shot, you can add a grid or level to your iPhone camera screen. Go to Settings  > Camera, then turn on Grid and Level. Once it’s turned on, when you shoot top down flat lay content, you’ll see a cross appear on the screen. Lining up the two cross-hairs into a single yellow cross will help you capture your flat lay without distortion. 

Capture Interesting Close-Ups

iPhone 13 and later models have an ultra-wide lens you can use to capture stunning close-up photos and videos in sharp focus. This is a great technique for capturing details like the sprinkles on a donut or the bubbles in your prosecco. To shoot in macro, open Camera on your iPhone, get close to the subject in photo or video mode — as close as 2 centimetres. Then tap the shutter button when you see the Macro icon appear (yellow flower).

Switch to Night Mode in a Dimly Lit Restaurant

If you have an iPhone 11 or later, you can use Night mode to capture photos when the camera detects a low-light environment like a dimly-lit restaurant. Night mode automatically turns on when the camera detects a low-light environment. The Night mode icon (moon symbol) at the top of the display will turn yellow when the feature is active.

Depending on how dark the scene is, your iPhone might take a Night mode photo quickly, or it might take several seconds. For the best results, hold your iPhone steady until the capture completes. Try placing your iPhone on a solid and secure surface, or use a tripod to increase stability and control of the exposure clarity.

Clean Your Screen

Finally, never assume you’re working with a clean lens. A good iPhone photography always wipes their camera’s lens before taking a photo to ensure the result is as crisp as possible, with no picked-up dust or dirt.

Related: Why Are Some Cuisines Considered More ‘Expensive’ Than Others?

Related: Could This French Dish Created By Monks Go Mainstream?

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