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South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Study Buddy (Challenger): How to take the best-looking food photographs for your Instagram
Content provided by British Council Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below: [1] According to the data-gathering and visualisation platform Statista, Instagram has more than two billion active users monthly. When scrolling through the app, it is clear people are wild about food. Instagram users eat with their eyes. And many foodies who post videos and photos know one thing: when it comes to food, social media does not demand perfection but authenticity, of getting a glimpse of real life. [2] There is a certain amount of planning involved in creating food content, usually split into two parts: cooking a dish and staging it for the camera. Finally, considering future social media posts, your overall content should have some running theme or cohesion. [3] Hans Gerlach, a professional cook and food columnist, always preps his recipes for Instagram. He recommended having a thematic line through your profile. For example, a certain nutrition style or preference, such as vegan baking. This way, you create a certain recognisability among the platform's users. [4] 'Colours are super important,' stressed food blogger and photographer Eva Bachmann. Multicoloured dishes look more appealing than ones that are uniformly coloured. Regarding individual ingredients, differing textures, such as crispy or creamy, can look good in photos. [5] Food stylist Agnes Prus said it is important to remember not to let things overcook because overcooked food can look shrivelled and dry. It is also important to keep a few raw ingredients aside to use as props. The professionals agree that there is no such thing as an unphotogenic meal. [6] Every recipe that you can cook can be photographed well. Even a stew, for example, can look good if you play around with differing consistencies. Colourful ingredients, such as peas, can be added just before taking a picture, or arranged next to the pot or bowl, so that everything is not all mixed together. [7] Casseroles are more challenging to photograph. The eye pays attention to what is inside this dish, but a slice may not look clean-cut, as the layers often merge or fall apart. Prus had a tip: let the casserole cool off and only cut into it when it is firmer. Before taking photos, Bachmann recommended asking yourself a few questions: What is the strongest side of the dish? Burgers, for example, would not be viewed from above, but rather from the side to showcase the ingredients. [8] When it comes to decorating and staging, it is equally important to pay attention to proportions and the context of a scene. A thick oven glove next to a summer salad, for example, makes no sense and would not come across well in a photo. Prus had another tip: use an uneven number of plates and bowls, as they can be better staged. It can also be worth pulling one plate somewhat off to the side and only photographing half of it if you have several dishes in a picture. Source: dpa, April 24 Questions 1. The phrase 'eat with their eyes' in paragraph 1 suggests that Instagram users … A. are interested in the aesthetic presentation and visual appeal of food. B. primarily focus on the nutritional content and health benefits of the food they see. C. tend to avoid food posts that lack detailed recipes or cooking instructions in the caption. D. only like posts where the food is meticulously prepared and professionally shot in a studio. 2. In paragraph 2, what is necessary when creating food content for social media? A. achieving culinary perfection B. spontaneous and unfiltered presentation C. a simple cooking process D. none of the above 3. Why is it important to have a consistent theme in food posts, according to paragraph 3? 4. Based on your understanding of paragraph 4, how might a food blogger plan the composition of a dish so that it looks good in photos? 5. According to paragraph 5, what is crucial to avoid when cooking food for styling and why? 6. Find a word in paragraph 6 that refers to 'various textures and levels of thickness'. 7. In paragraph 7, a dish's 'strongest side' refers to the side … A. with the least amount of additional garnishing or styling. B. that is most structurally stable and least likely to fall apart. C. that best showcases its key features and ingredients. D. closest to the light during photography. 8. In paragraph 8, what is an example of an unsuitable pairing in a food photograph? 9. What is the writer's overall tone about creating food content for social media? A. informative B. judgmental C. analytical D. inspirational Are you interested in becoming a food blogger? Photo: Shutterstock Answers 1. A 2. D 3. to create a certain recognisability among the platform's users 4. A food blogger might try to include colourful ingredients that are also different in texture to create a visually engaging final product for photos. (accept all similar answers) 5. Overcooking the food, because it can look shrivelled and dry in photos. 6. consistencies 7. C 8. a thick oven glove next to a summer salad 9. A
South China Morning Post
24-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
How to take the best Instagram food pictures? Experts on lighting, colours, props and more
According to research firm Statista, Instagram has more than 2 billion monthly active users. Upon scrolling the app, it is clear that Instagrammers are wild about food, food, food. Advertisement Instagram users eat with their eyes, and many foodies who post videos and photos know one thing: social media does not demand perfection – when it comes to food, at least. Instead, the focus is on authenticity, on getting a glimpse of real life, and there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to photographing things like pasta, burgers and salads. Nevertheless, a certain amount of planning is involved in creating food content. This can be split into two parts: the cooking of a dish, and the staging of it for the camera. Finally, with a view to future social media posts, there should be some running theme or cohesion in your overall content. There is no need to strive for that perfect food photo, but there are steps you can take to shoot the best one. Photo: Shutterstock Hans Gerlach, a professional cook and food columnist, always preps his recipes for Instagram. He recommends having a thematic line through your profile. That could be a certain style of nutrition or preparation, such as vegan baking . In doing so, you create a certain recognisability among the platform's users.
