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Take Great Food Photos

Jennifer Chandler

There is not much better than a good meal with friends.

 Sharing food photography on social media is one way to capture those memories.

 

My family jokes that I never take a bite before first snapping a cell phone pic. I can’t help but take pictures of a beautiful dish.

 

A flip through my Facebook or twitter time lines shows that other folks can’t resist the temptation too!

 

For some tips on how to take better photos of your favorite culinary finds with an iPhone, I turned to the talented Justin Fox Burks. Justin has photographed my last two cookbooks and I have seen him take just as beautiful shots with his iPhone as he does with his professional camera.

 

His first word of advice: “Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. It’s best to give yourself a few tries to get it right.”

 

This next tip changed how I take photos.

 

“So if you have the luxury of walking around with your plate, take advantage of it. Take the plate over by a window with a soft light spilling over it. That’s the perfect recipe for an artful shot. Or take the plate outside in open shade where the light is soft, even, and bright.”

 

I have found a window in my kitchen that always provide the perfect lighting for food photos.

 

And angles matter too.

 

“A few good rules of thumb when you are taking pictures of food. Beautifully plated dishes and soups are best shot from above while sandwiches, burritos, and other like things are almost always better shot from a low angles to show what’s inside.”

 

And if your photo isn’t absolutely perfectly lit, photo editing apps like Instagram can help.

 

“When using Instagram, use the tools not the filters. You will have much more control of your image in the end.”

 

Say Cheese!

Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

Credit Justin Fox Burks

 

The first smartphone photo Justin Fox Burks ever sold to a national magazine was of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. Men’s Journal ran this tomato shot in the magazine. Here is the recipe.

A can of fire-roasted tomatoes adds a ton of flavor to all sorts of dishes. Here's an easy way to get the same effect without having to plug in your can opener.

 

All you do is throw whole tomatoes on a hot grill in order to char the tomato skins. Leave the top of the grill open during the cooking process to allow the heat to escape, and be sure to turn the tomatoes to get some color on all sides. Once the tomatoes are nice and charred, remove them from the grill and allow them to cool completely. Leaving the skins on while they cool will infuse more of that great smoky flavor.

 

Once cooled, peel the skins off and use the flesh in soups, sauces, or on sandwiches. Today, we'll make chili with these along with some jalapeno corn muffins. Hot weather and spicy food is an ideal combo!

 

Recipe printed with permission from Justin Fox Burks

Jennifer Chandler graduated at the top of her class from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She is a full-time mom to two daughters in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a freelance food writer, restaurant consultant, and author of four cookbooks The Southern Pantry Cookbook, Simply Salads, Simply Suppers, and Simply Grilling.