The Rule of Thirds

Props

Adding props to the picture is a good way to highlight the dish in focus. The position and angles of these props can be played with and can also bring in a creative aspect to the images. Placing cutlery, sides, garnishes or even ingredients used in the dish, around the subject in focus are props to toy with. You can also give depth to your pictures by setting up foreground and background elements. Focussing on the dish in the frame while including background elements, is a good way of adding depth to pictures.

Parallel

Whether you’re at a restaurant, at home or trying to capture a street-side favourite, mobile photography and Instagram features come in quite handy. This portability and mobility give the benefit of choosing to click anything, anytime. However, this is where the rule of parallel can come to the rescue – align the edges of your frame with one or more parallel lines you find on the subject. For example, the sides of your frame should align with vertical lines of say a pastry or horizontal lines of a table. It also helps bring out stable images.

Colours and Contrast

If you are a follower of TV shows on food, a striking fact to notice is the plating up of a dish and the colours used. A dark plate is literally lit up when a pink, white or orange coloured delicacy is presented on it. The cutlery, tablecloth, texture and colour of the table are some components that can bring out the best in your photography. Spending time in setting up a scene for your pictures is always a good idea.

Triangles

When it comes to composing a picture, triangles help enhance the order of different elements and direct one’s attention towards the subject in focus. Apart from this, another simple rule to follow is to place the dish in the centre of the frame, leaving equal space on all sides.

Hashtags to Follow

While pictures are a sure way of finding followers for your Instagram feed, hashtags that accompany captions for your photos are equally essential. Hashtags help people find you better and also pop-up in searches. Remember, Instagram allows 30 hashtags and anything more than that will not let you publish the image.