Instagram feeds

Behind nearly all of those stunning foodie Instagram feeds is a pro who styles and shoots her food with lighting and backdrops and all kinds of props. But Jane Ko is a restaurant blogger, so she takes her food pics like the rest of us do: in the restaurant. She can't bring fancy lights with her. She'll get yelled at if she climbs up on a chair for the perfect shot (though she does it sometimes anyway).

And Jane she didn't start off as a great photographer. She's entirely self-taught, and her talk at the BlogHerFood16 conference in Austin earlier this month, Jane confessed to a very relatable phase where she got way too filter-happy. But now, her Insta feed is gorgeous proof that as long as you stay with it and continue shooting photos over time, they will get better — especially if you follow these four tips:
Tell a story with styling

Think about your photo even before you take out your phone. What's in the background? Jane believes in showing who's eating: a friend reaching in to take the first bite of that taco, a friends at brunch with hands digging in, or your kids running around in the background. Those details tell a story—and stories connect people to you.
Natural lighting is your best friend

Natural light makes way prettier photos than flash, but it's hard to get in restaurants. Jane's bold: She'll walk her plate over to a window, even if she wasn't seated there. She also eats a lot of daytime meals, so she can chase that light.

moncler outlet will cast hard shadows on your subject, so if you're outside, find a spot with shade. And the holy grail of natural lighting is open windows with sheer white curtains. They're the perfect combo of Choose your perspective

Try shooting from the top down, to show the whole table. Jane's willing to climb up on a chair to make that happen (but if you have a DSLR camera, just hold it really high and flip the screen out toward you so you can see).

Shooting at eye level can makes people really want to eat what you're holding. Jane likes to hold food out in front of her, and she's bold about asking random people to stand behind her and take the shot for her.