Searching for Photos of Lip-smacking Food?
The global coronavirus outbreak has disrupted travel and countless daily activities. Having to cut back on going out, many people have been cooking more home meals for their families. From the huge movement of making home baked bread, to decorating intricate pastries, to trying new multicultural recipes, a considerable number of people have found solace in cooking and sharing recipes and photos of their edible creations with friends and family. It is evident that interest in new and exotic dishes, food bloggers, and food photographers has been on the rise, and one could say, they are having their moment. Here are 7 food photographers and bloggers on Instagram that we recommend to follow.
Tim Cheung, a Bay Area foodie studying computer science, started taking pictures of food on his phone in 2015. Noticing that people loved his insights on Instagram, he upgraded his equipment and started honing his photography and storytelling skills. Since then, he has become a successful food photographer with thousands of social media followers. Tim’s bright photos “make people hungry” and are usually coupled with humor. “I try to inject my personality in what I do,” says Tim, “humor can be therapeutic, especially now in times of COVID.” Cheung is passionate about highlighting small restaurants - mom and pop joints, serving mouthwatering ethnic foods, mainly because “they have important stories to tell and recipes that are passed down for generations.” Tim’s favorite foods to photograph are noodles. “There are so many things you can do with a bowl of noodles,” he laughs. According to Tim, before the pandemic, much of the food scene in the Bay Area was about restaurant type of food, dining experiences, and interior aesthetic. It is now shifting to aesthetic take-out, interesting foods for delivery, or comfort food made at home, as many people have developed a new cooking hobby.
Sydney-based Kera Wong moved to Australia from New Zealand only a few years ago. Since then, she has been a barista, a social media marketer and now a photographer. Wong specializes in food photography, including styling, lifestyle, cafe and restaurants, and flatlays, while generating engaging content. From cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants to fast food, casual and fine dining, and even food at home, Kera Wong’s photography vision and unique, stylized images make foods pop, with clients raving about her work “getting even better over time.” Pivoting to food photography, Kera had to learn to tell a food story. While taking pictures of food at home, she is “the cook, the recipe developer, the photographer, the food and interior stylist, and also the cleaner.” Playing all of these roles is not easy, but Wong has become very good at it all, as we can see from her imagery. What’s her passion? “Dark, moody, intimate stories” that draw viewers in.
German holistic lifestyle blogger, food stylist and photographer Caroline Loße (pronounced Losse) started sharing her food photos while in college, and quickly got thousands of followers on social media. While her photos and blog Sugarberry focuses on simple mainly vegan dishes like breakfast and smoothie bowls, as well as recipes, ingredients and nutrition, her delicious creations boast eye-catching symmetric pattern combinations made of natural elements. It is Caroline’s unique food photography style that leaves no one indifferent and makes her a must-follow inspiration for foodies and aspiring food photographers alike. When not in front of the screen editing photos, you can find Caroline “jumping around with her camera or creating new recipes.” In the last couple of years, her love for photography has helped her venture out beyond food and photograph people, couples and special events. She is the author of a Vegan German and Austrian cookbook, Vegane Heimatküche.
Joanie fell in love with cooking at only 10 years old. This passion paved the way to food blogging and later to professional food photography, culminating in a dream career. Joanie strives “to create drool-worthy images with her awesome clients.” From magazine covers to cookbooks, website banners to social media, she is excited to shoot whenever food is involved. An educator at heart, Phoenix based Joanie runs a well-known food photography YouTube channel called the Bite Shot, where she has a following of over 200,000 enthusiastic subscribers. Joanie also shares her secrets, from lighting to equipment and props, and teaches in-depth food photography classes online.
There is nothing conventional about Brayden Lim’s photography. This food photographer constantly strives to push the boundaries of food visuals: his shots are not only rich and nuanced, they’ve got magic. From carrot mustaches to dripping sauces and hands juggling fruits in the air, Lim ensures that the viewer’s gaze lingers on his images a bit longer. Together with a food stylist Almanda Teo, Lim runs Alinea Collective – a commercial and campaign focused food photography outlet, based in Singapore, that boasts a variety of food establishments among its clients. Lim also offers workshops helping hone techniques needed to captivate viewers. This is how Lim describes exceptional food photography: “it is not just about taking a shot of the dish that is in front of you, it is about strategically selecting and styling your food, using natural or artificial light, and editing your images to bring forth the colors and characteristics of the dish.”
Aimee is a blogger, food photographer, and published author based in the UK. Growing up Aimee loved baking and helping her mom in the kitchen, so it was only natural for her to continue as she got older. After she started sharing her recipes and pictures on her blog, Aimee realized how much she loved photography and styling. Today styling is one of her favorite parts of the whole recipe development to blog post process. Naturally she has collected bookcases full of different props and backgrounds for photos. Aimee’s dark food photography style is unique in that it makes the viewer feel like they are in a period drama that revolves around food and baking, a renaissance painting, or a fairytale. Aimee has written several cookbooks full of original and creative recipes from her kitchen, including Aimee’s Perfect Bakes and Love, Aimee X: 50 Beautiful Sweet Gifts for Friends and Family. She also teaches workshops and classes focusing on food styling and photography.
This Bay Area food blogger is clearly in love with food, travel and anime creatures. Michael’s blog Betweenballoons connects his readers with new places, people and exciting adventures. His Instagram is all about incredibly cute and fun food creations. Check out his feed and stories, where Michael carefully documents the making of mostly Asian inspired cuties, such as Baby Yoda curry or Pooh Bear and Piglet meringue cookies. “OMG, how cute” is the dominant feedback this talented chef gets from his followers. Michael’s dishes are irresistible and yet probably too adorable to eat. Michael also highlights foods from delicious shops all over the Bay Area, such as sought after mochi muffins from Third Culture Bakery or animal-shaped bao buns from BanBao, that are beautifully packaged and delivered to your door.
About the Author: Stephan Rabimov, Editor-at-Large.
Stephan Rabimov is an award-winning American journalist and fashion critic.
Co-authored with Maria Birger
