It’s Friday night and you’re eating out with friends. The waiter sets a picture-perfect plate of pasta in front of you. It’s drool-worthy and definitely needs to be posted to your “food-stagram” ASAP. But, when you snap a picture of your plate, it doesn’t look nearly as good as it does in real life. You wonder how to achieve that professional food photo that’s worthy enough to Instagam.

Our social media feeds are flooded with so-called “food porn.” However, the camera doesn’t always do our meals justice. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your food look as appetizing as it tastes, look no farther. Here are a few tips to help you take professional food photos.

Tips for the Perfect Picture

First is lighting, lighting, lighting. Even a perfect plate of fajitas fizzles instead of sizzles in a poorly-lit photo. And, whenever possible, photograph your food in natural lighting. Naturally-lit photos surpass those taken with a flash by leaps and bounds. Furthermore, using a flash can create glaring reflections and distorts color too.

After you’ve got the lighting right, take some time to set up your shot. Move that dirty napkin out of the way. Pose your cutlery like props. Turn your plate to the side. Test out different angels. In addition, fill the frame up instead of leaving awkward open space, and also remember that square photos work best for Instagram.

When you actually take the photo, use your phone’s camera- not the Instagram app. Your photo will be higher quality. You can also have a mini photo shoot instead of using the first picture you take. Don’t zoom in either; physically move your phone closer to your plate.

Finally, once you’ve taken the perfect mouth-watering, hunger-inducing photo, it’s time to edit it. Use Instagram’s editing tools to enhance your image, not alter it. No amount of editing can fix a bad photo. In addition, your food will end up looking unnatural and unappetizing.

If you keep these helpful hints in mind next time you eat out, you’re sure to end up with professional food photos that will attract plenty of likes on the ‘gram. Just remember to not let your food-stagram obsession get in the way of enjoying good times with your dining companions.