Do
- If you are reviewing an eatery do arrange a specific time for your arrival with management. Upon arrival introduce yourself and hand over your business card (if you have one), then mention you are there to review. Much simpler than cringingly explaining you’ve actually been reviewing the place when accidentally confronted with a bill! If it’s your dinner party make it clear to guests when (you hope) food will be served.
- Think about the layout when taking photographs of your food. What is surrounding the dish? Would adding or taking away something improve it?
- Take a close up shot if the table is very crowded with things or people you don’t want in your shot. It will make the dish look more dynamic anyway.
- Take some shots to capture the ambience of the location you are eating in.
- Think about the lighting. Adjust the white balance on your camera or move lighting or your plate so that the colour of the food looks as natural as possible, with no harsh shadows.
- Include yourself in some of the shots enjoying your food!
Don’t
- Get so drunk you forget to take photographs after your first course.
- Faff about with your food too much. You can easily end up making a dish look worse with a small slip of the hand. If it still looks awful it’s up to you wether you include it in your post after all!
- Get lost in the art of photography for so long that your food gets cold and your friends get pissed off.
- Forget to make a quick note of small things that make a big difference such as special ingredients, the way things have been cooked, whether the dish worked well together as a whole, what it was served in, service in general etc.
- Loose your cool. Even if you are conveying your annoyance to your guests/the weight staff or your food hasn’t turned out as planned. Be assertive but always polite.
- Become so focussed with the whole food blogging thing that you forget to enjoy yourself!
Vamp It Up 