Why You Should Always Take Photos of Your Snacks

We're the kind of people who have to eat every three hours, and Pure Leaf Iced Tea is here to help with that.

Today: Take a good lookin' snap of your snack. 

Snack time is our favorite part of the day—it affords a break from the bustle whether mid-morning, late afternoon, or post-work (and, for some of us, in the kitchen at midnight). And taking photos of food is in our bones (maybe it's the office water...), so that's why we've teamed up with Pure Leaf Iced Tea and Food52 Shop makers to host Instameets in cities across the country. We'll be sharing styling tips and props at each location to make your own photographs internet-ready—and we'll have great snacks, too.

Even if you can't make it, we wanted to share our favorite tips anyway, for better snacks—and better photos (or, if you want to see what we're seeing, follow along with #f52snacktime—that's where we'll be posting photos from our Instameets): 

Lighting
Shoot during daylight hours (even if that means eating more dinner for breakfast the next morning). Experiment with different Instagram settings and filters—Food52's secret weapons are increasing the Lux (that's the sunshine yin yang button), adding a little bit of a Vignette, and topping it off with a dab of Mayfair.

 

Perspective
An easy way to set a scene is to shoot overhead—and if you need to use a step stool to do so, no one will know.

 

Styling
Props (like flatware, salt cellars, impeccably rustic cutting boards) are a fun way to tell a story with your photo. Tip: You'll need to arrange objects closer than you would in real life.

 

Composition
The top or bottom third of your image are underrated places for the action to happen, since that's where our eyes are naturally drawn. Experiment with different crops to give the impression that there are even more beautiful things happening outside of the photo.

 

Caption
We like to caption like we’re talking to a close friend: casual, loving, witty, maybe even a little weird sometimes.

“Good bacon... err, good morning. Well, good morning and good bacon.”

Now test out your newfound styling chops with these granola bars—they're portable, healthful, delicious—and then help yourself to a snack.

Bulk Bin Snack Bars by Kendra Vaculin

Makes 20 bars

1 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup pepitas
1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup honey
1 cup almond butter
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by Bobbi Lin, Mark Weinberg, and James Ransom.

What's your favorite snack? Tell us in the comments below!

This post is brought to you by Pure Leaf Iced Tea.