5 Simple Food Photography Tricks for Vacation Photos

Want to capture delicious looking food photos from your next family vacation? These fun pictures add a lot more detail to your photo albums and memories and can be a special part of the trip!

To give your vacation album a little texture, try capturing photos of the special treats your family consumed.

When we are on the road, I’m always actively on the hunt for unique food items unavailable to us at home.

Experiencing new foods is part of the joy of traveling for me and I’m trying to instill that sense of culinary adventure in my girls.

During the research I did before our trip to Disney, I stumbled on a blog dedicated to the unique treats that can be found in the Disney World parks.

This was a totally new concept to me, I had only expected hamburgers & chicken nuggets type fare.

The unique Disney food item that was most intriguing to me was the giant turkey legs the author mentioned.

I made a mental note to search out this snack for the Peanut because I knew she would find it absolutely hysterical to eat a turkey leg as big as her head.

Sure enough, that meaty photo prop is one of the more vivid memories she has retained in the weeks following our trip.

While the traditional Mickey Mouse ice cream bar may be a familiar sight to many, this frosty treat was a complete revelation to my 5 year old.

She hadn’t even imagined they could create such a popsicle and this was a thrilling highlight to her day.

Out of our hundreds of vacation photos, this is one she actually asked me to capture of her and the one she wanted to print out and bring for show & tell to school.

I regret not capturing more of the treats from our trip like the pineapple Dole Whip my husband hunted down for me at Magic Kingdom.

I was too excited to try it myself, the camera stayed at my hip while I devoured it quickly as we waited for the afternoon parade to begin. But the memory is definitely sweet.

But when a friend and I splurged on a giant seafood platter from Paddlefish in Disney Springs before our 10K run for runDisney, I definitely wanted to remember that moment:

5 Simple Tricks for Making Food Look Good:

If you want to capture the goodies from your next family vacation, be careful to read through some of these tips first or you may end up with some unappetizing shots.

1. Turn Off the Flash:

Whenever possible, use the existing natural light to highlight your treat.

At the very least, turn the flash off on your camera or phone. That bright, artificial light washes out the color of your food and makes it appear unappetizing.

2. Shoot First, Eat Second:

Food almost ALWAYS looks best when it is fresh from the oven or just-served.

Freshly plated from the kitchen or perhaps with just a few bites missing is more appealing than a plate that looks dirty and almost finished.

3. Don’t Get Too Close:

You don’t need to be able to count the spaghetti strands in a photo. Up close and filling your camera frame with the subject is great but try to leave just a little breathing room so the viewer doesn’t feel like their face is being shoved in the plate.

4. Don’t Capture Mid-Chew:

This is just a terrible unflattering pose for anyone.

Aim for before the food hits their mouth or afterwards with a big smile.

You can capture a big, goofy bite shot of someone digging into their treat, but regular chewing often gives odd expressions.

5. Messy Kids Can Be Charming:

The exception to rule #4 involves your kids post-treat.

I have several precious shots of my girls covered in chocolate and grinning from ear to ear after a particularly delicious cake or melty ice cream cone.

So tell me, have you captured vacation food shots? Any special Disney treats that your family adores that I should remember for next time??