Confession: Food bloggers LOOOOOVE to pretend that every shot turns out amazing. But, in reality, we take as many random, ridiculous, and rancid photos as we take good ones. We try not to take ourselves too seriously, that’s why we’re poking fun at five of the most unflattering photos we took in 2017. Why haven’t we deleted these already?!
If you take food photos or are thinking about starting, we are going to expose the worst of our photo failings along with tips about how to avoid them.
Fail #1: Brown on Brown Leads to a Big Frown
Photo taken at: The Sovengard (Grand Rapids)
Mistake made: Some dishes will never look as good as they taste. Such is the case with these wonderfully delicious meatballs at The Sovengard. It’s hard to make brown meatballs in a brown bowl look appealing, especially when the lighting is low. We shouldn’t have even tried.
Resolution: Recognize that some dishes will never be pretty. Put down the camera and enjoy them!
Fail #2: Boring Bread Blues
Photo taken at: PepeNero (Traverse City)
Mistake made: PepeNero served us one of the best meals we had all year, so we’re not sure why we bothered taking a one dimensional photo of the bread. The extreme hue didn’t help either. Luckily, we took some amazing photos that properly showcased PepeNero’s exquisite cuisine.
2018 Resolution: Skip taking photos of the bread and focus on the good stuff.
Fail #3: Beware of a Bad Background
Photo taken at: Republic (Detroit)
Mistake made: It can be tricky taking photos of drinks at the bar. There is always so much movement and activity going on in the background. Clearly, we missed the mark when we caught this poor bartender in a rather awkward position. Good thing we got to enjoy the refreshing cocktail to drown our sorrows after this cringeworthy shot.
Resolution: Give the bartender a break by waiting until they are out of the shot and make sure the camera is focused on the right subject.
Fail #4: Come on Baby, Light My Tartare
Photo taken at: Otus Supply (Ferndale)
Mistake made: As a rule of thumb, you can’t take a stellar photo in the dark. Although we love Otus Supply, there was no amount of Photoshopping we could do to save this dimly lit Beef Tartare. This poor photo never stood a chance, although the dish was a shining star.
Resolution: Bring a portable light, take photos during the day, or pretty much do anything to make the dish visible.
Fail #5: We Must Be (Pea)nuts!
Photo taken at: O’Toole’s Public House (Grand Rapids)
Mistake made: Why did we think it was a good idea to hold a peanut in the same hand as the pint glass? We can’t look at this photo without laughing.
Resolution: There isn’t a resolution in the world that’s going to fix this epic fail.
Happy New Year from Michigan Chews & Brews!
The Michigan Chews & Brews crew wishes you all of the best in 2018. May your food be delicious, may your glass be full, and may you have the time of your life exploring Michigan!
