A new user scrolls through the app, barely glancing over the fifth fried rice and third nasi lemak they’ve already seen. With so many eager hosts and customers on board, we know it can be difficult to stand out when everyone wants to serve their delicious meals to the masses. Since the first thing users see is the cover picture for your dish, what better way to make a great first impression than an enticing, drool-inducing picture? Here is how to do just that:

Lighting

You’ll want to bathe your dish in light to ensure every detail of your dish can be caught on camera! But not just any light; natural light works best. Try not to rely on your usual home lighting / indoor fluorescent lights and take your pictures in the morning or afternoon to capture the light of day instead. Place your dish near a window, making sure nothing blocks it, then stand in a place where your shadow won’t be cast over it, and you’re good to go!

Angles

You might be taking pictures from the top, or just making sure that your dish fits within the frame of your screen. But know that there are endless possibilities and angles you can capture your dish from! A classic angle would be directly above your dish to create a flat lay.

If you have a certain ingredient you’d like to showcase or a texture you want to focus on, you could close in and have it be in the foreground, while your entire dish is still visible but in the background. You could also try taking it at eye level of your dish, or at an angle. Experiment by taking multiple shots, be it standing, squatting, kneeling or even standing on a stool (but be careful!). You might just find that sweet spot!

Arrangement

Related to angles, the arrangement of a photo can guide a user’s eyes towards the star of the show, your homemade meal. The various ingredients in it can be arranged in ways to either focus on a certain part or make the dish more cohesive. If you have a rice dish, you can have the rice shifted to one side with smaller sized ingredients lining it and the biggest one at the top, clearing a path to feature the key ingredient. You can let them occupy equal portions of the dish, letting the vibrant colours speak for themselves. Even your floral or woven straw placemat can frame your dish as well. Try to place it in a way that focuses on your main ingredient!

Decorations

Your dish is special because it comes with your own personal touch. Emphasise that by placing something in the picture that makes the dish itself unique. Is your dish fiery spicy? Place some chilli padi, chopped or not, around the dish. Did you add various spices to make it tangy? Let the spice bottle lie flat on the table to accompany your dish. What makes your dish so different is exactly what people want to see in pictures, so feel free to add bottles, vegetables (and they can be washed afterwards!) and other ingredients to your picture!

While we’re not professional photographers, we hope these photo taking tips help you grab more users’ attention without needing fancy photography equipment! There are many ways you can snap pictures that do your dish justice. Experiment away! We hope you stick around for more posts that will help your home cook business!