People Are Sharing Pics Of Nearly Perfect Food And Here Are 50 Of The Most Aesthetically Pleasing (New Pics)
We eat with our eyes first. How the food on your plate looks is going to affect your appetite quite a bit. Think about how you’d feel seeing someone bring in a dirty plate with greasy fingerprints on the rim, and the meal just slopped in the middle. Now consider someone bringing you an elegant dish that looks just as good as (if not better than!) in the pictures. The difference is night and day.
There is a massively popular subreddit with nearly 5.2 million members that encourages foodies to share beautiful photos of food. We’ve collected some of their freshest pics to show you just how much love and effort some chefs—professional and amateur alike—put into their creations. Be warned, dear Pandas, this post is going to make you hungry as heck. So we hope you’ve got some snacks while you’re upvoting your fave pics.
Bored Panda reached out to world-famous pie artist Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, @thepieous, for some advice on food photography and how to make the snaps look as appetizing as possible. She shared some great technical tips and told us about the main pitfalls to avoid. Jessica is the author of 'Pies Are Awesome: The Definitive Pie Art Book,' and you'll find our interview with her below.
For some more gastronomic inspiration, check out Bored Panda’s earlier articles about the massively-popular subreddit here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. And if you like content like this, be sure to join the Reddit community!
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Mango And Dragon Fruit Ice Cream
Jessica, the author of 'Pies Are Awesome,' was kind enough to share her insights on photographing food to make the pics look appealing. The good news is that you don't necessarily need a lot of fancy equipment to get awesome results. What's far more important is how you approach photography!
"You no longer need ultra fancy camera equipment to take professional-quality food photos—as of iPhone 11, cellphone snaps are virtually indistinguishable from the most expensive DSLR cameras," the pie artist shared with Bored Panda. She pointed out that there are two areas that might cause problems. The first is a cluttered backdrop. The second is light.
"The two biggest mistakes new food photographers make are working with overhead kitchen lights instead of natural light from a large window, and photographing their food on a counter cluttered with a million unrelated objects in the background," she said.
I Had A Dream I Made Cottage Pie With Starry Night Mashed Potatoes And I Haven’t Been Able To Stop Thinking About It.. So I Present To You The Starry Night Cottage Pie
Celebrating With Some Prosciutto, Capocollo, 3 Year Aged Cheddar And 21 Days Of Sobriety
"To get started, find the biggest window in your home and pull a chair or table set with a large piece of cardboard right up next to it. Place your food on the cardboard and snap away! Direct overhead shots are popular, as are slightly oblique angles that give the viewer the PoV of someone sitting down for a delicious meal," pie artist Jessica explained how newcomers to food photography might want to approach things. Once you get the fundamentals down right, you can start investing in more professional equipment. But that's always optional.
"As you start to up your game, you can spring for professional backdrops, and even your own lights that mimic daylight so that you can shoot outside of peak daylight hours… but these are by no means necessary to get in the game."
According to pie artist Jessica, once you've become confident with the basics, you can then turn your attention to the food itself.
"Make sure there are no smudges, drips, fingerprints, or other unappetizing elements on your dishes or styling props. Check your produce for wilted areas or other blemishes, and turn these away from the camera," she explained to Bored Panda that attention to detail is paramount.
Puff Pastry Apple Turnover
My Apple Pie Trifle
There’s An Ice Cream Place Near Boston That Sells Soft Serve Ice Cream With Gooey Caramel In The Middle And Apple Cider Donut Crumbles On The Outside
"To ensure your food is at peak freshness when you shoot it, do all of your prep work well in advance—set up your backdrop, camera tripods, lighting, props, etc. and get everything perfect using random household objects as 'stand ins' for your food. That way, once your dish is hot and ready to go, all you have to do is place it in the frame and snap away!"
Jessica noted that there's a lot to learn when it comes to food photography. Everything depends on your curiosity and willingness to try something new.
"There are hundreds of little tricks specific to certain types of food to make dishes look the most luscious and delicious, and many books have been dedicated to this subject. When you're ready to take things to that next level, start a list of your favorite food photographers on Instagram and see if they have ebooks, manuals, or courses offering their best lighting and styling tips... before you know it, you'll be joining their ranks and inspiring others with your own killer food photog style!" the pie artist said.
The Perfect Watermelon
Potato Pavé
My Cousin's Wife And I Put This Charcuterie Table Together For My Other Cousin's Wedding! I Think It Turned Out Pretty Great
The subreddit is a great place to find some inspiration if you feel that you’ve run out of ideas when it comes to cooking. If you value aesthetics and presentation a lot but feel like you’ve hit a creative block, it’s perfectly fine to take a break from it all.
Then, when you come back to the kitchen all rested-up and reenergized, you can start looking a bit broader for inspiration. Take a peek at other areas of life for how you cook, bake, and arrange your food: maybe you’ll find something in nature, pop culture, or even architecture that motivates you to go the extra mile!
The subreddit is home to over 5 million members, or ‘foodies’ as the moderator team has dubbed them. The online community has been active for over a decade, and in that time, it has become one of the most well-known and influential groups on Reddit.
The sub describes itself as being dedicated to “simple, attractive, and visual” content. If it’s related to food and it looks great, you should probably share it here.
We Have So Much Fruit Coming From The Garden. Brownie-White Chocolatemousse Pie With Fresh Fruit
Halloween Pizza
My Girlfriend And I Don’t Bake But We Made Her Birthday Cake From Scratch And It Looked Really Beautiful
The internet is a much different place than it was in 2009 when the subreddit was first created. Back then, internet users were far more open to naming their communities something embarrassing or unusual. Something that instantly gets your attention.
Fast-forward to 2022 and internet censorship has become quite widespread. Even mentioning some of these community names in full, in the text, is a wonderful way to get on the wrong side of the Internet and Social Media Overlords. The sad reality is that the subreddit has a so-called ‘stop word’ in its name which is why we can’t mention it directly. We can, however, celebrate just how great the community is and invite you to check it out yourselves, dear Pandas.
If you do decide to join the sub, make sure that you familiarize yourself with the community rules. You can find them in the sidebar. They’re pretty straightforward.
Be civil toward others. Post things only related to food. It is a food subreddit after all! If you’d like to discuss something unrelated, there are plenty of other communities on Reddit and elsewhere for that.
Homegrown Tomato Spread
Poppy Semolina Bread
Pan Grilled Jiaozi. And A Cat
Meanwhile, members are encouraged to post only images and gifs. Videos and articles aren’t allowed. While writing the title, be sure to include some context.
Oh, and mark your post with an [OC] (original content) tag in the title if the photo is one that you took.
Pot Roast Bread Bowl Topped With Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
French Berry Tartlets I Made For My Fiancé
Homemade Salted Caramel Cheesecake
However, if it’s not your photo, make sure that you credit the actual content creator. Transparency is an important part of practically any online community.
And even if it wasn’t, it’s nice to know the original source of something you come across. Credit where credit’s due and all that.
Homemade Asian BBQ Chicken Lo Mein
Ratatouille I Just Made
Went Strawberry Picking
According to the hard-working moderator team, low-effort titles will be removed. You’re asked to be as descriptive and precise as you can. What’s more, originality is further encouraged by limiting the number of non-original content posts you make to one per day.
If you’ve found a delicious-looking pic on the internet that you can’t wait to share with the other members of the sub, remember that you can only do that once every day.
Flour, Water, Salt. Today's Loaf Really Did Things To Me
Baked My 30th Birthday Cake. Grapefruit And Champagne Cake
Crunchy Grilled Garlic And Pesto Bruschetta
Meanwhile, the mods note that if you plan on sharing a recipe with your photo, you should write it in plain text in the comments. “We do not require posts to include a recipe, however we do strongly encourage it,” the team running the community explains.
“You are free to link to off-site recipes, but there must always be a plain text version in a comment, if there is to be any recipe at all. All we're requiring is that if you are going to post a link to a recipe, you also include a plain text version in the comment.”
Made A Chocolate Chip Banana Bread That Came Out Very Moist
I Made Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon And Mashed Potatoes
Sister Made This Chocolate Cake For My Birthday. I Couldn't Be Happier
I’m sorry to inform you guys, but this is Shrek after Fiona found out the he was caught stepping out on her. He was not swimming. 😵
Which of these food pics impressed you the most, dear Pandas? Were there any dishes or desserts that you’d love to take a bite out of if you could reach through the screen? And, be honest, are you as hungry as we are after finishing this list? Share your thoughts, opinions, and hunger level in the comments!
Onion Soup Gratin
Pumpkin Gnocchi With A Creamy Spinach Sauce
Look At This Motherf**king Paella!
Nothing Profound To Share, I Just Thought My Ribeye Looked Sexy
Moon Drops Grapes
A Bouquet Of Chicken Gyros On Homemade Pitta
Peaches And Cream Roll Cake For A Local Peach Festival!
My First Attempt At Beef Wellington
Steak And Ale Pie
Injera With A Variety Of Ethiopian Dishes
Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich With Focaccia
Homemade Broken Glass Jelly
Colombian Platter With Pulled Chicken, Chorizo, Fried Plantain, Garlic Rice, Red Beans, Potatoes And Guacamole
Made Pancakes With Blueberries I Picked This Morning
Any Garlic Soup Lovers In Here? This Is How I Make Mine
Our Halloween Charcuterie Spread + Pumpkin Spice & Cream Cheese Frosting Cupcakes + Skeleton Brownies + Rice Krispie Treats (Not Raw Meat)
Decided To Make A Choco Taco From Scratch And It Turned Out Great !
My 34th Batch Of Homemade Sushi
After making that: Hark, what alien hedgehog through yonder window breaks? (Alien hedgehog summoning spell)
Jalapeno Popper Mummies
Mini Sourdough Detroit Stye Pizzas
Ramen Made From Instant Noodles With Beef And Mushroom Broth
Homemade Golden Paneer Baos With Butter Sauce
Seafood Grill In Santorini, Greece
[homemade] Lobster Pasta In A Tarragon, Tomato Cream Sauce
Buttermilk Pancakes, Sausage, Hash Browns, Eggs, And Raspberries
4 In 1 Pizza! Kyiv, Ukraine. Tin Tin
Indo Chinese Platter (Veg) - Hakka Noodles, Momos, Honey Chilli Potato, Spring Rolls, Manchurian
Fresh Fruit Tartlets I Made In Class
The Wife Made Us Tortilla De Patatas For Breakfast This Morning. It's A Good Life
Lasagna Soup! I Call This One A Sloppy Sexy Soup!
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Medallion With Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
A Cake My Fiancee Made Me. Nothing Fancy, But It Tastes Like Gourmet To Me
My Husband's First Attempt At A Cherry Pie! Came Out A Little Bland, Any Suggestions On How To Help That?
Coconut Soft Serve With Honeycomb And Toffee Popcorn
Sunday Lunch In Grandma's Garden In Poland. Pork Chop, Mashed Potatoes, Cucumbers In Sour Cream And Plum Drink
Paneer Popcorn
Onion Gouda Cheese Jalapeno And Garlic Butter Puff Pastry Bites
Korean Military Stew
I Made Some Lasagna For The Very First Time! Took Me Forever Lol
My Stuffed Cabbage Is Aesthetically Pleasing!
Burrata, Charred Peaches, Tomatoes, Arugula, Toasted Pine Nuts, Balsamic And Olive Oil. Hoping For A Good Summer !
Japanese Cheesecake Lived Up To Its Hype
Paczki. Warm Polish Donuts Filled With Rose Flavored Jam, Ferrero Rocher & Salty Carmel
I Made Shakshuka Loaded Tots
Milky Soft Serve Inside An Onsen
Chocolate Cheesecake
Practicing My Cantonese Roast Duck For Mid-Autumn Festival
It’s Been 7 Months, And I Still Dream About This Meal In Saint Martin. Lobster And Citrus Salad
Mocha Marble Cheesecake
My inner perfectionist is screaming in happiness and running around in hedgehoggy circles
Good Ol’ Spaghetti And Meatballs
A Little Late Night Surf And Turf
Filipino Boodle Fight
Outrageous Grilled Salmon Burger With Tzatziki
It’s Corn!!
Gorgeous Pastries
Ever Since I Was 6 Years Old And I First Watched Matilda, I Have Always Wanted To Make The Chocolate Cake In The Movie. And Now That I’m 19, I Finally Made It!
Homemade Full English
Son Got The Flu, So I Made Him His Favor: Homemade, From Scratch, Garlic Bread Focaccia Pizza With Extra Pepperoni And Parmesan Cheese.
Considering people with flu often lose their sense of taste, this seems kind of cruel to me.
[i Made] Double Bacon Cheeseburger
After Forty Years, I Finally Got To Have My First Real Lobster Roll. Oh My God, I've Squandered My Life Before This
Homemade Sourdough Pizza Crumb Shot
Spicy Dumplings
Second Attempt At Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Katsu Lunch Plate
Sushi I Made For My BF. I Apologise For My Terrible Knife Skills
One Of The Best Bagels I Ever Had
I Was Challenged To Make A Twinkie Look Appetizing, How Did I Do?
Come To Italy For Pizza... Stay For The Sandwiches!
Smoked Prime Tri-Tip With Garlic Bread
This Is What We Call "Siomai" Which Is Kind Of Similar To Dumplings. It Has Grounded Pork Or Beef Inside, Sometimes Fish. It's Perfect With Soy Sauce, Garlic, Chili Paste, A Bit Of Lemon Or Calamansi Juice
Pasta Bolognese
Pastel De Nata, Aka Portuguese Custard Tarts
Hangover Hot Dogs
Homemade Breakfast Burrito
Sashimi Tower From A Fish We Caught Just 30 Minutes Prior!
Wow! That looks so nice… I shouldn’t have skipped lunch and scrolled through BP
Homemade Texas Style Brisket Chili And Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread
Just Want To Flex These Sunny-Side Up Eggs That I Made This Morning
A Spicy Tuna Burger With A Fried Rice Bun
Homemade Big Macs
Double Cheese Tagliatelle With A Poached Egg
Cheesy Deep Dish Pizza Pt. 2
Typical Italian Gas Station Sandwiches. Grazie Autogrill
Wife Is Out Of Town. Hard To Find A Friend On A Saturday. So Shall It Be. Clams In White Wine Sauce For One On The Grill
Sous Vide Duck Breast On Top Of Parsnip Purée With Duck Leg, Savoy Cabbage And Peas With 15 Hour Chips And Duck Gravy
[i Ate] Neapolitan Pizza In Pisa, Italy
Smoked Chicken Wings
I love wings, i truly do, and these pieces of chicken look amazing, but why on earth did chicken wings suddenly lose two parts of the wing ? all you get now is this part, I ache for the spear part, I love the chewy nothingness of them, I love the other part that is more bone than meat, I NEED THE WHOLE WING the whole part that flaps.
Za'atar Manakish With Eggs And Tomato
My Son Turns 6 Tomorrow And This Is What He Requested As His ‘Cake’… All Caramel Everything On A Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie. I Hope He Loves It
[we Ate] Norwegian Take On The American Cheeseburger
Carbonara And Sunset
Rib Eye Or NY Strip; Which Is Your Favourite?
Homemade Double Cheeseburger And Onion Rings. Everything Made From Scratch
Neapolitan Sandwich - Nutella, Fluff, Strawberry Jelly, Peanut Butter
Ranchiest Dorito Chip I’ve Ever Seen
Double Beef N Bacon Smash W/Thick Cut Pickles & Jalapeños…
[i Ate] Corned Beef On Rye @ Katz’s NYC
Gordon Ramsey's Signature Beef Wellington @ Hell's Kitchen
Italian Hoagie
Screw Chicken And Waffles. Waffle And Pulled Pork Sandwich
[i Ate] Mini-Tartellettes From Shortbread Dough Stuffed With Cherry Jam And Boiled Condensed Milk
A Burger In NYC
Chocolate Chip Cookies I Made For Breakfast
Everything looked wonderful. That doesn't always happen. Happy New Year to all Pandas, health, peace and cheese (or favourite equivalent)
I just felt a disturbance in the sauce. Like that of a billion New Year's resolutions ended simultaneously
Oooohhhhh! If ever a web thread deserved to be devoured down to the last delicious morsel, this is it! Fair warning guys, don't be reading this in the early hours of the morning when you've just decided to start a new diet! It's too late for me - save yourselves and read something appetite-destroying while you still can; lord knows, there's plenty out there! Now, where did I hide my stash of Forbidden Lovelies...
Bad to see this on BP when I got the munchies after a bowl of weed! Lol
Guys, it's not fair, I'm supposed to be on diet and you post pictures of delicious food.
I just made a apple cobbler like in the crock pot. It's super simple to make and I made it better. 2 cinnamon roll cans cut into quarters. 3 cans of apple pie filling layered between the cinnamon rolls. 1 stick of butter sliced up. Pecans and raisins to your liking. Just layer them starting with the rolls and apple filling the a little butter in each layer then set the crock pot to low for 3.5 hours. Stir a few times and then when finished, drizzle with the sauce from the roll cans. Your done. Made it three times and tweaked it each time to make it better.
Everything looked wonderful. That doesn't always happen. Happy New Year to all Pandas, health, peace and cheese (or favourite equivalent)
I just felt a disturbance in the sauce. Like that of a billion New Year's resolutions ended simultaneously
Oooohhhhh! If ever a web thread deserved to be devoured down to the last delicious morsel, this is it! Fair warning guys, don't be reading this in the early hours of the morning when you've just decided to start a new diet! It's too late for me - save yourselves and read something appetite-destroying while you still can; lord knows, there's plenty out there! Now, where did I hide my stash of Forbidden Lovelies...
Bad to see this on BP when I got the munchies after a bowl of weed! Lol
Guys, it's not fair, I'm supposed to be on diet and you post pictures of delicious food.
I just made a apple cobbler like in the crock pot. It's super simple to make and I made it better. 2 cinnamon roll cans cut into quarters. 3 cans of apple pie filling layered between the cinnamon rolls. 1 stick of butter sliced up. Pecans and raisins to your liking. Just layer them starting with the rolls and apple filling the a little butter in each layer then set the crock pot to low for 3.5 hours. Stir a few times and then when finished, drizzle with the sauce from the roll cans. Your done. Made it three times and tweaked it each time to make it better.