PHOTOGRAPHY: Taking Pictures of Food...at Night...on Your iPhone

Why do we take pictures of food? We love the food itself; we want to make our dieting Instagram/Facebook friends cry a little; we like taking pictures, etc.  The list goes on.  In any case, we want these pictures to look ahhmazing.  How do you do that when you're in a dark, dimly lit restaurant, with a dark chocolate cake? Simple.  Here are the rules:

• Never, ever use flash.  Amateur flash (the kind that most of us have on our cameras or phones) does very little to enhance the beauty of a picture.  It really just does a good job exposing the subject. Very Zero Thirty like - this is no bueno for your food shots.
• Use props: use the candles, silverware, and drinks on your table to your advantage.  Setup props several dimensional layers deep.
• It takes two: you're likely out and eating with someone else, have them help you.
• Download a flashlight app: not only does this app (I have the generic "Flashlight" on my iPhone) help you locate your keys in a ginormous bag, it also provides the right lighting for a dark situation.  Have your dining buddy hold the flashlight high above the subject, and snap your picture!

The picture you see here was taken using the rules above; my cousin (sobiamanjra on Instagram) snapped the pic while I managed lighting. This picture was taken with no filter and is unaltered.  Flashlight and snap away my friends!