Hi Friends!
Time to recap another FNCE session. In case you missed it, you can read my FNCE 2013 recap, as well as check out my first session recap on Beyond Traditional Dietetics. Today I’m recapping one of my favorite sessions!
Ready?
The Power of Visual Food Storytelling to Promote Healthier Eating
Speakers: Regan Jones, RD & Holley Grainger, MS, RD
*Photo Credit- Regan Jones*
Photography
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what are your pictures saying about healthy eating? Over the years we’ve seen a rise of the visual web. We’ve gone from long-form blog posts with 1,000+ words, to Facebook statuses with 3 lines of text, to tweets with 140 characters, to Pinterest & Instagram where there are often no words- we’re communicating with the image.
A good image has:
- Appeal- yum factor (even brussels sprouts can look sexy)
- Staying power- blog posts get 94% more total views if they have relevant images
- Key message
- The potential for the viral effect (ie hundreds of thousands of repins on Pinterest)
Most common photography mistakes:
- Out of focus
- Low lighting/harsh lighting/artificial lighting
- Cropped too tightly
- Unnatural angles
- Distracting background
You can read more about this mistakes in this Top 5 Reasons Editors Decline An Image post.
Best angles to shoot:
- Directly overhead (especially if using an iphone)
- 45 degree angle (like you’re sitting at a table taking a pic of your food)
- Eye level
Composition & Styling tips:
- Use the rule of thirds. Points where the lines intersect are great visual points that are eyes like.
- Layering, texture and abundance are important for healthy foods. It’s easy to make dessert look good. You may have to work a little harder to make healthy food look good, but it can be done!
- Get a color wheel. Understand how colors work together to make food pop!
- Let the food shine through. Don’t overstyle. Layer, garnish, show a dipping sauce in the background, etc.
- Show food in it’s natural form. That’s often when it looks its best.
It’s not all about traffic. It’s about changing the perception of healthy eating. It doesn’t have to be elaborate to be healthy. Beautiful food pics will make healthy food look tasty and inspire people to eat better!
Take the time to learn how your camera works. Read the manual. Then read it again. Your camera is not as smart as you. You must learn to tell it what to do. Turn off autofocus!
———————
Video
How do you communicate your nutrition message?
Why video?
- It bridges a gap
- Provides value
- Entertains
- Reaches a broader audience
- Brings your message to life
- Builds a personal brand
Why now?
- Every day, 89 million people will watch 1.2 online videos in the US alone.
- Online video users are expected to double to 1.5 billion in 2016
- Video is the next trend! Get ahead now!
Why you?
- An extra way for your audience to get to know you.
- It can help you sell something…like your message, a cookbook, etc.
- They can see your passion and energy and connect with you on a more personal level.
Don’t let perfectionism hold you back! Start small. Use Instagram video and vine. Watch how people engage with you!
What makes an effective online video?
- Style– Make it your own! Put your own personal spin on it and let your personality shine through.
- Script– Intro, hook, short/concise sound bites. If your video is longer than 1-2 minutes, turn it into a series
- Delivery– Bring positive energy to the set, have a one-on-one convo with the person watching your video, think about your body language, voice tone and pace.
- Details– Keep the camera close. Control background noise. Look into the eye piece so you can see what the viewer sees.
- Optimization– Upload, share, promote! Use key words. Create a video archive. Update regularly.
Let’s chat: Are you using your camera to its fullest potential? Do you prefer videos or photos on blogs?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
Love this post! So much incredible and useful information 🙂
I love that you’re doing the FNCE recaps. This is very useful for when I take pictures with my phone. I normally don’t have my digital camera with me, so using a phone is the next best thing. I’ll make sure to use these tips next time I take food pics! =)
THANK YOU Lindsay!! Such an informative post- my number 1 thing to tackle after my exams is to work on my food photography and this has been so helpful- bookmarking it! I tend to prefer photos on blogs, but have never considered utilising videos- something to consider.
Brussels sprouts are indeed sexy 😉
Wow! Amazing recap, and very useful tips 🙂 thank you! don’t know if I’m gutsy enough for videos yet but will have to work more on my iPhone photography though. Thanks 🙂
Great tips! I usually only have my phone with me so that is what the majority of my pics are from. BTW – that first pic is gorgeous!
I totally cheeeered the notion of it is NOT about traffic–but about changing the perception of healthy eating.
uhhh i use my iphone lol. i need a real camera! but great tips nonetheless! 🙂
That is an interesting question about videos. I actually get kind of annoyed when I have to watch a video to get the information I want, but I am interested in other’s perspectives!
Definitely some useful information! I want to get better photography for the blog…I know how important it is!
Good stuff, thanks for sharing! : )
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Such great information Lindsay! I too love that you’re sharing all the good stuff you learned at FCNE. I too want to improve my photography skills. That always seems to be on my list to things to do!
Such a great post with such a great message Lindsay!!
Love the message that it’s more than just the food, it’s the story and perception shift about healthy eating. Love it!
Thanks for the tips, too – definitely using. I often prefer photos, because I can look and save and don’t need to commit too much time to watching. Vine/Insta-videos though are short and sweet 🙂
Great tips! Sometimes simple is best when it comes to food photography.
So proud of everything Regan has accomplished with healthy food photography. I’ll be the first to admit I’m a little scared…maybe even embarrassed! to try video, but it’s on my ‘list’.
totally!! (on both accounts)
ahhh me too!
I learned so much! So much great information Lindsay. I am someone who really loves photography and incorporating photos into a blog post is kind of like doing a craft or a little piece of art for me. I love a good image.
and you take some great ones 🙂 still drooling over that sweet potato dip!
These tips are so useful, especially to a newbie to blogging, like me. Thanks for the advice!
Such great info! Always love learning new tips and things. Thanks Lindsay!
Thanks Lindsay! So much great information in this post. I really need to learn and use my SLR camera to its full potential. I get lazy and take most pictures with my iphone. Shame!
I love the video tips too. It gives me something to work toward.
Love this recap! Improving my photography skills is definitely on my list of things to do. These tips will make a good starting point. Thanks for sharing.
The photographing tips in this post are super helpful! Thanks so much for sharing!
you’re so welcome!
wonderful post with so many great tips!!
I have a question for your Lindsey… Why is your blog so amazing? 😉
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Great stuff! Thanks for sharing. I’m definitely bookmarking this to reference back to in the future!
Thanks so much for sharing all these awesome tips from your FNCE session!
Great info – thank you so much! I tried & tried to tweet but it have been acting up again – sometimes yes & sometimes not on every blog in this format – crazy thing! 🙂
These are awesome tips!! I can use all the help I can get with photography. 🙂
me too Laura 🙂
Hehe I shall always remember Regan’s comment about brussel sprouts looking sexy (love her accent ;)). I really try to work on my photography skills as it’s one way of showing people that healthy food looks and tastes delicious! I know when I look for recipes, pictures are what grabs me.
As for video, I’m very nervous about that one..but I do like a good challenge hehe. We shall see..
Hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Enjoy the extra hour! Woohoo!
Great information! I was at FNCE, but didn’t attend this session. Thank you for posting!
you’re welcome!!