15 of the most inspiring food photographers to follow in 2021

Creating a delectable photograph of food isn't as simple as snapping a quick shot of your dinner table. Cooking the food to perfection might even be the easiest part, after that you need to create visual interest through styling, texture, composition and ever-important lighting. Executing a high quality image requires a lot of planning, preparation and creativity.

If you are hungry to learn what it takes to master the art of food photography you have a powerful learning tool in the palm of your hand. Instagram is full of amazing food images that you can scroll through for ideas and talented creators you can learn from.

To discover the most inspiring accounts, we asked our creative community to tell us their favourite foodies to create this ultimate list of the must-follow food photographers on Instagram in 2021.

Many of them even offer tips and tricks or behind-the-scenes reels of how their photographs were created. So if you are ready to get inspired (and also a little hungry) scroll on down and feast your eyes on the top foodies (in no particular order!) in the photography business

1. Lucia Marecak

Check out these moody food images by Turin, Italy-based Lucia Marecak @healthygoodiesbylucia. With a focus on healthy foods, she features a lot of fruits and vegetables in her work. Aspiring food photographers can learn from her mastery in her Healthy Goodies Membership Club.

2. Sadia Badiei

As a dietitian, Sadia Badiei’s @pickuplimes food photography focuses on healthy, plant-based recipes and wholesome living. Her feed is full of delightful healthy treats (yes even desserts!) that nourish the body. She has an active YouTube community where you can watch videos and learn new delicious recipes to try.

3. Bea Lubas

Bea @bealubas has a feed full of tantalising desserts and deep, bold coloured fruits. She has a book available on Amazon on how to photograph food and offers virtual workshops to photographers. One look at her scrumptious images and you’ll be signing up!

4. Rachel Korinek

In a veritable display of art, Rachel’s @twolovesstudio photography is not only beautiful but so is her styling. Flowers, or food shaped to look like flowers, appear often in her images. She shoots often with her camera gear as part of the images and you can watch her reels to learn great photography tips.

5. Eva Kosmas Flores

Eva @evakosmasflores combines her love of gardening with food photography to create lovely images bursting with life and colour. As a photography educator, she has a virtual course coming out in conjunction with Bea Lubas.

6. Kayley McCabe

Kayley McCabe @thekitchenmccabe likes to incorporate a lot of movement in her images. In many of them you’ll see hands adding the final touches to an exquisite dish and don’t be surprised if a furry friend appears in the photograph!

7. Kimberly Espinel

Kimberly’s @thelittleplantation bright, happy images are enough to mesmerise anyone and make them wish for a bite. She uses a lot of strong subject compositions with a single subject front and centre. That subject, however, is always made interesting by bright colours and different textures. She offers e-courses, mentoring, and has a book Creative Food Photography.

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8. Luisa Brimble

Scroll through Luisa Brimble’s @luisabrimble Instagram feed and you’ll see more than just food photography. She also incorporates lifestyle images and other interesting content. Ethnic foods feature heavily in her images of edible subjects, giving the viewer something out of the ordinary to observe.

9. Anastasiya Matveeva

Anastasiya @aymatveeva brings us her delectable images from Moscow. She likes bright, bold colors and as you scroll through her feed you can see strong themes of red, yellow, purple, and other colors. Her work features a variety of types of food including dessert, bread, and fruit.

10. Julia Cosmo

It’s easy to see why Julia Cosmo’s @julicosmo clear, contrasty images have made her account a crowd favourite. Known for her impactful levitation and motion capture images, she uses a variety of elements in her images, but not so many that it seems overwhelming.

11. Daria Kalugina

Another talented food photographer from Moscow, Daria @contrse often blends stunning food photography with portraiture. Her images have a bit of a darker mood and can be somewhat unconventional but are definitely creative and eye-catching.

12. Purvi Shah

In addition to food photography, Purvi @iampurvishah focuses on sustainable living and is a mental health advocate. She likes to show hands interacting with food in her images and many of them showcase the bright, rich foods of India.

13. Gulia

Chicago-based food and product photographer Gulia @gulia_foodstories uses rich colors with lots of contrast to create her delicious images. She is a versatile creator, using a variety of techniques, and tends to prefer darker backgrounds. Check out her reels to see her behind-the-scenes setups!

14. Darina From Gastrostoria

Darina @gastrostoria is a commercial food photographer and educator. If you want to learn about food photography, she’s a great choice. On the whole, her images are bright and airy, with almost a whimsical feel to them. She expertly captures the eye with her stunning images.

15. Fanette Rickert

Finally, we round off the list with the cheerful work of Fanette Rickert @frenchlyphotography. She doesn’t shy away from shadows in her work, rather incorporating them as part of the image. On Instagram, her posts are detailed and full of helpful tips and information for budding food photographers. She’s a firm favourite here at Creatively Squared and one to watch for sure!

Are you wondering how to take your photography to the next level? With Creatively Squared you can learn and improve your photography by participating in our diverse community and taking advantage of our tutorials, tips, and tricks.

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