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!

#1 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

Image credits: JustTom1

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.

#2 Puff Pastry Apple Turnover

Image credits: input36

#3 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

Image credits: Coopunder

“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.

#4 Ratatouille I Just Made

Image credits: Chufriend

#5 Mango And Dragon Fruit Ice Cream

Image credits: eleveninvar31

#6 Celebrating With Some Prosciutto, Capocollo, 3 Year Aged Cheddar And 21 Days Of Sobriety

Image credits: Eaton_snatch

“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.

#7 My Cousin’s Wife And I Put This Charcuterie Table Together For My Other Cousin’s Wedding! I Think It Turned Out Pretty Great

Image credits: Jazzmasterweirdoo

#8 Potato Pavé

Image credits: aminorman

#9 Baked My 30th Birthday Cake. Grapefruit And Champagne Cake

Image credits: i-am-a-pretty-potato

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.

#10 Made A Chocolate Chip Banana Bread That Came Out Very Moist

Image credits: tommy_and_jasper

#11 Pot Roast Bread Bowl Topped With Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes

Image credits: crazedmofo

#12 We Have So Much Fruit Coming From The Garden. Brownie-White Chocolatemousse Pie With Fresh Fruit

Image credits: Michaelstruis

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.

#13 Nothing Profound To Share, I Just Thought My Ribeye Looked Sexy

Image credits: CaptainWisconsin

#14 My Apple Pie Trifle

Image credits: BubblesAndSass

#15 A Bouquet Of Chicken Gyros On Homemade Pitta

Image credits: thekebabspikeco

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.

#16 Our Halloween Charcuterie Spread + Pumpkin Spice & Cream Cheese Frosting Cupcakes + Skeleton Brownies + Rice Krispie Treats (Not Raw Meat)

Image credits: BrwnSuperman

#17 The Perfect Watermelon

Image credits: Diurnalgrill

#18 Poppy Semolina Bread

Image credits: naxotech

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.

#19 Crunchy Grilled Garlic And Pesto Bruschetta

Image credits: rperissi

#20 Homemade Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Image credits: l0l4sca

#21 My 34th Batch Of Homemade Sushi

Image credits: yellowjacquet

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.

#22 Jalapeno Popper Mummies

Image credits: howardmid86

#23 Homemade Golden Paneer Baos With Butter Sauce

Image credits: splashyseal

#24 Homemade Asian BBQ Chicken Lo Mein

Image credits: ProjectA-ko

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.”

#25 Decided To Make A Choco Taco From Scratch And It Turned Out Great !

Image credits: Burgermeisters

#26 I Made Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon And Mashed Potatoes

Image credits: rickyricardo808

#27 Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich With Focaccia

Image credits: bangingbites

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!

#28 Flour, Water, Salt. Today’s Loaf Really Did Things To Me

Image credits: jubjubmacrub

#29 Moon Drops Grapes

Image credits: cherrysnobs

#30 My Girlfriend And I Don’t Bake But We Made Her Birthday Cake From Scratch And It Looked Really Beautiful

Image credits: sushiiisenpai

#31 Pumpkin Gnocchi With A Creamy Spinach Sauce

Image credits: Shark-Farts

#32 Pan Grilled Jiaozi. And A Cat

Image credits: OwNathan

#33 Sister Made This Chocolate Cake For My Birthday. I Couldn’t Be Happier

Image credits: Pirate_Potato

#34 Ramen Made From Instant Noodles With Beef And Mushroom Broth

Image credits: roussosvic

#35 Good Ol’ Spaghetti And Meatballs

Image credits: kindofsam

#36 My Stuffed Cabbage Is Aesthetically Pleasing!

Image credits: justpie

#37 Paneer Popcorn

Image credits: Foodlover2022

#38 My Husband’s First Attempt At A Cherry Pie! Came Out A Little Bland, Any Suggestions On How To Help That?

Image credits: cirinalynn

#39 Onion Soup Gratin

Image credits: Kitchen_Reach8756

#40 French Berry Tartlets I Made For My Fiancé

Image credits: weeniewobble

#41 My First Attempt At Beef Wellington

Image credits: InkedInspector

#42 Chicken Katsu Lunch Plate

Image credits: mburbie35

#43 I Made Shakshuka Loaded Tots

Image credits: mattsdog

#44 Any Garlic Soup Lovers In Here? This Is How I Make Mine

Image credits: Matuloo

#45 Mini Sourdough Detroit Stye Pizzas

Image credits: ItsZaTime

#46 I Was Challenged To Make A Twinkie Look Appetizing, How Did I Do?

Image credits: potatokween112

#47 Homemade Broken Glass Jelly

Image credits: Varunika95

#48 Went Strawberry Picking

Image credits: mus1calprostitute

#49 Fresh Fruit Tartlets I Made In Class

Image credits: Get-Wrecked-By-Shrek

#50 Look At This Motherf**king Paella!

Image credits: Ornery-Mastodon-4866

#51 [i Made] Double Bacon Cheeseburger

Image credits: Sad_Fill_724

#52 Sunday Lunch In Grandma’s Garden In Poland. Pork Chop, Mashed Potatoes, Cucumbers In Sour Cream And Plum Drink

Image credits: jakniejaktak

#53 Steak And Ale Pie

Image credits: aminorman

#54 Onion Gouda Cheese Jalapeno And Garlic Butter Puff Pastry Bites

Image credits: mitch-mma

#55 Made Pancakes With Blueberries I Picked This Morning

Image credits: isl73

#56 A Little Late Night Surf And Turf

Image credits: MrOsterhagen

#57 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!

Image credits: Theresa-Apocalypse

#58 Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Medallion With Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

Image credits: shuadoorn

#59 4 In 1 Pizza! Kyiv, Ukraine. Tin Tin

Image credits: korabel_serg

#60 Seafood Grill In Santorini, Greece

Image credits: patchickens88

#61 Peaches And Cream Roll Cake For A Local Peach Festival!

Image credits: popocorno0507

#62 Indo Chinese Platter (Veg) – Hakka Noodles, Momos, Honey Chilli Potato, Spring Rolls, Manchurian

Image credits: ftabhax

#63 Homemade Cast Iron Pizza In One Hour!

Image credits: t_dot_porkchop

#64 Coconut Soft Serve With Honeycomb And Toffee Popcorn

Image credits: bangingbites

#65 Outrageous Grilled Salmon Burger With Tzatziki

Image credits: redmera

#66 Lasagna Soup! I Call This One A Sloppy Sexy Soup!

Image credits: BushyEyes

#67 Halloween Pizza

Image credits: naxotech

#68 Come To Italy For Pizza… Stay For The Sandwiches!

Image credits: Chaddcl0ps

#69 Colombian Platter With Pulled Chicken, Chorizo, Fried Plantain, Garlic Rice, Red Beans, Potatoes And Guacamole

Image credits: bangingbites

#70 Korean Military Stew

Image credits: nwpete

#71 I Made Some Lasagna For The Very First Time! Took Me Forever Lol

Image credits: NightsWatch23

#72 Burrata, Charred Peaches, Tomatoes, Arugula, Toasted Pine Nuts, Balsamic And Olive Oil. Hoping For A Good Summer !

Image credits: BobBobBobBob-

#73 Son Got The Flu, So I Made Him His Favor: Homemade, From Scratch, Garlic Bread Focaccia Pizza With Extra Pepperoni And Parmesan Cheese.

Image credits: meetMeAtNapTime

#74 It’s Been 7 Months, And I Still Dream About This Meal In Saint Martin. Lobster And Citrus Salad

Image credits: TipsyRussell

#75 The Wife Made Us Tortilla De Patatas For Breakfast This Morning. It’s A Good Life

Image credits: Reuvenisms

#76 [homemade] Lobster Pasta In A Tarragon, Tomato Cream Sauce

Image credits: romgm

#77 It’s Corn!!

Image credits: shuadoorn

#78 Homegrown Tomato Spread

Image credits: Wireman76

#79 Paczki. Warm Polish Donuts Filled With Rose Flavored Jam, Ferrero Rocher & Salty Carmel

Image credits: niewiem728

#80 Buttermilk Pancakes, Sausage, Hash Browns, Eggs, And Raspberries

Image credits: softrotten

#81 A Cake My Fiancee Made Me. Nothing Fancy, But It Tastes Like Gourmet To Me

Image credits: Harl0t_Qu1nn

#82 Just Want To Flex These Sunny-Side Up Eggs That I Made This Morning

Image credits: NightsWatch23

#83 Smoked Prime Tri-Tip With Garlic Bread

Image credits: DumpsterBaby11

#84 Pasta Bolognese

Image credits: mienczaczek

#85 Injera With A Variety Of Ethiopian Dishes

Image credits: bangingbites

#86 Rib Eye Or NY Strip; Which Is Your Favourite?

Image credits: Rude_Telephone9118

#87 Filipino Boodle Fight

Image credits: bangingbites

#88 Gorgeous Pastries

Image credits: Flaky-Walrus7244

#89 Sashimi Tower From A Fish We Caught Just 30 Minutes Prior!

Image credits: PalapasVentana

#90 Practicing My Cantonese Roast Duck For Mid-Autumn Festival

Image credits: poniverse

#91 Screw Chicken And Waffles. Waffle And Pulled Pork Sandwich

Image credits: Elsrick

#92 Milky Soft Serve Inside An Onsen

Image credits: o_helena

#93 Cheesy Deep Dish Pizza Pt. 2

Image credits: bangingbites

#94 Mocha Marble Cheesecake

Image credits: CheesecakeMachismo

#95 Japanese Cheesecake Lived Up To Its Hype

Image credits: kawi-bawi-bo

#96 Typical Italian Gas Station Sandwiches. Grazie Autogrill

Image credits: lewskuntz

#97 Homemade Texas Style Brisket Chili And Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread

Image credits: msphelps77

#98 One Of The Best Bagels I Ever Had

Image credits: THELEBANESEUNBOXER

#99 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

Image credits: tangible_catfish

#100 Gordon Ramsey’s Signature Beef Wellington @ Hell’s Kitchen

Image credits: jedibrit86

#101 Carbonara And Sunset

Image credits: redditor1233567

#102 Neapolitan Sandwich – Nutella, Fluff, Strawberry Jelly, Peanut Butter

Image credits: nikeboy299

#103 Spicy Dumplings

Image credits: mischievous_kea

#104 Pastel De Nata, Aka Portuguese Custard Tarts

Image credits: lisbonfoodie

#105 Ranchiest Dorito Chip I’ve Ever Seen

Image credits: EntryParty297

#106 Hangover Hot Dogs

Image credits: Atmosherb

#107 After Forty Years, I Finally Got To Have My First Real Lobster Roll. Oh My God, I’ve Squandered My Life Before This

Image credits: Fuquois

#108 Za’atar Manakish With Eggs And Tomato

Image credits: ntvidovic

#109 Homemade Full English

Image credits: FeelTheOneness

#110 Homemade Sourdough Pizza Crumb Shot

Image credits: ItsZaTime

#111 Sushi I Made For My BF. I Apologise For My Terrible Knife Skills

Image credits: xbbn1985

#112 A Burger In NYC

Image credits: zeusdescartes

#113 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

Image credits: gimmesomepasta

#114 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

Image credits: gravitystorm1

#115 Homemade Breakfast Burrito

Image credits: Minimum-Shirt-3859

#116 Crunchwrap Cross Section

Image credits: tokemynuts2

#117 Double Beef N Bacon Smash W/Thick Cut Pickles & Jalapeños…

Image credits: Dildo-bangins

#118 [i Ate] Mini-Tartellettes From Shortbread Dough Stuffed With Cherry Jam And Boiled Condensed Milk

Image credits: Business_House5866

#119 Chocolate Cheesecake

Image credits: panda_238

#120 Double Cheese Tagliatelle With A Poached Egg

Image credits: splashyseal

#121 [i Ate] Neapolitan Pizza In Pisa, Italy

Image credits: MrLumpi

#122 Smoked Chicken Wings

Image credits: cookinwithclint

#123 A Spicy Tuna Burger With A Fried Rice Bun

Image credits: jlmckelvey91

#124 Sous Vide Duck Breast On Top Of Parsnip Purée With Duck Leg, Savoy Cabbage And Peas With 15 Hour Chips And Duck Gravy

Image credits: OfficialAmberRose

#125 Chocolate Chip Cookies I Made For Breakfast

Image credits: bpat

#126 Second Attempt At Chicken Cordon Bleu

Image credits: sputnik8125

#127 [i Ate] Corned Beef On Rye @ Katz’s NYC

Image credits: al568163

#128 Homemade Double Cheeseburger And Onion Rings. Everything Made From Scratch

Image credits: buttermykimbab

#129 [we Ate] Norwegian Take On The American Cheeseburger

Image credits: bacon_jerky

#130 Italian Hoagie

Image credits: Opal3030

#131 Homemade Big Macs

Image credits: No_Vermicelli3900

Source: boredpanda.com