Photographer combines love of food, photos on social media

Kelly Neil, a self-taught food stylist and photographer based in Halifax, prepares, stages and photographs food for restaurants, cafes and for her own blog.

With good food comes good conversation and the two often combine on social media sites, such as Twitter and Pinterest.

Posting pictures of homemade food creations on social media has become a popular trend and a professional photo foodie is sharing tips on how to make food look as good as it tastes.

“If I can make you say, ‘oh my God, I want to eat that right now!’ then I've done my job,” says Kelly Neil, a self-taught food stylist and photographer based in Halifax.

“You will often find me standing on a chair in my kitchen taking a picture of my food before I eat it, which is weird, I know, but common these days,” says Neil.

She prepares, stages and photographs food for restaurants, cafes and for her own blog.

Her photos put food on her table, but when she is not working she snaps shots for fun and shares the pictures on social media sites.

“You can be connected to different cultures, food and ingredients you didn't even know existed,” says Neil. “So, I think it's inspiration as well, and if I see a photo on Twitter I follow and they've made a French tart, I'll research the recipe, find the ingredients and see if I can make it.”

Neil says the key to making a meal appealing to both the eye and the appetite is simple.

“Looks for crumbs and splashes, I look for what's around the dish. You don't need a lot of empty space, you can put a set of salt and pepper in, you can add a pretty napkin, but the food should be the star,” says Neil.

“Just keep the food as the focus and you'll definitely capture a lot of the yum factor.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl