The Best Phone for the Food Photographer/Blogger

**Post is in collaboration with Verizon – all opinions are 100% my own**

After 4 years of penning this blog, perhaps the largest learning curve of all was learning how to take a decent shot of our date night plate – and let me be the first to admit, my iPhone 5 was not the winner: 

If it is possible for me to be turned off by an avocado, the above would be a prime example (though let’s be serious, I would still hoover that in a hot second). Lately, everyone is taking photos of their drinks and bites and sharing all over social media. But though I lug my huge Canon DSLR everywhere, I have been waiting for the day when I could leave the big equipment at home and be satisfied with a quick shot from my phone. 

In full disclosure: I have now had access to the best phones on the market thanks to our collaboration with Verizon. The most important tool in a blogger’s bag is their phone, and Scott and I spend an inordinate of time posting and writing and capturing our dates on our mobile device. Unlimited data is truly the only way we can function, and now that the cameras are improving with each new device, it’s easier to be a blogger than ever before. 

(Side note: I hate the term “blogger” – it’s so ugly. Can we not create a better name for this collective??) 

 

Over the past few months I have sampled the Moto Z, the Samsung 8, and the newest release: the Google Pixel 2. I still won’t let go of my iPhone 6s, but the camera is outdated and not nearly as impressive as the other 3. Now if I get my hands on the X, that tune might change….

So which camera is the best for your late night dinner photos? Here is how each phone takes the same photo: (and thanks Scott for providing the cocktail to shoot – it was YUMMY!!) 

My favorite camera is seriously on the Google Pixel 2, which handles the shot like an entry grade DSLR. Super impressive. With the highest rated camera on the market, I actually can be comfortable leaving my clunky equipment at home and capturing with the Pixel 2. And with Google, you have unlimited storage for all of your photo files. 

A couple tips for all of your food photos:

STEP BACK. Unless you have a macro lens and are trying to get every single detail on every single morsel of food, the goal is to make the food look appetizing, not intimidating. I made that mistake a million times in my early DC Minute years, but always better to step back. And yes, that burger was actually delicious, though it looks like dog food in that top photo…

NATURAL LIGHT:  Sit near a window if at all possible. And if you are trying to snap late at night in low light, it’s going to be tricky no matter what. Use ambient lighting to help, and know that very little good can come from using a flash.  I tend to put a candle behind my subject (if one is available at the table), but sometimes there is little you can do. Both photos below are of guacamole, but the top photo I took in the WORST possible location, but took it anyway. Shame, shame, shame….

I love food and drink, and boy do I love to date. But over the years my passion for photography to accurately represent those dates has grown exponentially. But never did I imagine I could capture images on my phone that could rival those on my DSLR. Next challenge? Putting the Pixel 2 to use on our next Date Night – stay tuned….