Enterprise Africa Summit was launched yesterday at the British Council with several creative forums on Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Food & Music. It was an engaging session which brought the creme de la creme of Ghanaian creatives under one roof and I was excited to be speaking on Food blogging & photography with photography great Mr. Steve Ababio. My blog seemychow.com was the focal point for content. Our audience was a mix of food entrepreneurs and hopeful food bloggers. The following are some tips & guidelines of our presentation which I hope you will find useful:
1. Find your niche food blog
There are all kinds of categories under food. You want to be known for a particular type of content under food blogging. So what will it be? Identifying your niche not only makes you focused and sane but also makes you a subject matter expert of that niche.
2. Be authentic & creative
There are zillions of blogs out there and you don’t want to get caught in the ‘just-another-food-blog’ avalanche. Speak in your natural voice and be who you are, this will reflect in your writing and will appeal to your audience on how different you are from other bloggers. Be creative in how you plate your final work, giving thought to garnishing, contrasting ingredient colours etc.
3. Food Essays
Aside creating recipes for your blog you can decide to write on other types of food related content. Topics such as food safety & hygiene, world cuisines, Michelin starred restaurants in the world (and why there aren’t any in Ghana), Ghanaian food history, African food cultures, health benefits of Ghanaian foods, backyard gardening, etc are examples of food essays to focus on. This style of content will require extensive research in addition to adding your opinion.
4. Invest in Photography Equipment & Food Props
Steve Ababio shared on the importance of understanding photography basics such as lighting, composing before investing in a quality DSLR. Investing in props and camera equipment is a long-term investment for food businesses & food bloggers. Props such as wood platters from Studio Badge, cutting boards, antique crockery, linen, burlap, add an exciting energy to your food photos. Use a good quality smartphone to practice composing food and shooting in natural light, if you don't have a camera. I have done this several times using both mobile photography & DSLR’s. The Canon T3i is every amateur photographer’s best friend. That will be a great starting point.
5. Use Natural Light
Natural Light is your best friend and thankfully in Ghana, we have an abundance of it. Early morning natural light from the window sill is best for shooting. At that time of morning, the sun is at an angle which produces softer lighting for your food, as it rises higher the light becomes harsher. You can reduce the harsh light with reflectors or white sheets.
Food blogging is hard work ( have I said that already?🤔😂) which requires dedication and a commitment to produce quality content over a long period of time. Many food bloggers are monetising their blogs now but that’s because of the time, love and money they have sown into creating inspiring drool-worthy content.
It's encouraging to see more food brands in Ghana getting serious about food photography and it's importance for their digital marketing. I spoke to some participants after the event who showed an eagerness to be on social media by marketing their food products with organic content.
I am always excited to learn the different ways of using our local ingredients to make new recipes and that alone pushes me to be wildly authentic and to think outside the box. Wait..what box?? 😐 There is no box! Ha!
A big thanks to StudioBadge for sponsoring my presentation with their articulate wood platters and cutting boards.
I hope you found these tips useful. Please do post any questions, comments etc you may have in the comment box below. Thank you!