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Coffee and Brunch Photography Ultimate Guide

9 JAN 2020
Credit: Instagram @f.o.v_

This is NOC’s ultimate guide to coffee and brunch photography.

We live in an era that believes in ‘more.’ Our world is now bursting with e-mails, WhatsApp messages and social media posts, and our brains and minds are getting busier than ever trying to catch up with everything going on around us. Consequently, time to take care of oneself and wind down has almost become a rare commodity.

Maybe that is why we love grabbing coffee and brunch in beautiful cafes on the weekends, and taking, sharing and liking aesthetic #coffee and #brunch Instagram posts when we are not there ourselves. With almost two billion #coffee images on Instagram, we will need to step up our Instagram game if we want our coffee/brunch images to stand out from everyone else’s.

To help you put together an impressive minimalist feed of NOC coffee and brunch photos that will get you more likes and followers, or simply to have a more curated record of your experiences, here we present NOC’s Ultimate Guide to Coffee & Brunch Photography:

1. Natural light is your best friend.

The cardinal rule of taking good shots of your food and drinks is to use natural light, as it doesn’t create unwanted and awkward shadows in your photos. The NOC Roastery, Mercury and Whampoa stores are fitted with large windows and glass doors, making them perfect locations for you to enjoy and Instagram your coffees and brunches. The best time frames to visit and shoot are in the early morning or late afternoon, as midday sunlight can be harsh.

Credit: @f.o.v_


2. Keep your background and palette simple.

A good lifestyle image that resonates with your followers tells a story, or describes a moment in time. You want to make sure to structure your image in a way that doesn’t distract the viewers from the main subject you are trying to feature, so pay special attention to the background and colour palette of your image. To achieve a neat, consistent feed, work with a rustic colour scheme, include only a few bright colours as a pop of colour, and remember to remove any element in the frame that does not help you tell the story.

Credit: @thatmrlam


3. Props, props, props.

Props are a wonderful tool to add interest to the image and help you bring the theme of an image to life. Have a look around the space for pieces of dinnerware or small plants you can feature in your image(some of our customers’ popular choices include the Bomshbee salt/pepper shakers and sugar bowl in our Whampoa store!). You can also add a personal touch to these images by including what you would usually bring with you to a coffee shop: your digital gadgets, books and your friend who is happy to double as your hand model. Don’t forget to add the props sparingly and to style them to perfection!

Credit: @foodtravelbabe


4. Try different angles.

It’s easy to get stuck shooting in one angle only. The best strategy to get a good image would be to work around the brunch spread you ordered, and to move around and try different angles so you know which one works best. Two of the tested and proven angles that usually work are 45 degrees and the overhead look. Nonetheless – experiment!

Credit: @f.o.v_


5. Edit in moderation.

If you want to create a consistent tone and overall vibe for your feed, editing is probably the most important skill you need to master. If you are not too familiar with softwares from the Adobe family, there is a bunch of mobile apps like VSCO, Snapseed and Nebi that can help you start your editing journey.

Credit: @themagicalbunnies