![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/11\/instagram-food-photography-1024x576.jpg\")
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Whether you love food porn or find it positively vulgar, there\u2019s no doubt that Instagram has transformed the culinary landscape.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re not just talking about the fact that the diner experience now (basically) requires a camera. Rather, the sweeping changes that social has made to the restaurant industry\u2014and by extension, the culinary school curriculum.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s right, aspiring chefs are now learning the art of mastering angles\u2014from styling pizzas to putting together the a\u00e7a\u00ed bowls with the right combination of contrasting garnishes.<\/p>\n
Because the ‘gram pulls more weight than your average food critic, culinary schools are now adding Instagram courses to the curriculum.<\/p>\n
Aside from being a sign of the times\u201469% of millennials photograph their food before eating<\/span><\/a>, Instagram literacy is an essential skill for anyone in the restaurant biz.<\/p>\n How to earn money with Instagram<\/p>\r\n Learn How \u25ba<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n A restaurant\u2019s success can sometimes hinge on the number of followers they have on the social media platform.<\/p>\n While most \u2018grammers are amateur food photographers, they\u2019ve set the tone for an aesthetic shift. Everyone has access to their own high-quality camera and filters galore. Foodies and bloggers alike often take better pictures of the food than the restaurant itself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A post shared by #Foodatory ? Los Angeles \/ NY (@foodatory)<\/a> on Nov 9, 2018 at 9:56am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n There\u2019s no doubt that food is a visual medium \u2014 it\u2019s a natural fit with the photo app. But, this also means that it\u2019s no longer acceptable to post grainy, ill-lit food photos. Instead, restaurants need to produce eye-catching visuals that entice and inspire customers.<\/p>\n While this might be annoying to some restauranteurs, most restaurants are embracing the technology. For one, it\u2019s kind of an equalizer. Up and comers can drum up a following with little upfront investment.<\/p>\n On the other hand, it\u2019s kind of a bummer that restaurants need to hire muralists and designers to create an aesthetic experience that photographs well. In some cases, restaurants feel pressure to change design elements, so a photo-happy audience returns for the latest shot.<\/p>\n Plating and presentation has always been a big deal in the culinary world. And culinarily schools have always offered classes in styling and photography as part of the curriculum.<\/p>\n But these days, styling involves more than just the food. New York Times critic Pete Wells wrote about this shift<\/a> in 2017, noting the new emphasis on GPS pins and documentation.<\/p>\n According to an article in the Times, students aren’t just learning the ins and outs of food styling–they’re also learning to create food that looks good on camera<\/a>. We’ll venture to guess that beef stews and meatloaves will not be making a comeback anytime soon.<\/p>\n With that in mind, culinary programs like the Institute of Culinary Education are offering courses<\/a> to help new chefs prepare for a competitive digital environment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n #chocolatecake <\/a><\/p>\n A post shared by sweet and sour ?<\/a> (@sweetandsour2) on Nov 9, 2018 at 10:52am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n Johnson and Wales University, on the other hand,\u00a0\u00a0hosts a popular faculty-run club<\/a> dedicated to food photography.\u00a0 In short, it’s safe to say that we should expect to see more programs, clubs, and other resources to pop up in the near future.<\/p>\n Where snapping food pics was seen as a hobby, we’re likely to see a shift–just like we did with social media and marketing. Moving from the self-taught to the trained.<\/p>\n Instagram is a low-cost marketing tool that lets brands build awareness, show off their skills, and essentially lure foodie influencers in for meals\u2014or a picture with some sort of special item \u2014 a massive burger with all of the fixings.<\/p>\n But Instagram has been at the center of trends like mermaid bagels and cream cheese, extravagant avocado toasts, and galaxy-themed donuts.<\/p>\n All were viral hits and, arguably, a flash in the pan for diners eager to find the next great photograph.<\/p>\n With that in mind, firms like Paperwhite have cropped up<\/span><\/a>\u2014there to help restaurants, well, \u201cgo viral.\u201d Like other marketing companies, Paperwhite aims to help restaurants like Jack\u2019s Wife Freda<\/a>\u2014menu is pictured below\u2014really nail the branding aspect of their business.<\/p>\n In the end, Instagram has become a major game-changer for restaurants from the high-end to the humble food truck with obsessed foodies documenting each stop on the culinary journey.<\/p>\n For chefs, there are some drawbacks to the constant documentation\u2014bad photos can mean bad press, and in some cases, might be worse than simply receiving a bad review.<\/p>\n Still, social media provides some major advantages to rising chefs. And, it’s worth pointing out that just about every industry has had to adapt to changing technology.<\/p>\n From marketing and PR to journalism, and all manner of media, all creative pursuits are subject to digital transformation. It only makes sense that restaurants are, too.<\/p>\n\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n ![](\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/04\/moneyinstagram.jpg\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n Social media can make or break a restaurant’s chance at success<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nView this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFood styling has always been part of the landscape<\/h3>\n
![\"instagram](\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/11\/Screen-Shot-2018-10-31-at-8.33.28-PM-2.png\")
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\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nView this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBenefits of taking food to the social sphere are obvious, but…<\/h3>\n
![\"Mermaid](\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/11\/Screen-Shot-2018-10-31-at-10.48.30-PM-2.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"jack's](\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/11\/Screen-Shot-2018-10-31-at-10.50.06-PM-2-1024x686.png\")
<\/p>\nFinal thoughts<\/h3>\n