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Instagram Hashtags for Food Photographers

Earlier this year we released The 2019 Photographer’s Guide to Instagram Hashtags in partnership with Feature Shoot. The guide includes curated l...

Earlier this year we released The 2019 Photographer’s Guide to Instagram Hashtags in partnership with Feature Shoot. The guide includes curated lists of some of the best searchable and submittable hashtags for professional photographers across a wide range of categories like portraits, travel, landscape and more. After hearing from many of you, we knew we needed to cover food photography, too. One of the top 10 most used hashtags of 2018 was #food with participation from chefs, restaurants, food bloggers, and of course anyone who likes to eat. With so many photos of food on Instagram, we dug through it all and compiled a list of only the best, high-quality hashtags to use with your images.

The hashtags are divided into two groups: searchable and submittable. Tagging your image with a searchable hashtag allows scrollers to find it by filtering through the search bar. Tagging your image with a submittable hashtag, however, means that you’re submitting your work to a feature page for consideration, and the account editors may decide to publish it on their feed.

Remember to also tag more descriptive hashtags, keeping in mind the cuisine, location, restaurant and your camera gear. And if you see any great hashtags we missed, share in the comments.

Feature photo by Darina Kopcok

Searchable

#instafood #foodpics #igfood#foodlove #feedfeed #foodie #goodeats
These are a few of the most popular with several million posts each. From self-proclaimed foodies to professional chefs, it seems like everyone is using them. It may be tough to stand out among the millions, but don’t necessarily discard these either! Consider including them in your list along with some of the less crowded hashtags below.

#foodphotographer This hashtag has over a million posts, but it’s still a great way to separate your work as a professional from the casual foodies on Instagram.

#theartofplating Use this hashtag for the carefully plated and artfully staged photos.

#tastefullyartistic If it’s as visually artistic as it is delicious, use this hashtag.

#eatdelicious Photos with this hashtag look delicious but tend to be casually styled, if at all.

#seasonalfood For plant-focused, in-season dishes, add this to your list.

#hautescuisines If food could be high-fashion… Use this hashtag for your classiest compositions.

#forkfeed This feed has a little bit of everything.

#appetitejournal The food photography under this hashtag tends to be styled in restaurant settings.

#cookserious Use this for any creative recipe but especially savory baked goods and breads. Photos often show a bit of the behind the scenes, too.

#tastecooking If you can almost taste the food through the lens, use this hashtag.

#shareyourtable This is for the shots that feel as if you just placed it on the table and it’s ready to eat — and you styled it a bit, too.

#imbibegram Use this for the gorgeous drink shots in your portfolio.

#foodstyling #foodstylist These are both great to add to your posts if your photos have an obvious styled quality.

#darkfoodphotography For your moodier shots — think dark chocolate, rustic breads, slate backgrounds.

#foodphotography101 #foodphotographyclass  Your post doesn’t have to include a teachable moment to use either of these hashtags, but there is a lot of inspiration in these feeds, and they’re not too crowded yet.

#foodphotographyprops Use this for your occasional behind the scenes post or any photo that shows a clever set-up and includes unique props.

#photosoffood Exactly as it says, this hashtag is for a wide variety of food shots.

#foodphotographyandstyling This feed tends to showcase action shots and lighter fares arranged with attention to detail.

#foodphotographystyling The less popular but very similar version of #foodphotographyandstyling.

#foodartchefs #chefsplating  When all you need is a simple top shot because the food is so artfully and intricately arranged.

#gourmetartistry Use this when you’re photographing advanced recipes and plating techniques.

#fooddesign More design than food, many of the images under this hashtag show the recipe deconstructed or include non-traditional props.

#artonplate Use this for the truly artistic creations, especially beautiful desserts.

#simplisticfood You might think this is for images where one or two raw ingredients are the star, but interestingly, this hashtag tends to attract quite fancy creations.

#bonappetit This popular hashtag covers all kinds of food and has over 3 million posts. Some instagrammers may be using it for a nod to Bon Appetit magazine, but it’s open to anyone who enjoys photographing food.

#eatstagram With everything from commercially-styled shoots to lunch close-ups, this hashtag attracts a wide audience.

#nyceats #newforkcity #nycfoodgram #ilyfoodnyc #chewyorkcity #eatsofnyc #dishenvyny #eatingnyc
Don’t forget location-based food hashtags. Check out these examples for New York City.

Submittable

@infatuation
Submissions: #eeeeeats
Followers: 748k
Posts with this hashtag: 15,745,056
The #eeeeeats hashtag is hugely popular. Infatuation’s site offers extensive restaurant guides for every major city, so almost all of the featured images on Instagram are of trending restaurants all over the world.

@food52
Submissions: #f52grams
Followers: 2.2m
Posts with this hashtag: 9,430,513
Food52 started as a hub for home cooks to share recipes, but with over 9 million hashtag submissions on Instagram, it’s now also known as a place for beautiful food photography. Consider using the hashtag for your editorial shots.

@thrillist
Submissions: #forkyeah
Followers: 583k
Posts with this hashtag: 5,836,617
Reserve this for your outrageously decadent shots. @thrillist tends to feature things like stacks of fried chicken, huge portions of bacon mac and cheese and waffles drenched in chocolate syrup. This account is not exclusively for food though — they also post about luxury travel destinations.

@thefeedfeed
Submissions: #feedfeed
Followers: 1.4m
Posts with this hashtag: 12,751,019
feedfeed is an Instagram-centered community all about sharing recipes and meal plans. They aim to celebrate everyone in the food industry from farmers and chefs to photographers and stylists. The images they feature span a wide variety of cuisines and styles.

@lefooding
Submissions: #lefooding and @lefooding
Followers: 283k
Posts with this hashtag: 637,769
Posts on this feed all have an elegant and ready-to-eat vibe. If you submit an image make sure to use both #lefooding and @lefooding.

@love_food
Submissions: #lovefood
Followers: 7m
Posts with this hashtag: 8,451,750
With 7 million followers, this account is for anyone and everyone who simply loves food.

@saveurmag
Submissions: #eattheworld
Followers: 748k
Posts with this hashtag: 1,713,008
A popular hashtag and account for anything you might consider a food destination or food adventure. Saveur reports on everything from the history of our favorite comfort foods to unique dishes from all corners of the world.

@huffposttaste
Submissions: #huffposttaste
Followers: 390k
Posts with this hashtag: 6,225,128
Instagrammers flock to @huffposttaste for recipe ideas, so if you have a food blog in addition to your client work, this might be the place to submit your images.

@foodandwine
Submissions: #foodandwine
Followers: 2.9m
Posts with this hashtag: 4,547,418 posts
Another big player in the editorial food space, Food & Wine features a wide variety of dishes that are often a collaboration between chefs, stylists and photographers.

@foodrepublic
Submissions: #FRavorites
Followers: 445k
Posts with this hashtag: 117,322
Established in 2010, Food Republic “explores the culture of food through stories, interviews, global conversations, and experiences.” Check out their articles and tag your image #FRavorites for a possible Instagram feature.

@gastronogram
Submissions: #gastronogram
Followers: 124k
Posts with this hashtag: 412,197
While the feed is heavily focused on meat and seafood dishes, the account also features desserts, famous chefs and how-to food videos.

@thekitchn
Submissions: #kitchn and #mykitchn
Followers: 863k
Posts with this hashtag: 2,423,531 and 4,651
As a companion site to Apartment Therapy, @thekitchn is a source of inspiration for not only food and recipes but beautiful kitchens, too. If you’ve recently taken some interior kitchen or restaurant photos as part of a shoot, consider hashtagging your post #mykitchn.

@gastroart
Submissions: #gastroart
Followers: 634k
Posts with this hashtag: 1,270,933
Before you submit to this account, make sure your image follows the trend of featured images – small, artistically designed plates with clean, simple backgrounds.

@betterhomesandgardens
Submissions: #BHGFood
Followers: 1.7m
Posts with this hashtag: 727,499
This well-known magazine primarily covers home decor and gardening tips, but will also include a food photo every once in a while, and they encourage submissions with hashtag #BHGFood.

@foodfluffer
Submissions: #foodfluffer
Followers: 40k
Posts with this hashtag: 104,819
Very often the featured photos on this account have an in-process look — the chef is drizzling, dusting or fine-tuning their creations in an artistic way. These photos really tell a story.

@tastingtable
Submissions: #tastingtable
Followers: 816k
Posts with this hashtag: 2,343,427
To be featured, consider submitting your high-contrast, decadent close-ups. Many submissions also tend to be shot from above.

@food_glooby
Submissions: #gloobyfood
Followers: 296k
Posts with this hashtag: 1,363,036
@food_glooby features everything from rare fruit to adorable dessert creations. Tag your most interesting food photos or check out the feed for inspiration.

@beautifulcuisines
Submissions: #beautifulcuisines
Followers: 1.2 million
Posts with this hashtag: 4,078,683
Creative and decadent, @beautifulcuisines highlights tabletop food photography from all over the world.

@eater
Submissions: #eater
Followers: 1.1m
Posts with this hashtag: 4,682,622
No food is off limits for this @eater account. Be sure to check out their other local accounts and associated hashtags for major cities like @Eater_LA, @EaterLondon, @Eater_Philly and @EaterAustin.

@grubstreet
Submissions: #grubstreet
Followers: 269k
Posts with this hashtag: 168,877
Grub Street is a branch of New York Magazine for all things food news. Features are creatively composed and beautifully lit with the editorial spin you’d expect.

@thebakefeed
Submissions: #thebakefeed
Followers: 405k
Posts with this hashtag: 668,087
If you’re looking for an account to submit your dessert shots, check out @thebakefeed from Bake from Scratch. They feature a lot of rich close-ups. Also check out their sister account, @thecookfeed, and tag #thecookfeed for anything savory.

Also check out:
What’s For Lunch? The Story of a 10 Year Photo Project
When Life Gives You Lemons: 5 Food Photographers Share Their Tips for Improvising on Set
Creative Food Photography Projects: Thinking Outside the Box with Henry Hargreaves
Best Instagram Hashtags for Portrait Photographers

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