Author // Shannon Edwards for Place New Farm
Do you decide where to have brekky from your social media feed? We certainly do!
We’re thankful for our Brisbane food bloggers showing us where and what to eat - it really makes the tough decision so much easier!
Having only launched his personal foodie Instagram account @lewislovestoeat early this year, Lewis is making a name for himself as a food-guru around Brisbane.
We asked Lewis the questions on everyone’s mind: how did you find a job where you get to EAT and take photos? Where are the best places to eat around the CBD? And how do you get the perfect photo for Instagram?
After hearing his story we’re sure you’ll be taking photos of your smashed avo from every angle this weekend.
Photo taken at Miss Bliss by @lewislovestoeat
How did your foodie journey begin?
I'm passionate about eating and ever since I’ve had an Instagram account I was always taking photos on my phone of what I was eating and sharing with my friends. They were never spectacular photos but I had a heap of friends’ comment saying how cool it was that I'm regularly showing them new places to eat and things to try.
The photography side of food eventuated more in 2016. When I find somewhere I like to eat and drink I often stick with it and at the time that happened to be Belaroma in Stones Corner. From there I became mates with the owner, Adam.
I'd talked to Adam about my photo endeavors (non-food related) and he was stoked with some of the content I was producing. He then gave me the opportunity to come in with my camera and see what I could do with their new menu.
Not having photographed food with a camera before was a little challenging. The photos turned out pretty well and I ended up doing more work for Belaroma, including a short video for them. I’m so grateful that Adam gave me that opportunity as it gave me the push to try something new.
Photo taken at Mylk + Ko by @lewislovestoeat
I’ve always followed all the major Brisbane foodie Instagram accounts and in the early days made contact with a few great people through the message function. I formed a great relationship with the boys from Barbecue Mafia which ended up in me taking snaps at their pop-up events.
I was even lucky enough to spend the best part of 24 hours (no sleep) with them at the 2016 Brisbane Barbecue Festival capturing footage from the day and condensing it into a minute long video for Instagram…what an experience!
I now work as a photographer for Brisbane Food Lovers which has given me the opportunity to attend amazing events and eat some pretty special food. The job has given me the freedom to explore my own creative and foodie endeavours which lead me to start my own account, @lewislovestoeat.
Photo taken at Deathproof by @ lewislovestoeat
What do you love most being a food blogger?
I love food and I love eating, so naturally, it's a match made in heaven.
One of the most rewarding parts of being a food blogger is meeting new people. Whether it be other food bloggers, restaurant owners, staff or other patrons, there's always the chance to meet somebody, have an interesting conversation and potentially learn something new.
The Brisbane foodie scene is pretty strong and I've made a great bunch of new friends through being a foodie. It also happens to be a lot of fun.
Photo taken at Miss Bliss by @lewislovestoeat
Where are some of the best places you've ever eaten?
I get asked this question a lot and I never have a solid answer. You'd think it'd be an easy question to answer but Brisbane has such a great food scene so it’s hard to pick!
Some of the places I’ve recently eaten at that I’d highly recommend are :
- Deathproof in New Farm: their Fried Chicken & Waffles are a must try, especially for brekky.
- Miss Bliss in West End: anything on the menu is worth a try, it’s all very beautiful.
- Ristorante La Famiglia in Woolloongabba: every week they have ‘Gnocchi Tuesday’ which I consider the greatest day of the week!
- Kin & Co in Teneriffe: amongst all the great cafes in the area, this place serves amazing coffee and breakfast.
- Otto Ristorante in the City: everything is magnificent.
- Mylk + Ko in New Farm: their acai bowls are really worth a try. Everything they do has great flavours.
I like to try and show a relatively balanced diet through the food I post. Everything from healthy clean eating through to greasy, dirty (DELICIOUS) burgers. In my life it’s important to also focus on health and fitness – especially when I indulge with food a little more regularly than most!
Photo taken at Ristorante La Famiglia by @lewislovestoeat
What's the secret to getting the perfect grammable photo of your meal?
Natural light will always be your best friend. Trying to get photos at evening events can prove tricky and I don't always want to be busting the flash out for a simple gram photo.
Composition is key too as it is with all kinds of photography. I always try to ensure the focus of the dish is the focal point of the photo, which naturally people look at first.
It also doesn't hurt to take multiple photos the same dish from different angles because you may find there are more flattering views.
Photo taken at Kin & Co by @lewislovestoeat