Hein van Tonder has had serial success in the competition since its inception in 2011. Most recently, he has won the On the Phone category back to back; taking home first place in 2023 and 2024.
Small but mighty, phones are capable of producing outstanding photos using the right techniques. For this article, we asked Hein to share his top tips for taking great photos on a phone.
Words from Hein van Tonder
“No matter if you are a beginner, a hobbyist or pro photographer with years of experience behind a DSLR, the camera on your phone is a fantastic tool to have in your pocket and the ultimate convenience. All it takes is a quick swipe or scan of your face and you can capture a magical moment on the fly, be it dining at the hottest new restaurant in town, a special family occasion or that foodie trip of a lifetime.”
Let’s dive into some of the top tips he shared to help you level up your phone photography skills
Expert top tips for taking photos on your phone
Know your camera
Take some time and get to know the camera. Read up about the different settings and what the purpose is of each setting. Play around with the different options available when taking a photo, compare the results and see which you prefer, what works best for your style or help you take the next step in your work. This way you know the settings are to your liking and you can focus on shooting and not missing an opportunity for a great shot
Natural light
Food looks at its best in natural light. I don’t even try to take photos of food at night (unless it is a night time market) or in dimly lit restaurants. If I know I want to take photos of the food at a restaurant I will go for lunch and always ask for a table closest to the window so that I have ample natural light to work with.
Camera focus
Make sure your subject is in focus. Tap on the area of the screen where you want the camera to focus – on my camera it is a yellow square. And make sure the lens is clean.
Shoot RAW
Shoot in the largest size your camera will allow and preferably RAW. This gives you the opportunity to edit an image to your liking or remove unwanted details in the shot without degrading the quality and and it allows you to have the highest quality image available. You never know when The World Food Photography Awards would need a high res so they can print your finalist image.
Landscape vs Portrait
Food very seldom looks good if your camera is in landscape (horizontal) orientation so I (almost) always use portrait orientation. If you are capturing a larger scene, such as my winning image in 2023 it has to be landscape orientation but there the focus of the image was the scene of which the food was a part of and the main focus.
Composition
Consider the rule of thirds to create a balanced composition. Use the grid lines on the screen to guide you if you need help with composition. You can only break the rules if you understand the rules. Once you are comfortable and understand the rules of composition, start experimenting with different angles and perspectives. And never be afraid of using negative space to draw the focus of the viewer’s eye.
Portrait Mode
Most cameras have a “Portrait Mode” or something similar and this function is magic when it comes to photographing food as it keeps your subject in sharp focus with a blurred background. This softness around the subject leads the viewer’s eye to the subject and while adding mood and atmosphere to the shot.
Edit your images
Images shot on a camera phone are usually good enough as is but it is with editing that you can make it your own. With just a few tweaks you can enhance the colours, crop the image to make your subject stand out or adjust the lighting for just the right mood.
Tell your story
Draw the viewer into the world of your image. Think of how you can let the viewer see what time of day it is, perhaps what is the season of the year or the location of the scene you are creating. Add some movement, a pour, a drizzle or a splash to add some detail to the story of your subject. But you can only focus on these elements once you are comfortable with the camera and the technical bits.
Focus on the moments, experiment and have fun
Being able to pull out your phone and have a camera available instantly allows you to capture moments on the fly especially when travelling. People also tend to be more comfortable to be the subject if you are using a phone camera instead of a large, intimidating DSLR. So use that to your advantage and capture moments and memories while having loads of fun with it.
A final tip from us – get experience
Like most things, the best way to improve is practice. Entering the dedicated phone photography category of this world renowned food-focused photography competition is a great way to challenge yourself and put what you’ve learnt to the test.
The World Food Photography Awards On the Phone category supports Action Against Hunger, the organization’s charity partner. AAH is an international charity committed to saving the lives of malnourished children and supporting their families to beat hunger. For every image entered in this category, £2 goes to AAH. Uniquely for this category, to support AAH further, single entries may be submitted at £7 GBP.
Open for entry!
The 2026 World Food Photo Awards are now open for entry! Learn more and enter at worldfoodphotographyawards.com. You can browse past On the Phone winners at this link.
Header photo credit: Linda Repasky, Winner, On the Phone in support of Action Against Hunger, 2025
