Q & A with Dine L.A.’s Stacey Sun

Southern California native Stacey Sun and her family have been passionate about food for as long as she can remember. “Food is very much ingrained in the Chinese culture,” Sun says. “My parents would obsess over things like -- what restaurant makes the best roast duck -- and now I do!”

Well, now it’s her job.

As Dine L.A. Director and resident Instagrammer for the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, better known as Discover L.A., Sun’s primary role is to help locals and visitors discover places to eat throughout the city. (A major part of that effort is campaigns like Dine L.A.’s Restaurant Week, which returns Jan. 18-31).

The Socalmoments team has been following Sun’s personal Instagram account for a while and recently sat down to discuss how the visual platform has helped bolster L.A.’s food culture, the challenges of composing that perfect food photo, and why, in doing so, one should never, ever use flash.

How important is food to promoting the vibe, energy, and tourism of Los Angeles?

Food culture is vital to L.A.’s identity. People are obsessed with food in the city, ranging from street food to 5-star restaurants. L.A. is a global village. I find that we are very adventurous eaters and are eager to explore new cultures and cuisines regardless of the price point. More and more people are coming to L.A. from all over the world just to eat here.

How has scouring for L.A.’s best dishes helped your sense of what sorts of foods photograph well?

Part of my job involves experiencing different foods throughout the city’s various neighborhoods, which has exposed me to a wide variety of dishes. Some are more photogenic than others.

Why do you think people have an obsession with photographing their meals?

I think people are compelled to photograph their food and share on Instagram for two main reasons: bragging and sharing.

What is your favorite part about food photography? What’s the most challenging?

My favorite part about food photography is being able to share great dishes and experiences with people. The biggest challenge is when a dish refuses to be photogenic.

What’s your favorite dish to photograph and why?

Doughnuts! Doughnuts make everything better.

What’s your favorite ambience to photograph?

If a restaurant could provide natural lighting, photogenic food and nice tiles on the floor, I’m golden. Natural lighting is your best friend when you’re shooting anything, especially food.

What are the most common mistakes people make when posting food photographs?

One of the biggest mistakes people make when photographing their food is shooting in a dark environment or washing it out with a flash (never use the flash!). Taking this a step further as far as mistakes is posting these bad photos on Instagram. People need to learn to self-sensor. If it’s a bad photo, don’t post it. That was the best advice a photographer gave to me.

In your opinion, how has social media, particularly the visual aspect of Instagram, contributed to the popularity of photographing food?

The impact of food photography on social media has been huge, especially with driving people to restaurants. People see a dish and get inspired to go try it themselves. Instagram acts as a visual menu for restaurants.

The most popular food Instagrammers seem to be doing something right. What are some ways you can keep it looking fresh and relevant?

Find that angle that makes your post unique. Also, try to post pictures of dishes on your feed that represent your taste instead of simply posting photos of popular foods. Figure out what you really enjoy instead of following trends and you’re bound to stand out more.

Tag and/or follow Trishna Patel on Twitter and Instagram @trishlistLA.

Each week, we’re featuring photos of Southern California and California submitted by readers. Follow us on Instagram @socalmoments and share your photos on our Flickr page. Don’t forget to always tag your photos with #socalmoments and/or #californiamoments. Follow us on Twitter or visit latimes.com/socalmoments for more on this photo series.