The Art of Making Drinks with Home Barista Anna Le

Curl up with a lavender latte as we introduce you to Anna Le, the home barista behind @Feed.Annna. Anna’s creative outlet of choice is the art of making drinks, and—trust us—her creations are as gorgeous as they are delicious. (I mean, if you want to go spend an hour watching her pour and stir, we won’t judge, because we literally just did.)

Anna fell in love with coffee + drink-making during the summers she spent at her aunt’s coffee shop in Vietnam. Today, she’s a full-time real-estate agent who found some pandemic Zen in her kitchen’s coffee corner + the community she has built on Instagram.

In today’s mini-feature, Anna shares her favorite drink recipe (learn how to make that lavender latte!) + top tips for creating eye-catching food/drink videos.

Tell us about @Feed.Annna! What inspired you to start sharing your coffee and drinks?

Growing up, I spent a lot of my summers at my aunt’s coffee shop in Vietnam, mostly just playing with my cousins but occasionally helping as I got older. Then in college, my first job was at a bakery cafe, where I made lifelong friends. I guess coffee and the art of making drinks is associated with a lot of good memories, so when the pandemic hit in 2020, I found comfort in the little coffee corner in my kitchen. I started @Feed.annna not only as a way to channel my creative energy but also to hopefully provide my audience with a pocket of time and space where they can relax and find comfort.

Your videos are gorgeous! What type of camera do you use?

I shoot all of my videos on my iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Are there any resources or food photography courses that have helped you along the way?

I took a few photography classes in high school and college, where I learned the basics of angles and compositions. I also occasionally take free courses provided on Skillshare to further improve. Google is also great for specific or time-sensitive questions I may have. Pinterest is my favorite place to go to for inspirations.

What’s your go-to drink?

My favorite drink is a lavender latte with homemade lavender syrup. To make lavender syrup, all you need is 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp culinary-grade dried lavender. Put everything in a pot and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and let it steep for about 30 minutes, then strain the lavender out. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

What are your top tips for creating food + drink videos?

1. Use a simple background: I use a plain white bedsheet as backdrop in a lot of my videos as it keeps the focus on my drinks and lets them stand out.
2. Use good lighting: I like to use natural lighting, so I often shoot next to windows. If you don’t have access to a lot of natural lighting, you can also purchase photography lighting.
3. Plan out your video ahead of time: Before I film, I like to think about the specific angles I want for certain shots—closeups, overhead, eye level, etc.