My Top 10

FOOD STYLING TRICKS

RESOURCE
 These are my
top 10, go-to tips
As a food photographer, it's important to have a good foundation of food
styling, and a few tricks up your sleeve you can pull out to make sure your
food always looks its best. Here I've compiled 10 of my top, easy food styling
tips you can start implementing straight away!

PLAN OUT YOURCOMPOSITIONS

01
Sketching out your photos before
you start your shoot will help give
your photos more intention and
focus. Whether you’re using the rule
of thirds, the golden ratio or any
other composition tool, the act of
sketching will help you think through
where you’re going to place your
main subjects for the most impact.

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 USE COLOUR THEORY TO
02 CREATE INTEREST

Colour theory is a helpful tool to

figure out which colour combinations
to use, and which to avoid. there are
two kinds of colour pairings that
work well. Complementary and
analogous.Complementary colours
fall opposite each other on the
wheel, and analogous colours are
next to each other. An easy food styling trick when you’ve got a dish
that’s pretty much one colour, is to use your garnishes in a
complementary colour from the main colour of your dish.

CREATE BALANCE IN YOUR

IMAGES 03
A sense of balance in your food photos
is essential to draw the viewers eye
right where you want it to go. Balance
in itself doesn’t mean everything being
50/50, or that you can’t have a frame
full of beautiful food. Balanced photos
simply mean that the subject isn’t
competing with other elements in the
frame for the focus. You can create
balance by using negative space, or
even by balancing colour.

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 MAKE YOUR FOOD PHOTOS
04 LOOKED "LIVED IN"

Use a few crumbs and sprinkles to make my scene look real. When
things look too perfect (particularly in food photography), it looks
staged, and doesn’t help convey a story. It puts distance between the
scene and the viewer, and it makes it harder for them to imagine
themselves reaching in and taking a bite of the food.

Sprinkling around a few crumbs and spills can really help make your
food scene seem like a table that’s just been stumbled across. This is
something to play around with — it’s easy to go a bit too heavy
handed on the sprinkles and just make a mess —but when it’s done
right, it can really take your food photography to a new level.

A few sprinkles make this otherwise minimal

scene a bit more real and inviting!

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 GIVE YOUR FOOD A HELPING HAND
05
Sometimes the food you are photographing needs a little perk up.
Here are some simple tips and tricks to help you along the way!

Use a spray mister filled with water to gently spray salad and
herbs to keep them looking crisp and fresh.
Brush a little oil on top of dishes like roasted vegetables to keep
them looking succulent and delicious.
Small toothpicks can help you keep a burger arranged in the
perfect way.
Buy a set of fake ice cubes for your drink photos. No more
rushing to capture the perfect shot before the ice melts!
Undercook vegetables just a little bit to keep them looking
colourful and crisp.

CHOOSE YOUR FOOD'S "BEST

SIDE" AND SHOW IT OFF! 06
Is there a feature of your food which
shows off that “yum” factor more than
anything? Highlight it! Whether it’s the
vibrant colour of some fruit, the dripping
sauce down the side of a cake, or the
crispy edges of a pizza base, make sure
you’re showing those features in their
best light.

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07 LAYER IT UP!

This is where you get to have fun with your props. Food photography
LOVES layers! Whether it’s a gently draped napkin, layering your
plates or the layers of the food itself, these layers will add lots of
dimension to your photos.

Salads are the perfect food

to layer. Adding each
ingredient one by one and
building it up allows you to
make sure that each
ingredient can be seen, and
also make sure you don't
overload the plate.

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 GET CLOSE (BUT NOT TOOO
08 CLOSE!)

Sometimes there’s no better way to

show off just how delicious
something is than a good ol’ close up.
It’s a great way to show details you
would miss from afar that make your
food look just perfect.
Be aware of getting TOO close
though, if you’re so close that you
can’t tell straight away what it is..
back up a little bit ;)

LESS IS MORE 09

Don’t overload your scene with too many

props. As tempting as it might be to fill up
your table with all the beautiful plates and
cloths you have (trust me, I feel you!) the
food needs to remain the focus. First of
all, place the food in the frame where you
want it, then build your scene around it.
Try to add things that complement the
food, not distract from it.

F O O FDO PO HD POHTO OT OGGRR AA PPHHY YA CAACD AE MDYE. CMO Y . C O

10 CREATE ACTION!

Creating action in a food photo is a powerful way to show how your

food can be eaten. Things like showing your hands pouring some
sauce, or even showing something already sliced (like the cake to the
right) will give the viewer a suggestion that the food is already being
enjoyed, making the photo more friendly and believable.

Simple actions like pouring, or just removing a slice from a

cake give your photos more of a "lived in" look, adding
dimension to your scenes.

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 READY FOR THE

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