21 Food Photography Cheat Sheets

L e a r n FOOD
PHOTOGRAPHY
- 21 cheat sheets -
www.foodphotography21.com
21 #foodp hotograp hy
C H E AT S HE E TS
©2020 LAURA KUKLASE
All rights reserved. Laura Media Ltd. No part of this

guide may be reproduced in any form without author
permission.
For permissions contact:

hello@foodphotography21.com
Photography & graphics by Laura Kuklase.
Adobe product screenshots reprinted with permission from Adobe.
WWW.HEALTHYLAURA.COM
WWW.FOODPHOTOGRAPHY21.com
21 FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY CHEAT SHEETS BY WWW.FOODPHOTOGRAPHY21.COM
CONSULTING THE RULES OF COMPOSITION* BEFORE

TAKING A PHOTOGRAPH, IS LIKE CONSULTING THE
LAWS OF GRAVITY BEFORE GOING FOR A WALK.
EDWAR WESTON
*Photography can be very subjective, and everyone has their style. Think of
it like fashion or interior design - some people like some jeans and hats, oth-
ers don’t like them. Some people love some curtains or chairs, others don’t.
In the end, all you would desire to do is to develop your own style that makes you hap-
py. I don’t know everything. Far from that. I just like to think that I’m at the be-
ginning of my food photography journey. I still have so much to learn and I en-
joy the process! I’ll share my tips that many of my readers highly wanted to know.
3
cheat sheet
MY QUINOA SPAGHETTI IMAGE AT PINK LADY® FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2019 @FOODPHOTOAWARDS (FOR MY SUR-
PRISE, I EVEN MANAGED TO DO QUITE WELL ON THE WORLD MOST PRESTIGIOUS FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION).
4
cheat sheet
QUINOA SPAGHETTI WITH PESTO (NIKON D750, 90 MM/2.8 LENS)
the author
WHO IS HEALTHY LAURA?
My name is Laura Kuklase, and I’m

a simple girl from a small country
called Estonia. Usually, you can
find me in the kitchen covered
with almond flour.
No, I didn’t graduate from

culinary school.
Instead, I studied law for five
years and got my master’s degree
in 2018. However, kitchen has al-
ways been my happy place.
HOW DID A LAWYER BECOME A

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER & BLOG-
GER?
I have no idea. These two don’t

go together very well. It probably
happened, because I’ve been in
love with cooking since my child-
hood.
In addition, I took photography
While I was still studying law and courses at university. As a result,
working in the law office, then I my readers kept asking for more
also worked part-time as a food food photography tips. For that
photographer and blogged about reason, I put my heart and soul
that topic. into this this little guide.
5
cheat sheet
the author
STILL, MY HEART ...

... has always been on food photogra-
phy. After working together with clients
& magazines all over the world, I decid-
ed that it was time to go full-time on food
photography.
I LIKE TO THINK ...
… that I’m at the beginning of

my journey.
However, before I noticed my photogra-
phy & recipes had been featured in a range
of publications all over the world such as
Thrive Magazine & Greatist.
For my surprise, I even managed to win

international food photography awards &
to do quite well on the world most pres-
tigious food photography competition.
Thank you!
HOW DID YOU GOT STARTED WITH FOOD

PHOTOGRAPHY? Special gift in one condi-
tion!
It was a fantastic gift, but the
My interest in photography began 10 years
only condition was that I had
ago when I got my first DSLR camera.
It was a Nikon D90 which I got as a gift
to send him 200 images every
from my lovely father. I’m a very lucky month.
girl.
6
cheat sheet
The winner of the international food photogra-

phy awards (@foodelia) & my acai bowl image
The winner of the international food photography

awards (@foodelia) & my raspberry nice cream
image
7
cheat sheet
THIS GUIDE:
T h e A u t h o r ’s A p p r o a c h
I GET IT ...
So, you want to learn food

photography to get some
crispy images for your blog
or Instagram. Maybe you
would even like to make food
photography to your career?
One of my first images in 2015 (millet porridge with
berries) i shot this in a dark kitchen using nikon D90. I get it! That was me just four
years ago.
I STRUGGLED ...
Let’s be honest. Food photography

didn’t come naturally to me. I struggle.
A lot.
Shot in 2017 (blackberry smoothie bowl). I stood next If you don’t believe me, then here’s the
to the window and used the same nikon D90.
proof!
WHY DID YOU CREATE THESE CHEAT SHEETS?
Since I work as a food photographer, then readers kept asking for my food photog-
raphy tips. For that reason, I created these cheat sheets that my readers would get
quickly some practical tips.
8
cheat sheet
WHAT DOES THE 21 #FOODPHOTOGRAPHY CHEAT SHEET MEAN?
The 21 #foodphotography cheat sheets mean that the guide is divided into 21 practical pa-
pers. It’s almost like quick a food photography guide where I show you my thought process.
ENCOURAGEMENT: DON’T BE AFRAID
If you feel adventurous & you learned something from this guide, then post your images to
Instagram.
Use the hashtag #foodphotography21 and tag @food_photography21

on your Instagram photos. Some of your images will be featured.
One of the essential things in food photography is to take action. So, don’t just read this
guide but practice & start posting your images. Sometimes I honestly feel like I don’t like
some details on my images and I ignore them because otherwise, I would never publish
anything.
I feel like it’s a journey and we can’t get everything right at the beginning. I believe that
sometimes it’s important to post some of the images to get feedback and learn from the
mistakes to get better.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS GUIDE?
The guide is for anyone who loves food photography and wants to learn more about creating
beautiful food images. When I was writing the guide, I was thinking of all the food bloggers
and cooks that kept asking me for more food photography tips. However, any chef or pho-
tographer can use these tips.
9
cheat sheet
WEEKLY PLANS
Insta gram @food _ p h ot ogr a p h y 21
You can use it as a guide, but free to go at your own pace & time. Use the hashtag
#foodphotography21 and tag @food_photography21 on your Instagram photos.
Some of your images will be featured. Keep an eye on the Instagram account since
there are some live challenges.
WEEK 1: WEEK 2: WEEK 3:

Natural light Negative space Repeat elements

Texture Triangles Circles
10
cheat sheet
Insta gr a m @ fo o d _p ho to gr a p h y 21

Frames Lines Make a mess

DIY backdrops Build layers Golden triangles

Rule of thirds Golden ratio Rule of odds
11
cheat sheet
Instagr a m @ fo o d _p ho to gr a p h y 21

Neutral backdrops Garnish Bring “life”

Matte tableware “Read” photos Color wheel
12
cheat sheet
#1 CHEAT S H E E T :
Find t h e lig h t
The north facing

WINDOW + not direct
sunlight
(use a diffuser when you have
to work with direct sunlight)
BREA KFAST IN “BED” (N IKON D750, 50 MM/

1.8 LEN S, ISO 100, 1/30 SE C , F / 3.5)
Manipulate the light with white, black or blue boards
I NSTAG R AM STOR I E S @ H E AL TH Y L AUR AC OM
13
cheat sheet
Use Ne g a t ive S pa ce. . .
LOOK FOR GAPS AROUND

THE MAIN SUBJECT
LEAVE SOME “BREATHING ROOM”
KETO DONUT FOR A KETO DIET WEBSITE THAT I WORK WITH

cheat sheet cheat sheet 14 F/3.5)
(NIKON D750, 90 MM/2.8 LENS, ISO 100, 1/20 SEC,
Re pe a t e le m e nt s . . .
REPEAT PANCAKES
MAKE STATEMENT BY REAPEATING

CERTAIN ELEMENTS AGAIN & AGAIN
REPEAT AVOCADO
REPEAT MINT
REPEAT LIME
REPEAT BACKDROP TEXTURE

REPEAT PEPPER
SAVORY BUCKWHEAT AVACADO PANCAKES

cheat sheet cheat sheet 151/40)
( NIKON D750, 50MM/1,8 LENS, F/4, ISO 100,
Use tex tu r e . . .
CREATE PATTERNS TO
GET PEOPLE’S INTEREST
GET THE CONTRATS WITHIN

THE TEXTURE ITSELF
CUPS TEXTURE
FRUIT TEXTURE
BACKDROP
TEXTURE
GRANOLA WITH FRUIT (NIKON D750, 50 MM/
cheat sheet 1.8 LENS, F/3,5 ISO 100, 1/60)

Use t r ia ng les .. .
Place the food in a triangle shape
MUSHR OOM ZOOD LE S (N IKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LE N S, ISO 10 0 , 1 / 4 S EC, F / 1 1 )
Use converging triangles or implied
C ASHE W MILK (N IKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LE N S, ISO 5 0 0 , 1 / 1 0 0 0 S EC , F / 1 . 8 )
17
cheat sheet
Use c ir c les . . .
DIFFERENT SIZE
REPEAT CIRCLES
CURVES & S-LINE On this image I used different white bowl

to bring some circles. Two spoons will bring
some ovals. I used half circles with apple
slices and by cutting one bowl out of the
frame. To bring out the s-line I used a towel.
cheat sheet cheat sheetCHOCOLATE QUINOA PORRIDGE (NIKON D750,18 50

MM/ 1.8 LENS, ISO 100, 1/30 SEC, F/2.8)
Use f r a m es . . .
Frame in frame:
use trays or other
tableware
B R EAK FAST TIME (N IKO N D7 5 0 , 50 MM/ 1 .8

LE N S, F/11, ISO 100, 1/ 4)
Fill the frame:

eliminates the
common mistake
of making the
point of interest
insignificant
F LOWE RS IC E CU BES, N I KON D 9 0 , 5 0 MM/
1 .8 LE N S, F / 1 1 , I S O 1 0 0 , 1 / 6 )
19
cheat sheet
Pl ay a r o u nd wit h li nes . . .
Guide the viewer’s eye through the lines to the
Horizontal, vertical vs diagonal lines
20
cheat sheet
Ma ke a m es s . . .
PUT SOMETHING
FROM REAL LIFE
TO THE IMAGE CLASSIC EXAMPLE:
BREAD CRUMBS
& OTHER FOOD SPILLS
IMPERFECT IS PERFECT: USE FOOD SPILLS
cheat sheet cheat sheet CHOCOLATE RASBERRY NICE 21 CREAM

(NIKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LENS, F/8, ISO 100, 1/10)
Ma ke y o u r own
u n iq u e ba c k d r o ps
DIY “food
photography” board,
floor tiles, porcelain,
MDF & wood are my all
me favorite!
SALT-CRUSTED FISH
F a ke ma r b le tha t
cos ts l es s th a n 1 0 $ .
TOMATO ZOODLES SOUP

22
cheat sheet
MY IN STAG RAM T V @HE ALT HYLAURAC OM
WHAT DID I USE?
• MDF, wood board or the other side your existing backdrop. Be cre-
ative, maybe you don’t need to spend any money at all!
• All-purpose filler - That’s right filler! Usually, they use that one for walls. You
can choose whatever brand is available to you. Just ask from your local store or
friend who knows all about construction work. I’m not an expert on that one.
• Card - A plastic card that I didn’t need anymore. (You can use special
equipment such as drywall knife for that filler).
• Paint (black, white and grey) – How did I choose my color palette?
Adobe Color CC Color wheel.
• Sponge to mix the colors - You can choose whatever kitchen sponge
you like.
23
cheat sheet
Bu ild la y er s . ..
LAYER 1
LAYER 2
LAYER 5
LAYER 7
LAYER 6
LAYER 3
LAYER 4
LAYER 2
BREAKFAST IN BED (NIKON D750,

20 MM/ 1.8 LENS, F/1.8 ISO 100, 1/25)
cheat sheet cheat sheet 24

Use g o lde n t r ia ngl es
Divide the frame
with diagonals
IF I WOULD MAKE THIS COMPOSITION

AGAIN, THEN I WOULD PLACE THE LIME ON
THE LINES AS WELL
Create a harmony
using the lines to
position the
elements VEGAN TACOS & RECIPE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR A
PLATBASEDONBUDGET.COM (NIKON D750, 50
MM/1.8 LENS, ISO 100, 0,4 SEC F/11)
25
cheat sheet
Use t h e r u le o f t h irds
Broke the image into nine equal squares
Place the subject along these vertical lines or at

their intersections (“sweet spots”)
26
cheat sheet
G o lde n r a t io . . .
Find the harmony of

geometry
Shooting tethered +
Adobe Lightroom
cropping function + press “o”
cheat sheet cheat sheet

Pancakes with figs (NIKON D750,
271/50)
50 MM/ 1.8 LENS, F/2.0, ISO 100,
Use r u le o f o d d s . . .
Use the odd

number of
elements
1
Example: instead
of 2 main
elements, use 3
2
Place elements ...

... vertically,
side by side
VS
create a triangle.
cheat sheet cheat sheet

Salmon wraps (NIKON D750,
281/20)
90 MM/ 2.8 LENS, F/3.5, ISO 100,
Use n eu t r a l ba c k gr o unds . . .
COOLER COLORS MAKE
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
MORE REAL
WARM SATURATED COLORS

MY FAVORITE ONES MIGHT RUIN YOUR WHITE
ARE GREY, WHITE & BALANCE AND MAKE YOUR
BLACK FOOD TOO YELLOW
Raspberry nice cream bowl

29 SEC)
cheat sheet
(NIKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LENS, F/2.0, ISO 100, 1/50
cheat sheet
G a r nis h . . .
I prefer natural makeup in my everyday life. The

same goes for my food photography “makeup”.
DON’T FORGET SIM-

PLE THINGS SUCH
AS:
• COCONUT
• SALT FLAKES
• SEEDS
• NUT BUTTER
• FLOWERS
• NUTS
• CHOCOLATE
• COCOA NIBS
• COCOA POWDER
• CINNAMON
• FRUIT & BERRIES
• EDIBLE FLOWERS
• GREEN LEAVES
• CHILLI FLAKES
cheat sheet cheat sheet 30

RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE
(NIKON D750, 20 MM/ 1.8 LENS, F/2.2, ISO 100, 1/50)
Br i ng i n a “hum a n e lement ”
Tell a story: Use your-

self, other
people or pets as “prop”
DOG COOKIES
(NIKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LENS, F/4, ISO
100, 1/70)
Create some interests

with this classic Insta-
gram clićhe: Yes, hands
+ nail polish for food
RICE SEMOLINA (NIKON D750, 50 MM/1.8
styling LENS, ISO 100, 1/20 SEC F/4)
31
cheat sheet
Use m a t te t a blewa re
ANTIQUE STORES,
ATTIC, GARAGE OR
ONLINE STORES
NEUTRAL COLORS
VINTAGE CUTLERY: TELL A STORY
cheat sheet CHOCOLATE TART RECIPE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PLANBASE-

32 100,
cheat sheet
DONBUDGET.COM (NIKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LENS, ISO
“Re a d ” p h o t o s
Pinterest group boards?
INSPIRATION BOARDS: DETAILS FROM

DIFFERENT IMAGES
Stylist might see some details for example from 20 different images.
Without noticing, he or she might use some of these ideas together in
one photo.
33
cheat sheet
Use t h e c o lo r wheel
Choose the color harmony between basic color
palettes (monochromatic, analogous, triad,
complementary, compound or shades)
Use Adobe Color CC for inspiration
34
cheat sheet
WHAT’S
Nex t ?
Thank you so much for reading & I hope that this little 21 #foodphotography
cheat sheets was a significant boost for your amazing photography.
I put a huge amount of effort into creating this guide and breaking down these
insights from my years of study food photography – I truly hope you got a lot out
of reading it.
Maybe, as you read each reason, you realized that you already had some areas
under control, whilst others you stumbled on and realized there are mistakes
you didn’t even notice you were making with your photography.
As I said earlier, dealing with your food photography mistakes isn’t about
blaming yourself.
Rather, the purpose of this guide is to make sure you know the pieces you can
control so that going forward you can get out of my comfort zone with some
constructive criticism. In the end, the goal is to get better by learning from my
mistakes. The most important thing is always to keep practicing and learning.
35
cheat sheet
Now you know some food photography basics – but of

course, that isn’t even half of the story...
The other part is understanding different food composi-

tion & styling techniques in depth.
I’ve created two quick-start 490+ pages

21 + 21-day program to help you create
stunning photography on your own.
It’s almost like a #foodphotography

“workout plan”! No, it doesn’t mean we
are going to do burpees and push-ups.
However, you still might need to climb on
the tables. We can count it as a work out
after eating all that food, right?!
YOU’RE IN LUCK THERE, TOO...
I’ve curated years of my very best research and ground

breaking insights on food photography and boiled them
down to create a practical program that could both:
1. Learn different composition techniques, AND
2. Create your own unique style.
IT’S CALLED...
36
cheat sheet
LE A R N FOOD P H OTOG RA PHY:

2 1 + 2 1 - D AY
Cha l l enge Progra m Bundl e
TWO
EBOOKS + MANUAL MODE
GUIDE
– Learn different composition
techniques + create your own
unique style ;
– How to avoid food photogra-

phy mistakes? Find solutions to
common mistakes!
– Learn the basics + challenge

yourself with practical “tests”
and “exams”;
– Cheat sheets;
– Interactive pdf format & in-

stant downloads.
Get Your Instant Download NOW
37
cheat sheet
BUT FIRST,
a wa r ning :
I’m going to hand you my best rapid-results tips in this program, but it’s your responsibil-
ity to make sure that the you use it on is worthy of an incredible food photographer like
you.
That’s because, once you learn go through this 21-day challenge, you will become so good
at your craft that you might need to quit your job when you already aren’t working as a
food photographer.
... people will fall all over your photography …
... and they certainly won’t get second thought on your skill.
Not kidding. This is powerful stuff.

Listen, many photographers don’t know these techniques we talked about today.
But right now, you can get your hands on this secret “cheat code” to create stunning food
photography you can. All you have to do now is take it...
-20 % discount code: SMILE20
“21 + 21 -Da y Food Photogra p hy Cha l l enge Bundle”
CLICK HERE
38
cheat sheet

21 Food Photography Cheat Sheets

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

21 Food Photography Cheat Sheets

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

21 Food Photography Cheat Sheets

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

L e a r n FOOD

©2020 LAURA KUKLASE

All rights reserved. Laura Media Ltd. No part of this

For permissions contact:

Photography & graphics by Laura Kuklase.

Adobe product screenshots reprinted with permission from Adobe.

CONSULTING THE RULES OF COMPOSITION* BEFORE

WHO IS HEALTHY LAURA?

My name is Laura Kuklase, and I’m

No, I didn’t graduate from

HOW DID A LAWYER BECOME A

I have no idea. These two don’t

STILL, MY HEART ...

I LIKE TO THINK ...

… that I’m at the beginning of

For my surprise, I even managed to win

HOW DID YOU GOT STARTED WITH FOOD

The winner of the international food photogra-

The winner of the international food photography

So, you want to learn food

Let’s be honest. Food photography

WHY DID YOU CREATE THESE CHEAT SHEETS?

WHAT DOES THE 21 #FOODPHOTOGRAPHY CHEAT SHEET MEAN?

ENCOURAGEMENT: DON’T BE AFRAID

Use the hashtag #foodphotography21 and tag @food_photography21

WHO SHOULD READ THIS GUIDE?

WEEK 1: WEEK 2: WEEK 3:

WEEK 4: WEEK 5: WEEK 6:

WEEK 7: WEEK 8: WEEK 9:

WEEK 10: WEEK 11: WEEK 12:

WEEK 13: WEEK 14: WEEK 15:

WEEK 16: WEEK 17: WEEK 18:

WEEK 19: WEEK 20: WEEK 21:

The north facing

to work with direct sunlight)

BREA KFAST IN “BED” (N IKON D750, 50 MM/

Manipulate the light with white, black or blue boards

I NSTAG R AM STOR I E S @ H E AL TH Y L AUR AC OM

LOOK FOR GAPS AROUND

LEAVE SOME “BREATHING ROOM”

KETO DONUT FOR A KETO DIET WEBSITE THAT I WORK WITH

MAKE STATEMENT BY REAPEATING

REPEAT BACKDROP TEXTURE

SAVORY BUCKWHEAT AVACADO PANCAKES

GET THE CONTRATS WITHIN

GRANOLA WITH FRUIT (NIKON D750, 50 MM/

cheat sheet 1.8 LENS, F/3,5 ISO 100, 1/60)

MUSHR OOM ZOOD LE S (N IKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LE N S, ISO 10 0 , 1 / 4 S EC, F / 1 1 )

Use converging triangles or implied

C ASHE W MILK (N IKON D750, 50 MM/ 1.8 LE N S, ISO 5 0 0 , 1 / 1 0 0 0 S EC , F / 1 . 8 )

CURVES & S-LINE On this image I used different white bowl

cheat sheet cheat sheetCHOCOLATE QUINOA PORRIDGE (NIKON D750,18 50

B R EAK FAST TIME (N IKO N D7 5 0 , 50 MM/ 1 .8

Fill the frame:

Horizontal, vertical vs diagonal lines

IMPERFECT IS PERFECT: USE FOOD SPILLS

cheat sheet cheat sheet CHOCOLATE RASBERRY NICE 21 CREAM

TOMATO ZOODLES SOUP

MY IN STAG RAM T V @HE ALT HYLAURAC OM