Food Photography Styling Tips

Food Photography  •  Photography Tips

Food styling is an art. You simply cannot shoot great food photos if you don’t have the right skills in styling and presentation of food. This video by The Slanted Lens will give you a lot of ideas on how to style your food for yummy looking photos:

Condensation

Fake condensation is easier to manage and lasts for an incredibly long time.

To produce this long-lasting condensation you need a clean, dry glass, Krylon Crystal Clear, and corn syrup mixed with water (50:50). Spray the Krylon Crystal Clear on the glass, then spray the corn syrup mixture, which produces the final look of condensation.

Then again, the real thing is always better. You may want to try making some real condensation, especially if you’re photographing beverages. You need a chilled beverage bottle, a glass, and a drinking straw. Gently blow on the glass through the straw. The hot breath produces condensation on the glass.

Ice

If you wish to shoot with ice you have a major problem. Real ice melts. Okay, so what’s the solution? Enter fake ice made of acrylic or silicone. The silicone versions are better because the acrylic ones tend to sink to the bottom (real ice floats).

To produce artificial crushed ice you can use a product known as Water Storing Crystals, which will absorb a ton of water. With these, you can produce a look similar to crushed ice or snow.

Backlighting

The majority of beverage ads or commercials you have seen use backlighting. A light coming through the back tends to accentuate the beverage and make it come to life in the photo.

Foam

The foam from pouring beer into a glass goes away after a while. This creates a problem when your shoot stretches on for some time.

A simple trick to produce artificial foam is to sprinkle some salt in the beer and stir it gently. Be careful not to pour too much straight away or the foam is going to spill over. A little goes a long way.

Melted Butter

Instead of heating the baked good you’re photographing, Rudolph suggests that you heat the butter. But there is a certain method to this process. Once you get it right, the final look is really delicious.

Lighten Beverages

Beverages like red wine or Coke can look really dark in the final picture. Diluting them with water produces a lighter variation.

Freshly Poured Look

How do you make a not-so-fresh cup of coffee look like it was freshly poured? Simply mix some dishwashing liquid with coffee, then pick the bubbles up with a spoon and place them on the real thing.

Hearty Soup

How do you make your bowl of soup look hearty and full?

The simplest way is to use some props to create a base at the bottom of the bowl so that all the delicious stuff rises to the top. Adjust the amount of liquid in the bowl so that the bowl looks full without too much liquid at the top.

Try out these tips and let us know how it goes!