MY TOP 10 FOOD STYLING TRICKS

Th e se are my top 10, go -to tips t hat have he lp e d m e s ha p e my ow n s t y le a n d

improve my wo r k. They are al l pra c t ic a l t ip s you c a n s t a r t p u t t ing into a c t io n
r ight now !

Th e se ti ps wil l hel p yo u streaml ine you r p roce s s , c u t ou t t hat t r ia l a nd e r ro r a n d

start p roduc ing wo r k yo u’re pro ud of tod a y!

1. P L A N O U T YOUR COM POS I TIONS

Sketching out your photos before you start your shoot will help give your photos more
intention and fous. 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.

Download these free printable Rule of Thirds grids to get started!

2 . U S E CO LOUR THEORY TO C REATE INTEREST

Colour theory is a helpful tool to figure out which co-

lour combinations to use, and which to avoid. there are
two kinds of colour pairings that work well. Comple-
mentary 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

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3. C R E AT E BA LA NCE I N YOUR PHOTOS

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.

4 . M A KE YOUR FOOD PHOTOS LOOKED “L IVED IN”

One of my favourite food styling tricks is to use little 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 tak-
ing a bite of the food.

So 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.

5 . G I V E YOUR FOOD A HE LPI NG HAND

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 suc-
culent 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.

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6 . C H O O S E YOUR FOOD ’ S “BEST SIDE” AND SHOW IT OF F !

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 fea-
tures in their best light.

7. L AY ER I T 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.

8 . G E T C LO S E UP
( B U T NOT TOOOO CLOS E ! )
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 👌

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 ;)

9. L ES S I S M OR E

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 dis-
tract from it .

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10 . C R E ATE ACT I ON!

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 al-
ready sliced up (like the pizza below) will give the viewer a suggestion that the food is
already being enjoyed, making the photo more friendly and believable.

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 COPY R I G HT © LAUREN SHORT, THATSSAGE.COM.
A LL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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dressed to Lauren Short, lauren@thatssage.com.

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