Pixiq

Professional food stylists do crazy things to food.  Motor oil is used as pancake syrup. Wood stain is painted on poultry to give it a perfectly browned appearance. White glue is used to keep cereal perfectly suspended in its bowl.

Do I need to go on?

That makes me a little sad. Nothing in my bake-to-blog workflow includes the application of inedible or toxic materials, and creating an unattainable image of perfect food is simply -false advertisement.   It is our jobs as food bloggers to also be truth-tellers and gaining trust from our audience begins in the kitchen, where they recreate our recipes.  

Manipulating the elements around food is just as effective as a professional food stylist’s bag of tricks.  I’d like to share a few things I do to enhance food without faking it – from props to plating. No fancy -or inedible- gimmicks required.

 Ingredients: 

Beautiful subject matter can only help your photos. When shopping for fresh produce, be very picky about what you take home.  Making a salad?  Choose the most fresh and perfect-looking leafy greens.  Making peach pie?  Select the most vibrant and unblemished fruit you can find. 

While in the produce section, think about what you will need to garnish your dish. 

• Mint and parsley are both good to keep on hand, as they pair easily with so many dishes.  If you are using fresh herbs in your recipe (for example, rosemary in beef stew), save a sprig or two to photograph separately, or as a final flourish on top of your dish.

•  Criss-crossed chive stalks can make otherwise dull-appearing soups and stews look special.

• Citrus is a colorful and versatile garnish. It can be zested, peeled or sliced, and can accompany both savory and sweet dishes. 

• Fresh berries can often heighten a boring color composition (think homemade vanilla ice cream- yummy but quite plain looking).  Even frozen blueberries and raspberries will do in a pinch when thawed and patted dry.
• Pistachios will add a burst of green color when placed alongside sweet and savory dishes alike.  Just be sure your garnish is flavor-appropriate for your dish.

Prepare ingredients with TLC.  Don’t throw things together and hope for the best.  Make sure veggies are chopped uniformly.  Pay attention to detail.  Take that extra step of lining a cake pan with parchment so it turns out beautifully.

Dishes:

I find myself reaching for the same two or three pieces when plating for photos. 

Small plates are easy to fill up with food, as opposed to larger ones that tend to make food shrink in photos. Smaller sizes work especially well when displaying a single slice of pie or an appetizer.  White dishes are the most versatile.  They don’t distract from the food and give a clean appearance. 

You don’t have to spend a fortune on beautiful plates or flatware.  My most interesting pieces come from antique shops and thrift stores.  When I shop for new items, I usually avoid buying an entire set of dishes, and instead pick up two or three smaller-sized matching pieces. 

 Table Linens:

 When used correctly, fabrics will greatly add to the beauty of your photos.  Foods such as soups or puddings are simple enough to be photographed on patterned or floral tablecloths without distracting your eye from the food.  Busy prints should be avoided when photographing confections with lots of artistic detail. 

Collecting table linens can get pricey, so a good item to use in place of them is quilting quarters.  Larger quilting pieces (called “fat quarters”) are sold at most fabric and craft stores and come in a vast selection of colors and patterns.  Once unfolded (and ironed), they make an interesting background for small items like chocolate chips and nuts.  They can also be neatly folded and used as a stand-in for fancy napkins.  They cost no more than a couple of dollars per square, so they are economical as well.

Backgrounds:

When arranging and re-arranging food, spills are going to happen. Durable backgrounds are a necessity.  I learned this the hard way after purchasing this set of paper backgrounds and just two weeks later (after accidental creases and drips) they were trash.  Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the natural setting of your dining table or kitchen countertop, but if you want to add a little variety to your photos then I have a couple of suggestions on how to create and find your own backgrounds.

• Foam core boards are sold in craft stores and picture framing retailers.  They are lightweight, inexpensive, do not crease and are easy to store.   When spray-painted with matte finish paint, they are durable and wipe clean with a damp cloth.  The 20 x 30 size provides a large field of view through the camera lens, and each side can be painted a different color for maximum utilization.  They can also be covered with large wallpaper swatches to create interchangeable faux walls.

• Wooden cutting boards are a favorite of mine to use in photographs.  I have three that were purchased at a discount store for few dollars each.  Just like foam core, each side can be painted a different color. Instead of spray paint, use an inexpensive craft-grade acrylic paint. These boards are easy to wipe clean and can be re-painted.  Texture can be added by using sandpaper to create a distressed appearance.  This gives place settings a rustic, homey look.

• Venture outdoors.  There are interesting photo ops everywhere.  Your front steps may be a good place to start.  A beautifully weathered chair could hold your latest effort.  I’ve even seen some beautiful shots taken right on the grass with cheerful daisies growing alongside.

Plating:

 Aside from the elements surrounding the food, you’ll need to do a little styling with the food itself.  I like to keep this minimal. My family consumes everything that I make, and over-prodding the food can make it quite unappetizing.

• If your plate looks bare, you can make it look fuller by adding a sprinkling of spices, a dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar.  Sauces and syrups that accompany your dish will also help fill up your plate.  It’s easy to add these elements, but much harder to take away.  Make additions a little at a time until you are pleased with the appearance. 

• Choose the prettiest cupcake or piece of salmon- whatever food you’ve made- to photograph. This may sound a little deceptive, but we all know that a batch of cupcakes is likely to have an ugly duckling or two.  In my experience, those are usually the first eaten anyway.

• Drips and splashes can make food look delicious.  They add a certain authenticity to a photograph.

• Anything you can cut into - cake, pie or casseroles - you should always show a nice evenly sliced piece of it on a small plate.  Take care to wipe away crumbs – or don’t if you feel they contribute to the tone of the photograph.

• An empty dish, or the "aftermath" can be a delightful ending to a blog entry.  It communicates the dish was completely enjoyed, with only a few crumbs left to photograph.

Inspiration:

 My final tip is to study food websites and images you admire.  Take note of the camera angle, or where a garnish has been placed.  Look for background colors and patterns that inspire you.  Try to emulate some of the things you see on those sites in your own food photography. Study the pictures in food magazines and tear out the ones you love.  You could even create an easy to reference food styling inspiration board.  As you keep styling, your craft will grow - so keep at it!