People consider food photographers lucky (yeah true, they get to eat their subjects after shooting!), but there is a lot that goes into portraying food the way it is, by highlighting its flavor so well that the viewers get a taste of it through the photo. Just like a model, the dish is carefully pampered, styled and made-up for the camera. The process of food styling involves many tips and tricks, usually mastered by experience and intuition. Here are a few tips for beginners:
- Garnish your food with leaves, pieces of nuts and such, to decorate your dish.
- Use props that aren’t too distracting; viewers shouldn’t end up examining the intricate carving on the spoon rather than appreciating the dish.
- Use a minimum amount of food. Don’t crowd your plate with too much just to show off.
- Sprinkle food crumbs and let the food spill over a bit around the plate to make it look even more real and tasty.
- As for your props, contrast is the best technique. Use dishes of a contrasting color as compared to the dish, and mostly plain ones.
- You could use tissue paper to highlight the food in some cases