How To Make Your Food Blog Stand Out

As a food blogger, beautiful photos of your recipes are the way to get noticed online.

To get ahead, you need better food photography. This means developing your food styling skills.

Food photographers always work with a food stylist on professional shoots. Food stylists have specific knowledge of how to get the best out of food to make it look great in front of the camera.

Here are some food styling tricks you can borrow to make your creations look extra delicious.

An overhead food photography shot of a bowl of Pappardelle [Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]

10. Use Fake Ice to Make Life Easier

When shooting for your blog, you can use real ice. Or you can get some fake ice cubes.

Real ice looks white instead of clear and shiny. And of course, it melts very quickly. This can create a hassle for you when you're shooting.

Beverage photography can take a long time due to the difficulty of managing reflections in the glassware. You may have to use stand-ins. Or switch out your drinks several times to get the lighting right. These can disturb your set, and the real ice cubes are going to melt.

Cheap artificial ice looks fake. Investing in some good quality ice cubes can make a big difference when photographing beverages. And you can work with these simple tricks of food photography for many years.

If you decide you want to splash out for some good quality fake ice, you can buy them online.

A still life featuring a green drink in a jar beside a teaspoon and ingredients against a dark background

9. Create Fake Drinks to Keep the Budget Low

Chances are high that when you see a glass of white or red wine in a food editorial, it's not actual wine in there.

Purchasing real wine adds unnecessary expenses to a food styling budget. And there is an easy and cheap way to fake it.

There are problems with shooting the real thing, too. For example, red wine often shoots too dark. So food stylists often mix a few drops of red food colouring into the water as a substitute.

As for white wine, a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet can make a convincing chardonnay.

Kitchen Bouquet is used for browning and seasoning meat. It is a liquid product composed of caramel colour and seasonings. It is an American product, but most countries have an equivalent. If you can't find such a product, soy sauce also works very well.

A glass of white wine against a blurry background - food styling tips

Add it to the water drop by drop until you get a realistic shade. A little goes a long way.

When styling coffee or tea, you may want to show steam coming off the top of the beverage. You can do this in Photoshop. But it's easier to create the look of steam in-camera.

The important thing to know is that you can only create this effect when using backgrounds that are on the darker side. Otherwise, the steam won't show.

Put a smaller cup or dish behind your subject. You will have to position your camera so it doesn't show. This means you have to be shooting your scene straight on.

Boil some water in a kettle and when your camera is set up and ready to go, pour the boiling water into the cup behind your coffee or tea and take the picture.

A food photography diptych showing a cold cocktail on white background and a cup of tea on dark background

8. Add Condensation on Glassware

Nothing makes a cold beverage look more refreshing than some condensation on the glass. Think of a mug of beer or a frosty cola with water beading on the glass.

You can spray the glass with some water to achieve this effect. But that won't last too long.

Bright and airy food photo of a jug of fresh lemonade and glasses

A better approach is to work with a mixture of glycerin and water. Glycerin is a gel-like product that you can find in the beauty section of the drug store. Or you can try using corn syrup instead.

The ratio of glycerin to water will depend on how large you want the droplets. I find 50:50 to be a good start.

Mix the glycerin or corn syrup with water in a small spray bottle and spritz the mixture onto the glass. Use an eyedropper or a chopstick to put bigger droplets strategically. The mixture won't evaporate or move when you're trying to get your shot.

Note that this trick can also be used to create water droplets on fruit that won't evaporate within seconds as they would do with a spritz of water. The glycerin can be rinsed off with warm water.

Close up shot of fresh blueberries

7. Add Grill Marks for a Freshly Cooked Feel

Foods like steak, chicken breast, and even some vegetables look great with grill marks. It gives the impression as if they have just come fresh off the barbecue.

When you see such items in magazine photos and advertisements, chances are they haven't actually been barbecued. But have been prepared to look so by a food stylist.

Overhead shot of a roast chicken and other dinner items

There is an inexpensive and easy way to do this at home with a charcoal starter.

To create grill marks on steak or chicken, trim off any part of the meat that looks ragged and uneven. Then brush it with oil. Cook in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add some oil to keep the meat from sticking and to encourage browning.

To get the food looking its best, you will have to undercook it. Once the meat has browned, move it to a baking sheet covered with aluminium foil.

At this point, if you have a kitchen torch, you can brown the edges where they would naturally be darker. Brown the surface of the meat if needed to look even and golden.

Take the charcoal starter and lightly press it into the meat where you want to create the grill marks. Use a slight rocking motion. This will help you create an even mark.

Be sure to space the marks out as evenly as possible, so it looks realistic.

You might find that you have to practice using the charcoal starter before you are satisfied with the results. Don't press too hard. A light hand is all that you need.

Also, be sure to season the meat after it's cooked, not before. Seasonings tend to burn when cooked in the pan. Brushing the meat with oil as needed will keep it looking moist and appetising.

A close up photo of a piece of barbequed meat on a fork with bokeh background

The oil will preserve the meat. If you are not using it right away, place it in a dish of oil. Otherwise, it will start to look unappetising very quickly.

This is called "holding". You can wipe off the oil before you place the meat on set. And touch it up with a brush where needed.

You can also apply this grilling method on seafood and vegetables like zucchini.

But some of these items should be blanched, rather than browned in the pan. For shrimp, put them on a wooden skewer and move them into simmering water for a couple of minutes, until they turn a nice pink colour.

Then dunk them in a bowl of ice water before removing them to a tray. This will stop the cooking process.

You can apply the same process with zucchini or other vegetables.

A bright and fresh feeling photo shoot of a lunch setup including green soup with pawns

6. Build Your Burgers to Make them Appealing

Burgers are among the most difficult items to style. They can look very sloppy if you don't take the time to "build" them properly. Or if you're unsure what food styling tricks to apply.

Start by laying out all your ingredients and tools beforehand. Ensure your knife is very sharp and you have a small pair of scissors on hand. Cook whatever meat or veggie patty you will be using in your burger beforehand.

The top and bottom should look as perfect as possible, without any dents. You don't have to photograph the top and bottom of the same bun if you have bought a bag with several buns. Always choose the best looking items.

Dark and moody food styling example of a burger with a steakknife through it, against a dark background

Trim any raggedy bits from the edge of the bun, if necessary.

Preserve your lettuce in a bath of ice water. This way, it won't start to wilt before you can put it on your burger. When it's ready to use, wipe off the excess water by putting it on a paper towel.

If you are using tomato and onion, cut pieces from the middle to get the cleanest and biggest cuts. If your knife is not sharp, you won't get clean cuts. The liquid and seeds from the tomato will seep out, making a mess.

Tomatoes have a lot of liquid. So when you put your slices on the burger, be sure to not have them touching the bun. Otherwise, the bread will become wet and soggy very quickly.

Food stylists found the perfect way to prevent the tomato from ruining the burger. They tuck a small piece of cardboard or paper towel between the tomato and other burger elements.

For the cheese, squares of processed or "American" cheese work best, as they melt very well. To encourage a bit of melting before you place them on your patty, a bit of steam from a boiling kettle can start that process.

Finally, using an elevated surface like a cake stand will make building your burger easier. It will allow you to see how the burger will look to the camera.

Not sure how to make your burger appear taller in your photos? Here is another food styling trick for you. Work with toothpicks to keep the layers stable. Put a few extra hidden layers of ingredients or cardboard pieces between the layers.

Diptych food photography example of setting up and styling a burger against a dark background

5. Style Your Soups

One problem with photographing soup is that it can look quite bland in the photos.

Food stylists found ways to make them prettier. For example, items like bread or croutons or garnishes can enhance soups.

Chunks of fresh sourdough, slices of French baguette, dinner rolls, and even the crumbs can really bring a food photo to life. It gives the viewer the sense that there is a wider story going on than what appears in the frame.

Bread in your soup shot will add texture and also create context by suggesting that it will be used to sop up the soup.

Overhead shot of orange soup in abowl, with bread and leaves beside it

Place the bread where it won't overpower your main subject and don't add pieces that are too big.

A plain bowl of soup can also be elevated with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkling of chopped herbs or seasoning like black pepper.

You can sprinkle colourful peppercorns on your surface, along with a smattering of coarse salt to add texture and interest. A little goes a long way. Too much can look messy.

When using herbs to garnish your soups, choose the freshest possible and replace them as you shoot. They wilt or oxidise quickly.

While you're shooting, you can keep your chosen sprigs of herbs in a bowl of ice water. When they are ready to use, pat them dry and place them onto your scene. You may have to change them out a few times as you go along.

To store, place cut herbs in a mason jar filled with cold water and cover them with a plastic bag. If you change out the water every day, they will last up to a week in the fridge.

Close up shot of rare beef pho in a bowl against white background

4. Enhance Your Eggs

Styling eggs in the perfect way is also tricky.

When frying eggs for your shoots, use a preheated dry, non-stick pan. Don't use oil to make sure you'll get nice edges and bright yolks. Crack each egg individually into a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl to drain. Then gently transfer it into the pan. This will get rid of any water that can cause uneven edges.

Cook the egg slowly, over medium-low heat. Once the white is completely set, spray a spatula with a bit of cooking spray and transfer the egg carefully onto your plate.

To cook soft-boiled eggs, undercook them by a minute and then place them directly into a bowl of ice water.

When cooking soft-boiled eggs, you definitely want to cook more than you think you will need. Once you've set up the shot, spoon some of the runny yolks from an extra egg onto the hero egg. This is a great way to capture that runny yolk drip you see in soft boiled egg photos.

Sometimes an egg will sit too low in an egg cup. In that case, place a bit of tissue or paper towel in the bottom of the cup to prop up the egg and ensure that more of it is visible.

Overhead food styling shot of baked eggs in two white bowls against a dark blue background

3. Style Breakfast Items and Baked Goods

Breakfast items come with their own set of challenges in food styling. Many of them are on the brown side and a bit dull-looking on their own. You can overcome this with supporting ingredients and garnishes and the right composition.

When styling baked items like pancakes, waffles, muffins, be sure to make ones that are a nice golden brown–nothing too dark–and are uniform in size. Use the elements that would accompany the food you are shooting. Butter and maple syrup with pancakes, or milk with granola.

If possible, add some extra colour and texture with some berries or other fruit. The more textures you have, the better. Sprinkle some cocoa nibs or hazelnuts on the top.

One problem with using syrup in food styling is that it seeps into the food, making it soggy. When working with waffles and pancakes, you can prevent this problem by spraying them with Scotch Guard, a fabric and upholstery protector.

Of course, the food will not be edible if you use it.

Delicious blueberry pancake photo shoot for food blogging

2. Work With Dressings and Sauces

Once dressing is added to a salad, the greens will begin to wilt due to the acidity. For this reason, you want to have your lighting and camera set up and ready to go first. And add the salad dressing at the last moment.

Apply the dressing by drizzling it on with a small spoon or a squeeze bottle. There is no need to dress every leaf or component of the salad. You can also use a brush to add dabs of dressing or oil where you want to emphasise the highlights.

Too much dressing on a salad can drag it down.

A bowl of shaved brocolli salad, balsamic veingear and a small glass on a dark blue background

1. Use Simple Tricks to Improve Your Ice Cream

Out of all the foods to shoot, ice cream can be the most difficult. In fact, there are food stylists who refuse to work with this cold dessert.

For some professional shoots, ice cream is replaced by mashed potatoes or icing sugar mixed with conditioner and food colouring. These won't melt, but will seem like real gelato in the images.

You might not have the desire to use these techniques. So let's look at how to make your ice cream last longer on your setup.

An ice cream cone in a bowl against a dark background

When working with scoops of ice cream, place several scoops individually on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the cookie sheet back into the freezer for about twenty minutes.

You can also freeze the bowls or cups you'll be using to plate the ice cream. This will give them a frosted or dewy look once you have them on set and they are starting to come to room temperature. If you don't like how it looks, you will need to wipe them down.

Always make sure that your set is ready before you place your ice cream. It won't wait while you are tinkering with your props. However, sometimes melted ice cream can actually look appealing, depending on the shot.

If you're shooting ice cream in a cone, place a piece of crumpled paper towel inside the cone to keep it from becoming soggy. Fill the cone evenly with ice cream and then place your nicest scoop on top.

A food blog diptych showing how to style ice-cream for a photo shoot

Conclusion

As a food blogger, you have to do it all. You're the photographer, the food stylist and the prop stylist, not to mention the recipe developer. It can be a lot to juggle, and it takes time.

Being as prepared as possible, with everything laid out and organised will reduce stress and help you have a smooth workflow.

As you can see from these food stylist tips and tricks, sometimes the dishes won't be edible after the shoot. These days, the goal is to be as natural with food styling as possible. But getting the food to look its best often means using methods that leave the food inedible!

Looking for more photography tips? Check out our new posts about tripods for food photography or shooting beer photography next!

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