To get to be a good food stylist you need to be first a good cook. I am still working to be a good cook. Learning to style your food takes time, practice and lots of food. Paying attention to details is also an important asset for a food stylist.
The more time you spend to make your food attractive, the easier it gets to take the shot. Make more food than a plate so you have material to play with. Before starting to take photos get all the props on the table. Make a selection of pots, plates, cutlery, backgrounds or cloths you want to use in the photo. Maybe you will not use them all, but is good to have them near you. You can also stage some photos without the food.
Your food is the hero in the story. Every props you use need to participate in the story you want to tell. If you want vintage, everything must be vintage. If you want modern, everything goes modern.
In my story, my hero is mushrooms with cheese risotto. I used a brown rustic bowl on a wooden background because I wanted my story to be rustic.
First shot was only with the bowl and the cloth. I put some fresh parsley on top, to complement my dish. I have fresh parsley in the garden. If you by the herbs some hours before, keep them in a jar with water.
From there I build the second shot adding some ingredients from the recipe in the background: cheese and parsley. I used an old pepper grinder in the back and I put the parsley on a piece of wood. The focus is always on the bowl.
Keep taking photos!
Cooking Without Limits 
I love to look at your photos (and I love risotto). I just take mine with an iPhone 6, not professional at all 🙂
I’m fine with mushrooms and cheese risotto being the hero of any story. Delish pics.
Thank you
Looks delicious! Something I need to try!
Thank you
Your photos are great! I am getting a little better with food styling but it takes practice for sure. Thanks for the tips. You reminded me that I forgo to use the parsley I bout specifically to style my pasta! I still got good photos. I hope you’ll take a look at my Bucatini all’Amatriciana post tomorrow. I’d love feedback.
Thank you.
A great post! I was just looking an inspiration and you gave it to me – thank you 😊 can I ask you what kind of camera are you using?
Thank you. Nikon D 700
Thank you for the tips😊
You are welcome
Thank you for sharing these tips and for the juxtaposition of photos. My photos look like the first photo, well a very bare version :). After reading your post, I definitely want to try building my shots more. :).
When I started taking photos of food I was making almost everyone of them like the first one. With time I began to add more props
Lovely post and amazing photos!
Thank you
Great tips, thank you! Your photos are always gorgeous.
Thank you
Great looking risotto!
Thank you
Great, simple tips – thanks for sharing! Any tips on dealing with difficult lighting?
Thank you. I will prepare a post
Great pictures 🙂 – but, in my case (when it’s up to food photo) -it’s easier said then done – because there are always some hungry customers waiting to eat, so it is “war” between them and my camera 😉
Thank you
Cute – war between photos and and the hungry customers. 🙂
Thank you for sharing the tips. My photography skills are still in their infancy but I’m trying.
You are welcome
I need to learn a lot about food styling and photography. Which sites or books do you recommend to someone that is starting?
Congratulation for your photos, you make your dishes mouthwatering.
Thank you. I have Lara Ferroni’s – Styling, lighting & Photographing. Great book!
Thanks. I’ll check that one.
You are welcome
I’ve never liked risotto, but this makes me want some. I have never been a great food photographer, but I always want the food I eat to look really good. What an enjoyable post 🙂
Thank you
I am all new to this and at the moment I’m just taking photos with my iPhone. I am saving up for a professional camera as I really love shooting food and I believe that nothing attract people to your blog like a good photo! 🙂 x
True
I have nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award. I love all of your posts so much! I hope you will accept this award. For more information, please see my post – https://jyotiskitchenblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/17/blogger-recognition-award/
Thank you for your nomination
Thank you for the great photos and the advice. Your photographs made me hungry for healthy food. 🙂
Thank you
You’re welcome. 🙂 I hope you’ll be able to continue.
I will
Nice. 🙂
I need to get better at this, I plonk the food on my plate, I’m so hungry that I start eating and then remember I’ve forgotten to take a pic! Also like to eat my food hot and not have to mess about taking pics first…
In time you will.
Your photos are so beautiful! Every dish looks delicious.
Thank you
must go to my blog. Interesting essays is awaiting. https://wonderfect.wordpress.com
Will do
did you come to my blog? I will write more posts.
I was and I liked some of them. Keep writing!
Okay. I had just post a “The internet world”. Come and check it out. Like and follow to see more new posts. 🙂
i had just posted another post called “do not judge a book by its cover”.
If you like, please help me tell your friends to come and visit my blog. 🙂
Beautiful pictures indeed! Looking forward to the post about lighting. Yours is superb!
Thank you
What lighting did you use in the photos of risotto above?
Day light
Ohh wow! The Risotto photo look superb! The image of the Risotto really make us what to eat it straight away! You did a very good job! Salute!
Thank you
I love the idea of the risotto being the hero of your food story! That is a wonderul way to think of the food you are styling! Your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you
Hi,there.I wanted to let you know that I have tagged you for the 2016/2017 tag!I hope you will participate and answer the tag’s questions.https://wordpress.com/post/abhajhablog.wordpress.com/4858.
Thank you
Thank you for making me think of my photography. I am now trying to include more/more thoughtful photos in my own blog posts. Not sure I will continue to have enough ideas though, better keep reading your blog I guess.
You are welcome
I agree on everything!
Very informative post!
Thank you
You have art in the way you present…thats what i would love to learn from you
Am not a bad cook but am a poor stylist
Thank you
Enlightening post. 👍
Thank you
Thanks for stopping by Chlohemian 🙂 Cheese risotto with mushrooms is my hero too, but I couldn’t care less about the photo as long as it’s in my tummy 😛
Love the hero metaphor. I have trouble making myself care about taking decent photos–hearing about your strategies helps!
Happy to help
Your photos are always so beautiful and make the food look enticing !!!!!! 🙂
Thank you
Interesting reading, and hopefully I will pick up a few tips from you as your photos are lovely. I’ve just started a food blog, but am currently finding that allocating 20 seconds for a quick snap of my meal before I eat it is already too long a delay! But beautiful photos add so much to information about food, and I am interested in photography, so it’s something I plan to work on.
Thank you
Thanks for stopping by Chlohemian 🙂 Cheese risotto with mushrooms is my hero too, but I couldn’t care less about the photo as long as it’s in my tummy 😛
This I need to get better at. Your pictures are very professional, what camera are you using?
Thank you. I have a Nikon D700