Food styling (and styling in general) is a wide-ranging topic, and can encompass a lot of approaches. As a stylist working with clients, sometimes I have to make food to match a recipe, sometimes I use food as a prop, and other times we work with chefs or restaurants, in which case they usually provide the food and we just arrange it, and sometimes give a little zhugg.

Working with clients

In whatever way we’re working with a client, I have a few food styling techniques I use regularly. I wanted to share some food styling tips here today to help anyone who might want to learn more about the techniques the professionals use. My tips are more about common sense, rather than of the “Elmer’s glue for cereal milk” variety (if you’re looking those kinds of tips, keep moving, they’re not going to be here). Instead, these are simple tips that you can implement in a casual shoot with food you’ve made at home.

Style with the ingredients

This is the simplest, most obvious, and potentially most effective food styling strategy I use. Show what’s in the dish. Onion peels, egg shells, raw sugar, whole lemons—you’re only limited by what’s in the food.

Here, I garnished this lemon tart with blueberries because there’s a secret layer of blueberry jam (inspired by Claire Saffitz) hiding in this tart.

Texture, texture, texture

Adding texture helps break up flat surfaces and add depth and visual interest. See the powdered sugar above. Other texture options include ground pepper, flakey salt, crushed nuts and seeds, spices, and more. Below, I used chopped herbs (I actually improvised with carrot tops from another dish we styled during this shoot), a homemade dukkah seasoning (same), some chopped hazelnuts (whatever’s handy!), and black pepper.

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Double Up

Including multiples of the same dish or drink is a great styling technique. Here, I styled two servings of the dish for added visual interest. And don’t just limit yourself to two! Repetition is a compositional device in photography, so include the whole batch if it seems appropriate (pro tip: you’ll probably have a few less pretty variations, so make a double batch of whatever you’re making to have lots of options to choose from).

Human Presence

Incorporating a human element in a food photo is a technique we almost always use. It’s a way to create a variation on whatever we’re shooting, and it helps the viewer to insert themselves into the narrative you’re creating.

Show the Process

This is related to tip 1 (style with ingredients), but a little more action-oriented. Show a stage of the baking, cooking, or assembling process to help tell a bit more of a story.

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Put a Flower on It

Okay, this isn’t ALWAYS appropriate, but I come up with ideas for food shoots specifically so I can put flowers on food. It’s just a passion I have. Obviously it depends on the vibe you’re going for and if it makes sense with what you’re doing (say…you’re shooting for a steak restaurant—maybe don’t festoon the ribeye with ranunculus, even if the alliteration appeals to you). What I will say is particularly if the food is going to be consumed later, be aware of not using toxic plants (in general I avoid garnishing with plants that are wholly inedible, even if they are there just for appearances), wrapping stems, and practicing food safety.

These are just a few of the techniques I employ for food styling, but they are tried and true, and some of my favorites. For weekly tips, be sure to follow @paprikasouthern on Instagram!