Are you into food photography? Are you curious about how you should shoot food? Is food styling something you are getting into as a blogger? I AM!!!

I’m lucky enough to be sitting in a room at Sara Lee’s corporate office filled with 14 wonderful bloggers . We’ve been invited by Hillshire Farm to learn a bit about food styling and photography tips. I’ve been asked to compete in one of their ‘Go Meat‘ campaigns (details coming up soon), and am getting tips I can use for the competition. Here are some of the key points that I wanted to share:

• Start with a neutral background
• Be clear about your focal point
• Consider using white plates or a chopping block
• Avoid heavy patterns
• If you want to bring in color with the background, try a colored napkin
• Layer different shaped plates that are all in the same color scheme to add dimension
• Be sure to angle the shot as it gives it more of a 3D perspective
• Never shoot dead on
• Create a dish and then pull out interesting pieces from the dish. For example, strategically place what you want to promote even if it naturally didn’t bake that way.
• Make sure you see every single ingredient in the final product
• Make sure serving size is appropriate
• Sauces should be put on at the very end. Consider using a toothpick
• If the item should be moist – the product should be glossy. Consider using Pam spray or vegetable oil.
  But be sure to be careful when spraying. Lightly apply!
• Keep garnishes simple
• Food shouldn’t really touch one another
• Don’t try to create the ‘Thanksgiving Plate’. When the plate is overwhelming the shot is all wrong.
• Use a kitchen torch to warm up cheese or something that needs to be brought back to life.

Do you have any food photography tips? What do you do in order to make your food photography work?

Tags: food photo tips, food photography, food styling, how to shoot food