6 Simple Ways to Make Your Food Look Stunning in Photos and IRL

Create layers.

“Food styling is all about creating interest in your food,” says Jessica Hoffman, a food stylist and blogger. “One simple trick is to use layers. That can be anything from chopped herbs, to a sprinkle of flakey sea salt, or a drizzle of chocolate on top of a dessert. If your plate is looking a bit bland, think about what garnishes you can add to it. This will instantly give you a more styled dish.”

Use complementary colors.

Think of the colors in your food as well as your serveware. “Using complementary colors will instantly give you a more styled dish that's pleasing to the eye,” Hoffman says. “Think about plating an orange soup in a blue bowl, or adding some fresh green basil leaves on top of a red pasta sauce.” Food stylists regularly use complementary colors to “create dynamic tension in a dish.”

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Think contrast.

“Contrast ensures your food really pops,” says Hailey McKenna, a recipe developer and photographer in Oklahoma. ”Layers of light versus dark, smooth versus rough, or any other textural contrasting will give the dish depth. An example is a velvety sauce poured over a rustic dessert or bright-colored produce on a clean black or white dish."

Make space.

“Avoid filling a plate with food,” says Libbie Summers, a food stylist and author. “Instead, use a larger plate and minimize the food. The negative space created helps to enhance the beauty of the food and allows everything to spill naturally.”

Freshen up.

Don’t be afraid to refresh your food before serving or photographing your edible masterpiece. “A last-minute dewy touch-up is a must! A spritz of water is your friend on salads, the sides of glasses, fruit, etc.,” says Summers. She recommends using a fine mist of tap water or a brush of transparent canola oil on fish or meat. And if the food you are shooting is hot, try shooting or presenting the food as soon as it’s off the heat. “The freshness will hide a multitude of sins,” Summers says.

Master the pasta swirl.

Chef Cynthia Ferich is all for plating pasta on white plates. To prevent your dinner from looking like a messy pile, use the following method: First, toss pasta with the sauce of your choice. Using tongs, twirl the pasta within a large ladle until it is in a “nice, tall bird-nest-looking bundle,” Ferich says. Add a little sauce to the plate, then plate the pasta on top. Add a sprig of fresh parsley or basil, as well as a sprinkling of cheese all the way to the rim of the plate.

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