5 Tips to Improve Your Food Styling

1) Keep it simple

Keep things simple on all fronts – the food, the concept and the shoot logistics. Simple concepts executed beautifully are more powerful than ambitious ideas executed poorly. You're not going to get a lovely creative result if you're feeling overwhelmed.

2) Select brightly coloured ingredients

Incorporating vibrantly coloured ingredients into your concept means you'll have a beautiful base to work with from the start. Bright colours are easier to work with than white, brown or beige ingredients.

3) Make it shiny!

Food looks more appetising when the light has something to bounce off – for meat and cooked meals I like to brush canola oil over bits that catch the light for a juicy finish; and for salads and fresh produce a spritz of water from a spray bottle freshens everything up.

4) Be disciplined when selecting props

Select a few props that work for your concept instead of an overwhelming number of things. Lay your props out together before you begin shooting and eliminate items that don't feel right for the scene.

5) Make it delicious

Cook food as you would normally – use real ingredients, season properly and style things you're excited to eat. It'll show in the final result.