Tips for Creative Baking Photos

When I have some time to step away from client work and focus on some creative shooting for myself, I start to think about why I do what I do when I style a shot. Whether I realize it while I’m doing it or after I look at the final photo, it allows me to share my thought process when I step up to my set. 

So I thought I’d share my everyday tips for adding something special to baking shots. Whether you experiment with one of these ideas or apply them all, hopefully they will help keep your creativity top-notch this month. 

For those who like to read, march on with your scroll. Or watch the video below where I break down each element on my set.

Tips for Creative Baking Photos

Use whole grain flours. 

The browns blend better with other color tones and there is a reduced chance they will create a hotspot that is overexposed.

Use raw sugars. 

The texture catches the light and it makes a visually appealing substitute for brown sugar while still giving you a neutral tone. 

Blend textures and materials. 

Wood and metal, gold and silver. Don’t be afraid to mix and match. I often find myself feeling like I need to stay with all silver tones or all copper. You can mix them all. The key is to have a balance and a mix. If you use all silver or brushed nickel and one pop of copper, it might look like it doesn’t fit, but when you blend 2 or more components of each, it looks like it all goes well together. 

Add a natural, where-it-comes-from element.

For nuts, this may be some in the shell, cracked and not yet cracked. Whole vanilla beans are a nice touch as are whole spices. Honeycomb is a fun touch too, if you can get it.

Stack tools for interest.

Whether it’s an overhead shot or at another angle, stacking similar items can give the height and interest in the image.

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Food Photography Styling Starts With the Raw Ingredients

Styling and shooting a simple food like this hummus wrap with roasted vegetables begins long before you step up to your set. This short video shows you how I begin thinking about a shot as I review the raw ingredients that will be going into it. It contains tips for workflow that you can apply to your own at-home set.

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Tips for Adding Black Elements to Food Photography at Home

No time to read? You can listen to this post instead. Just click the play button below.

Dark, moody, mysterious. Even the brightest of photos can benefit from black elements added to your food and product photography set at home. It’s an especially fun element to add during October when you want a touch of festive Halloween in your photos. 

If you don’t want the mysterious and moody to take over, though, use black sparingly. The color is best used with a combination of lighter subjects, props, and surfaces to bring out its best qualities.

These are three ways to add more black to your photos this season with tips for creating a sense of balance and highlighting your subject well when doing so. 

Use black cheesecloth. Black linens which also have a light texture are perfect for food and product photos. Black cheesecloth is my favorite option, followed by black lace if you can find it. (shown in above image)

Black plates (but only if you have the right supporting props). As those who take my courses have heard me say time and time again - you can’t shoot a dark food, on a dark plate, on a dark surface with a dark linen. Well, you can, but you likely won’t love how it looks. 

One or more of these components of your set needs to capture the light and soften the look. Lighter foods that can be highlighted with natural light like work great on black props. 

Black utensils. If you are interested in a little touch of black that won’t overwhelm your whole set, black forks, knives and spoons are by far the best option. 

Tinted glassware. I found a glass several years ago at a vintage shop that had a unique black shade. It’s clear, but tinted black. I don’t use it often, but when I want to add subtle darker shades, it works perfectly.