We’ve got a guest post from superstar food stylists, Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannigan, authors of the gorgeous The Food Stylist’s Handbook that just recently came out. If you’re serious about getting into the food styling business, this is a must-read — it’s like a textbook on food styling for the professional.

Today, Denise and Cindie are sharing some tips specifically for food bloggers, understanding that we eat the food that we style and that the styling/photography has to happen fast before the food gets too cold!

To learn more about Denise and Cindie, visit their website at Food Styling Workshops ~Jaden

12 Edible Food Styling Tips for Bloggers

by Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannigan, authors of The Food Stylist’s Handbook, published by Gibbs Smith.

While there are many techniques used by professional food stylists that make the food inedible, the main reason you can’t eat the food on a photo shoot is because the conditions are far from sanitary and the food often stays out for hours, if not days at a time.

But there are professional styling tricks you can use for your own photos at home while keeping your food totally edible. Here are guidelines for taking better food photos:

1. Arrange your food from the point of view of the camera. The camera sees things differently than you do so keep looking through the lens when arranging your food on the plate. Don’t spend time (time in which your food gets limp or dries out or changes color) on the backside. If the camera lens doesn’t see it then no one else will either.

2. To draw attention to a certain part of your plate, make sure that part stands out from the rest of the food on the plate. As an example: say you are taking a photo of dinner. Dinner is seared halibut with petite green beans and rice pilaf. You want to show off your beautifully cooked halibut. How to make it stand out from the rest of the plate? Prop up the back of the halibut with some cut pieces of green beans or rice. Making the edge of the halibut stand out from what’s around it will draw the viewer’s eye to it.

3. Be aware of your food’s color and texture. Food that is all one color makes a stagnant photo. Stylists use color and texture to create interest and movement. Texture can work against you if, say, your food is coleslaw and everything is shredded into the same size. Use a bamboo skewer to move pieces of food, creating more definition between the pieces. Smooth purees like hummus also benefit from texture: use a small spoon or the handle of a wooden spoon to add texture and movement to the top.

4. Another way to add interest and movement is the use of garnishes. Garnishes can add a different shape, texture or color to food. Garnishes are also an excellent way to disguise an ugly, burned, or otherwise undesirable spot on your food. Common garnishes food stylist’s rely on are: cracked pepper (ground pepper is usually too fine and looks like dirt in photos), green onions cut in various ways, lemon and limes cut in slices and wedges, herb sprigs, tomatoes and peppers cut in various ways, sautéed mushrooms, berries, and sliced fruit.

5. Some food tends to lie flat, like pasta and salad, so you’ll want to prop up certain pieces to give them definition and movement. Stylists use pieces of cosmetic sponges, folded bits of damp paper towel, shortening, museum wax, and modeling clay to prop up food. You can use bits of other, more sturdy ingredients that are already part of your recipe. Try cutting pieces of zucchini or other veggies into tiny wedges to lift and separate. Mashed potatoes also make an excellent base for holding food up.

6. Soups or stews have ingredients that can sink to the bottom of the bowl where they can’t be seen. Stylists create a false bottom in the bowl using shortening (only for room temperature food or it melts), stiff mashed potatoes, or fake ice cubes. To keep it edible, you can place a thick slice or two of raw potato on the bottom of the bowl to hold ingredients up. Remember to remove before serving.

7. To give cooked food a more browned look, dilute some Kitchen Bouquet (gravy browning concentrate, available in most grocery stores) in water and brush onto food wherever you want a darker color.

8. To separate a plate full of similar items like cookies or brownies, stylists use cotton balls, cosmetic sponges or folded bits of paper towel. Your edible option is to break up some of whatever you are photographing (a cookie or brownie) and use those pieces to separate.

9. To make dry meat look moist, brush with a little Karo Syrup. To add color and moistness, use dark Karo Syrup. This works on any type of protein: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and seafood. It will even work on soy products like tofu and seitan.

10. Use a water sprayer or mister to add moisture to just about any food: meats, vegetables, desserts, anything that would look better with visible droplets of moisture. This is especially good for leafy greens as it keeps them fresh.

11. For a longer lasting moist look, mist food (just about any food except leafy greens like lettuces and herbs, which will wilt) lightly with olive oil cooking spray. If you have just one spot on a piece of meat that is visibly dry (or because you are using a very tight focus) you can brush a little olive oil just on the dry spot.

12. Most people don’t find uncooked or undercooked fat on meat appealing. To disguise a fat spot brush on a tiny bit of full-strength Kitchen Bouquet or use a kitchen torch to cook the fat until it darkens enough so that it no longer obvious.

13. Sandwiches and burgers have a tendency to look strange if they aren’t level. Stylists will insert bits of cosmetic sponges or cotton balls in the back to level them. You can use bits of sandwich ingredients like onions or tomatoes, or bread inserted into the back to adjust the level.

Watch Denise in action on View From the Bay!