Dessert Photography & Styling 101 with Linda Lomelino

Linda’s Top Dessert Photography Tips:

1. Work the Light

“Natural light is the best light for shooting food. Never shoot your dishes with the flash. It kills the shadows, and makes the photo flat and the food less appetizing. For the best results, shoot indoors during daylight (filtered through a window) when the light is at its peak. Rooms with north-facing windows are prime spots because part of the room has indirect natural light. Bright light is harsh and creates sharp contrast, so avoid taking photos with sunlight shining directly on the object. To get a softer light, hang a sheer curtain or white sheet in front of the window, and hold a reflector board facing it (I use Styrofoam) to lighten the shadows in the shot. To get darker, moodier shots, put a foam board or black paper over your window. A narrow, concentrated light source shining directly on your dessert gives the shot a more dramatic feel—I often use my Venetian blinds to accomplish this.”

2. Find Your Angle

“Different baked goods photograph better from different perspectives. Consider which feature of your dessert you want to showcase most. If a one-layer cake has a particularly beautiful garnish or a pie has an elaborate lattice, I shoot it from overhead. Photograph tall cakes from the side to emphasize the height and decorations, or cut and plate a few slices and shoot them from above. Smaller baked goods, like cookies or pastries, also photograph best when shot from directly overhead. Stack a few cookies to shoot them from the side, too.”

3. Mix Up Your Surfaces

“Your background and surface are as important as the dessert itself—they affect the overall mood of your photo. I always try to stick within a certain color scheme for the overall shot. Marble and wood are the two most versatile surfaces. It’s easy to make your own surfaces, too. Buy some cheap boards or large pieces of plywood from a hardware store, and paint them. Just avoid using paints that dry shiny because they will weirdly reflect the light. I use matte paint, and also love limestone paint for its cement-like texture. Fabric can soften the picture nicely. When using patterned fabric, be sure that it doesn’t draw focus from the main motif. If I choose a busy background or a fabric with a fine print, I plate my dessert on a single-color dish.”

4. Prop ‘Til You Drop

“The number one rule for picking props is to choose things you love. I’m drawn to vintage props that have a patina, everything from small toy cars to apple crates to old suitcases. Let your props tell the dessert’s story. Style with items that belong in the picture: Place a glass bowl of buttercream frosting and a spatula next to your cake layers, or some chopped baking chocolate and a knife next to your tart. Your props should always be proportionate to the dish you’re shooting. I find my props at secondhand stores and antiques shops, but Etsy is a wonderful resource as well.”

5. Choose Your Style

“Photo composition is a matter of taste. Do you want to arrange your shot to look pristine and immaculate—not a crumb in sight—or a bit more like styled chaos, with flour and glaze spattered across the counter top? When styling, I roll with the imperfections. I want my images to be authentic, so if a few berries I’ve used as a garnish fall off the cake and onto the surface as I’m cutting into it, I leave them. Baking can be messy, so a little messiness can be a good thing, especially in process shots.”

6. Always edit

“Photos have a tendency to go yellow, especially when you’re shooting on auto. To eliminate that, bring in a little blue color and brighten the image. For blue-toned images, adjust the warmth of the image. Up the contrast to bring in more color depth on images of vivid desserts with various colored berries or bright frostings. After taking an image of the food on my phone, I will use the Snapseed app to adjust the photo’s light and the white balance first, and then use VSCOcam to sharpen and put a filter on the image. Instagram’s editing tools have also become great compared to what they were when the app first came out, so I will even tweak the photo again there before posting it.”