This sounds so crazy coming out of my mouth because I can’t look at myself as an artist, but food plating is an art that requires creativity and skill. Fortunately, I have had some mentors that were able to cram the philosophy of plating into my brain. It can really make the difference between a dish that looks just okay on the plate and one that looks amazing.
To help you create eye-catching food picture plating presentations, here are three essential tips to get you started.
- Plan, plan, and then replan…the ‘measure twice cut, once’ drill will make sure you have a solid shoot with the right outcome. Plan out your shoot with the end goal in mind and work backwards to create that vision on the plate and in your shot. Also, grab inspiration from your fellow Chef’s, but never, ever rip off someone else’s stuff or just don’t rip off my stuff and we are okay.
- Selecting the right plate might sound like a no-brainer, but choosing the right plate for the right dish is the foundation of creative plating ideas and will help you create stunning food photos. Overtime, you’ll learn how to use different plate presentation techniques to make your dishes look even better than they taste!
- To shoot the right shots, you’ve got to have style! Food styling is another art form that takes years of tips, tricks, and surprisingly, a trip to one of my favorite places- Home Depot! Food stylist have a ton of aces up their sleeves when it comes to taking great shots. In fact, and for the first time, I saw our Influx Photographer, Andy (BTW best photographer in the city), spray hairspray on my dishes, pour glue into one of my soup bowls, and pull out plastic ice cubes…I did not know if he should be committed or commended.
This is obviously not the type of styling you will be doing, but what you have to understand is that food starts dying (less appealing to the eye) as soon as it hits a plate. Your dish never looks better than the first few seconds it’s on the plate. If you’re one of my expeditors, you know I don’t let food hang in my window a single second longer than it needs to or a pair of tongs and my big boy voice make sure it gets the attention it deserves. The food needs to be shot quickly or you have to offset the cooling or “dying” stage of the food.
In conclusion and in my humble opinion, food plating is an art form that can help you elevate any dish and cooking experience. With the right techniques, you can create beautiful and professional looking dishes that will impress your guests and make your meals more memorable. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned old salt like myself, food plating can help you take your cooking to the next level. From simple garnishes to complex designs, there are many creative ways to plate food that will make it look as delicious as it tastes. With practice and patience, you can create stunning dishes that will have everyone asking for seconds. Or you can just do what I do these days, call in the pros at Influx, sit back, and call the shots during the shoots!
