Here’s a few helpful tips that will help you achieve professionally styled food photos with ease, right in your own home.

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Remember that food tends to melt, sweat, wilt, dry out, shrink, discolor or sag, so timing is of the essence. Make sure you set the table with napkins, glasses, silverware, flowers, etc. before you bring out your “hero” dish. Then finalize your lighting and make adjustments to the arrangement. When everything is perfect, bring in the food and shoot.

Fill your picture with the subject and keep everything in focus. This will eliminate background distractions and show off the details in your subject. Shooting this close requires using a tripod to help steady your shot.

Move in close and focus on a particular part of a dish. This way only part of the food will be fully focused while the background is out of focus or blurred.

Show off your expensive cutlery, wine glasses, chairs and table settings. Simply move far enough away to take an entire table shot with the food as the highlight.

For this type of shot, natural light works best. If natural light isn’t available, bounce light off white walls or ceilings to minimize reflections or glare off the plates, cutlery and glassware.