How to Photograph a Recipe Step 2: The Prep and Ingredients

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Earlier, we covered Step 1 in How to Photograph a Recipe and discussed setting up your food photography studio and effectively using natural light. You can find that blog and video here.

Today, we’re going a step further to discuss planning and prepping your ingredients and props. This is critical to maximizing your time and simplifying your workflow. After all, the less you need to run around like a chicken with your head cut off, wondering what’s next, the better!

How to Photograph a Recipe Step 2: The Prep and Ingredients

In part two of our four-part blog and video series, we take you through all the planning and preparation needed before you grab your camera. Our goal is to help you balance your life—your family, friends, passions, and job—by making food photography a breeze. And you can only do that by getting your ducks in a row.

Life is busy…always. But if you take the time to plan your food photography sessions down to the smallest detail, then everything will go so much more smoothly. You’ll make the most of your time, feel good about what you’re doing, and love the results. It’s all about creating a solid process, and we have the tips and tricks to make it happen.

So, let’s dive into step 2 of “How to Photograph a Recipe” and talk about prepping for your fantastic angel food cake photoshoot.

How to Choose Your Photography Styling Props

The first critical component of food prep is knowing what you will make. In this case, we’re making angel food cake, which is a beautiful golden-brown color. This matters because it impacts the types of props you’ll choose. In this case, we’ll want all warm-toned items to match the warmth of the cake.

You want complementary items, not clashing items! That might mean testing out your props beforehand to see what gives off a cool or warm undertone in the camera lens. Just take your bowls and plates over to your style area, get behind your camera, and color-check each prop. It will save you headaches later.

So, what props will you need to photograph a recipe? For angel food cake, you’ll need the following:

• A plastic/ceramic egg crate (for the 12 eggs the recipe requires).
• A dessert plate for the final cake slice and ingredients (a classic white plate would work fine).
• Ingredient bowls (choose small bowls [of varying sizes] that offer a little interest [like a scalloped edge] to jazz up an otherwise boring ingredient photo).
• Measuring cups and spoons (gold or silver options that look fancy are ideal).

Check out our Recommended Gear for prop ideas here!

The key is to choose items that photograph well. You don’t want mismatched measuring cups and spoons or random bowls that look cheap. Focus on the photograph over practicality so you get the best shots.

How to Prep Ingredients for Food Photography

Once you have all your kitchen props ready to go, it’s time to get all the ingredients together. You’ll want your recipe out and in front of you so you know everything you’ll need. For our angel food cake recipe, all the ingredients are in grams, so you’ll also want your scale.

Then, it’s time to measure everything out. If you want to know how to photograph a recipe, prepping ALL the ingredients at once is critical. Measure out the sugar, flour, spices, liquids, etc., and have everything in its separate bowl/plate/spoon. Yes, it means more washing up, but you need each ingredient on its own for the best photo.

Check out our Recipe Session Planner here for more ideas!

Tips and Tricks to Ingredient Prep

Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure you have the best ingredient prep for the best ingredient photo. This is the first photo in your set, so you want it to be eye-catching.

• Think about adding interest and depth to your photos. This can mean leaving the measuring cup in your bowl of flour or putting a larger bowl with a smaller bowl in the same shot.
• Keep measuring spoon ingredients separate and measure out as needed. Bring your measuring spoon ingredients (salt, vanilla extract, spice, zest, etc.) to your styling table, where you’ll take your photos and then measure out there. This way, you can take a photo with the ingredients in the measuring spoons without spilling or requiring separate itty-bitty bowls.
• Consider composition when choosing prep items. You’ll typically take just one ingredient photo, so think about how all your items fit into the frame of that one shot and how each item will draw the eye. We’ll discuss this further next week in Step 3.

It might seem like a lot of work to plan and prep for each food photography session, but it isn’t. And we promise, if you take the time to plan it all out first, gather all your props and ingredients, and then put it all together, you will be SO MUCH happier with the result. Not only will your food photography session go more smoothly, but you’ll get all the shots you want the first time.

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Food Photography

The prep work and planning is done! And now that you know step 2 of “How to Photograph a Recipe,” you’re ready to start taking those perfect shots! Tune in next week for Step 3: Photographing the Process of a Recipe. And if you missed Step 1, you can head back and check it out here.