It’s been a really long time since I shared a behind-the-scenes post, and I’ve got a lot to catch you up on — from how I capture syrup pouring shots over pancakes and waffles to the inevitable photo-bombing kitties. Let’s jump in.
(above) I wish I’d photographed this scene from farther back — the setup had a stack of props and materials that looked like a mini circus act. But this close-up shows what I usually do for small food shoots: a large foam-core board for the backdrop, a marble slab for the surface, and everything scooted as close to the window as possible for natural light.
This BTS shot is from a healthy creamsicle smoothie recipe. For many of my tabletop food photos I rely on simple elements: foam-core or a painted canvas backdrop for texture, a slab or board for the surface, and window light. I position props and ingredients to take advantage of the direction and softness of the light.
Who doesn’t love a cat photo bomb? I shot some bedroom content at my friend Jess’ place and her cat Flynn jumped right into frame. I have a soft spot for orange cats — we had several growing up (two Persians and a Himalayan), all orange and impossible not to adore.
I started exploring color palettes for spring and landed on this bright, cheerful combo. It’s bolder than I first expected, but it definitely reads like spring and early summer — fresh and lively.
Here I was styling a chips-and-salsa shoot (that recipe goes live next week). Most small tabletop shoots happen on our DIY tabletop closest to the window, or on the smaller setup I showed earlier with the smoothie — both get great light and are easy to rearrange for styling.
My friend Cori and I painted several larger pieces before she moved back to LA. She added her signature line drawings — including portraits — and I layered on color to make collaborative pieces. I haven’t posted the final results here yet, though you may have spotted one in the “first 12 rooms in 12 months” makeover gallery.
Emma modeled the embroidered shoe makeovers I shared for spring. She’s game for anything, and I had her hop up onto the tabletop (yes, the same table used for the chips-and-salsa styling) so we could use the best natural light. It’s a little chaotic but it gets the shot.
I love using velvet scraps when pulling together a spring palette — the texture and depth are great for styling and still feel rich and tactile.
To capture the perfect chocolate syrup drips for the hot chocolate pancakes recipe, Cori slowly poured syrup from behind a backdrop while I shot from the front. The backdrop in this case was a painted canvas used for texture. Tip: have someone stand behind the backdrop to do pouring shots so you get steady, controlled drips without the pourer being visible in the frame.
That’s all for this round of behind-the-scenes. Do you still enjoy these posts? I’d love to hear — leave a comment below and tell me what you want to see next.