Create Knockout Minimalist Food Photos

Have you ever tried a minimalist food photoshoot? Just one subject, when done right, man...it can pack a punch!

To me, minimalist images mean to create without excess. The food is the hero and doesn’t require any assistance from props in order to really shine.

The key to creating my knockout minimalist images is that I break the scene into two levels. 

Macro, being the large-scale environment, meaning the image in its entirety, and micro, being the smaller-scale environments that make up parts of the image, environments and focus on compositional principles within those areas.

Composition techniques help me focus on placing a subject so it has organic movement and is aesthetically pleasing. I do this by focusing on layering, interest and placement to create depth, add dimension and interest for the viewer to explore. I aim for 3-4 layers of either food, props or both.

Ask yourself, can the food stand on its own and still be interesting? 

Can you see where I’ve used interest in these minimalist shots?

Classic Pavlova Food Photos

Did you know, I once turned down a client job because I couldn't make meringue. True story!⁠ 

About 5 years ago, when I was asked to be the stylist for a Christmas pavlova shoot. At that time, I couldn't make meringue to save my life. (Let alone ask someone to pay me to do it).⁠ 

I don’t regret turning the job down, however, it was instrumental in my decision to master the skill.

So when I moved to Canada 3 years ago, I spent my entire first winter making meringue after meringue after meringue.⁠ I now find whipping egg whites therapeutic!

It can be hard to evolve your style, especially when you've been photographing for almost 10 years. When we're so ingrained in our creative process, it's hard to break out into something. I believe it’s important to always be tinkering and playing with new things.⁠

⁠I want to give you hope that you can master the food you want to photograph. You just have to put the time in and commit to making it a reality. 

Here are some of the pavlovas I’ve created and photographed so far!