When it comes to food + drink media, we’ve picked up a handful of techniques that we use regularly. Here are some of our top tips:

1. THE HUMAN ELEMENT

We’ve all seen food + drink products isolated in a vacuum devoid of all human life. Some manage to look delicious and appealing while others come off as distant, even abstracted. By incorporating a hand here or mouth there, you ground the image in relationship to a living breathing person and therefore make the food + drink more approachable and inviting. Of course you don’t always want a human element, but it is a quick way to boost the relatability and immediacy of the subject.

2. USE MOTION AND ACTION

A bottle of kolsch on a table is far less interesting than the moment two steins of beer collide producing a gratuitous slosh. The key to great storytelling is that something is happening. Try to avoid using too many inert, static shots. If your goal is truly engaging media, then the subject itself must engage with the world around it—and vice versa.

3. SHOW PROCESS AND TRANSFORMATION

Similar to the last point, bring your subject to life by showing how it is not just one thing but can be used in a variety of ways. Cooking is a truly transformative process and we are biologically hardwired to seek transformation. The best stories tend to have a beginning middle and end that takes us on a journey of transformation. By showing how your food + drink can change, evolve, develop, transform, you ennoble it with the spirit of a protagonist with which the viewer can empathize.

4. DON’T BE TOO PERFECT

Food both nourishes and reflects life itself. Alas we are imperfect, finite beings and the most mouthwatering food media invites us to savor the moment, to say yes to indulging. The most delectably depicted charcuterie boards contain pre-crumbled cheeses and a lush interplay of bounteous delights. Like the loveliest English gardens, don’t regiment your salamis! Remember, food is meant to be consumed—it will be destroyed and transformed. By proactively initiating the inevitable destruction, the break down in form gives psychological cues that invite active engagement rather than restrained observation.

5. GIVE A SENSE OF PLACE

This technique aids with strategic targeting. Consider your audience and what ideal environment they might dream of enjoying your product. Is it a cozy home kitchen? A mountaintop? At a trendy neighborhood coffeeshop? Don’t forget to think outside the box: inspire your viewer with visions of what life could be like!

6. A DASH OF ATMOSPHERICS

Steam from hot coffee, condensation on a cold drink, fire on the grill, flying crumbs as a baguette is torn. These details give a feeling of life and movement to an otherwise static shot—works well in photography too!

7. LIGHT TO EMPHASIZE TEXTURE

Here’s a pro-tip: try a key light for your food or drink coming from a rear-side diagonal. This will simultaneously maximize apparent texture while also giving a halo effect to the food. Modern stage lighting for dance and movement heavily uses side light to highlight the form of the dancers rather than their faces. If you use rear-side diagonal lighting, make sure to have some fill light or a bounce coming from the complementary side.

8. TASTE APPEAL

This is all about sneaking in subconscious appetite triggers. While most focus on visual taste appeal—cues to trigger salivation like condensation on a cold beer or steam coming off a hot pizza—when making video food + drink media, don’t forget sound design: the sizzle and flame of ribeye on a grill, the subtle dance of effervescence on the surface of a freshly poured coupe of champagne. The key with taste appeal is to let it operate subconsciously through subtle use of these cues. Try not to beat the viewer over the head with clumsy or aggressive details. The goal is a balanced orchestration and interplay of elements, don’t over-season your media!

One last thought: You might just be a genius and have a great vision in your mind’s eye for how something should look. No matter your genius, the highest art is revealed and not manufactured. Allow a spirited interplay with the subject matter, treat it with curiosity and care. Always, remember to leave space for poetry.