How Do I Find My Food Photography Style?

Scroll through Instagram for five minutes and it can feel like everyone already has a recognisable style.

• Dark and moody.

  
  

• Bright and airy.

  
  

• Minimal.

  
  

• Rustic.

  
  

• Editorial.

  
  

• Colourful.

Before long, you start asking yourself…

“How do I find my food photography style?”

My answer is always the same.

Stop looking for it.

Your style develops every time you pick up your camera.

It isn’t something you suddenly decide one day.

It comes from photographing, experimenting and slowly understanding what you enjoy creating.

When I moved from portrait photography into food photography, I had no idea what my style was.

Every week there seemed to be a different trend.

• Dark backgrounds.

  
  

• Bright white kitchens.

  
  

• Editorial styling.

  
  

• Floating pours.

  
  

• Smoke.

  
  

• Minimalism.

I photographed all sorts of food and drink because I was still working out what I enjoyed creating.

Looking back now, I can see little clues all the way through my portfolio.

The colours I kept choosing. The lighting I naturally preferred. The props I reached for time and time again.

My style wasn’t something I suddenly found.

It was already there. I just hadn’t noticed it yet.

Stop Looking For Your Style

One of the biggest mistakes photographers make is thinking they need to find their style before they can move forward.

You don’t.

Every time you press the shutter you’re making creative decisions.

• Which angle feels best?

• Which background do you reach for?

  
  

• Do you prefer soft light or dramatic shadows?

  
  

• Do you naturally simplify a scene or add more detail?

Every one of those decisions leaves a little fingerprint on your work.

Over time, those fingerprints become your style.

Create a Favourite Photographs Folder

This is one of the easiest exercises I know, and it works.

Create a folder on your computer called Favourite Photographs.

Every time you edit an image and find yourself smiling...

Save it.

Then, six months later, make yourself a cup of tea and look through them.

Don't just look at the photographs.

Ask yourself why you like them.

• Is it the lighting?

  
  

• The colour palette?

  
  

• The composition?

  
  

• The styling?

  
  

• The story?

The more you understand why you love an image, the easier it becomes to recreate that feeling in your own work.

Look For The Patterns

This is where your style starts revealing itself.

Ask yourself:

• Which lighting appears most often?

  
  

• Do I naturally choose dark or light backgrounds?

  
  

• Which colours keep appearing?

  
  

• What props do I always seem to use?

  
  

• Which camera angle feels most comfortable?

  
  

• Which food and drink do I enjoy photographing most?

  
  

• Are my images calm and minimal or full of detail?

You might also notice you're repeatedly drawn to certain colour combinations. That's often one of the biggest clues to your developing style.

The answers are sitting right there in front of you.

Your style isn't hidden.

It's already inside the photographs you love most.

Build Yourself a Pinterest Board

Pinterest isn't just somewhere to collect beautiful photographs.

Use it as a research tool.

Create a board called:

Photographs I'd Love To Create.

After you've saved fifty or so images, don't look at them individually.

Stand back and look at the board as a whole.

You'll soon start noticing patterns.

Perhaps you're drawn to dramatic lighting.

Perhaps everything has beautiful texture.

Perhaps earthy colours keep appearing.

Perhaps you're always saving simple, uncluttered scenes.

Those patterns tell you far more about your style than trying to invent one.

Photograph What You Love

Style isn't just about how your photographs look.

It's also about what you enjoy photographing.

Some photographers love baking.

Others love cocktails.

Some love healthy food.

Others love rich chocolate desserts.

Some enjoy action.

Others prefer calm, quiet scenes.

Photograph the subjects that make you excited to pick up your camera.

If you love creating the photographs, you'll naturally spend more time refining them.

Your Style Will Keep Changing

If I look back at my photographs from five years ago, I can still recognise them as mine.

But they've changed.

I've become more confident.

More consistent.

More intentional.

Your style should evolve.

That's a good thing.

Don't put pressure on yourself to have a recognisable style after six months.

Mine has evolved every single year since I started photographing food, and I hope it continues to evolve for years to come.

If you're still learning, experimenting and improving, your style will naturally keep growing with you.

So, lets recap...

The Food Photography Show: Ultimate FAQ

How do I find my food photography style?

The best way is to keep photographing, save your favourite images and look for patterns. Your style develops through repetition, not by deciding on one overnight.

How long does it take to develop a photography style?

There's no set timeline. The more consistently you photograph, the sooner you'll recognise the lighting, colours, subjects and compositions you naturally gravitate towards.

Should I create a Pinterest board?

Yes. Create one with photographs you'd love to create, then step back and look for common themes rather than individual photographs.

Why do all my photographs look different?

That's completely normal whilst you're learning. As your confidence grows, your work naturally becomes more consistent.

Should my Instagram feed have a consistent style? 

A cohesive portfolio helps potential clients understand what you do best and what they can expect when they work with you.

Can my photography style change over time? 

Absolutely. As your skills and confidence grow, your style will naturally evolve too.

Can I have more than one food photography style?

Absolutely. Your style isn't about photographing just one type of food. You might photograph cakes, cocktails, savoury dishes and commercial products, but your lighting, colour palette, styling, composition and editing can still make your work instantly recognisable. Think of your style as your creative fingerprint rather than a single subject.

What should I photograph to develop my style? 

Photograph the food and drink you genuinely enjoy creating. Passion nearly always comes through in your work, and if you enjoy photographing it, you'll naturally spend more time experimenting and improving.

Whether you're photographing your first loaf of bread or building a commercial portfolio, don't put pressure on yourself to find your style. Keep photographing, keep experimenting and trust the process. One day you'll look back through your favourite images and realise your style has been quietly developing all along.

🍍 Remember...

Your style is already there. You just need to recognise the patterns.

Watch this newsletter in-person on the Food Photography Show on YouTube.