7 Food Styling and Photography Books You Need to Read 

Whether you're a food blogger or chef, make delicious dishes look picture-perfect with these food styling and photography books

Food photography is a reminder that Mother Nature is the ultimate color artist, and each ingredient is unique.

Kimberly Espinel (@kespinel) is a food stylist, photographer, and self-professed foodie specializing in capturing mouth-watering photos of seasonal vegan dishes. She's known for her warm, rich colors and has worked with clients, including Waitrose, and KitchenAid.

Also the author of her own food styling book Creative Food Photography, Kimmy really understands how to get the best out of the camera and different dishes to snap tasty-looking shots.

Looking for inspiration and tips to improve your own food photography skills? Read on to discover seven of her favorite books that will help you delve deeper into food styling and learn the principles behind powerful food photography.

Picture Perfect Food, by Joanie Simon

Whether you're trying to make it in commercial photography, taking pics for your food blog or Instagram, or simply photographing food for fun, photographer and educator Joanie Simon’s Picture Perfect Food gives tips for taking tasty shots every time.

The all-in-one guide, featuring a collection of "bite-sized" tutorials, will give you the confidence and technical skills (along with some tricks of the trade) needed to create mouth-watering images to stir anyone’s taste buds.

The book's sections include Camera Settings, Light and Shadow, Story, Props Styling, Composition, Food Styling, and Finding Inspiration.

How To Photograph Food, by Beata Lubas

A safe option for amateurs and pros alike, skilled photographer Beata Lubas’ beautiful and informative book claims it will make food photography a piece of cake.

You'll learn about essential equipment, lighting, props, framing, styling, and photo editing. The book culminates with an aptly titled chapter to reveal newly-found food photography confidence: Thinking like a Pro.

That Photo Makes Me Hungry, by Andrew Scrivani

A well-respected food photographer for the New York Times, Andrew Scrivani reveals insider secrets of food photography in this hunger-inducing read.

Through both anecdotes and technical tips, he instructs food photography enthusiasts on how to: See the light; Embrace the math; Consider visual storytelling; Master tricks for shooting in restaurants; Be a control freak; Turn passion into profit.

Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling, by Helene Dujardin

Helene Dujardin is a pastry chef-turned-food blogger who's photographed and styled several cookbooks.

Over eight chapters, in Plate to Pixel, she explains everything you need to know about food photography—from adjusting the settings on your digital camera to getting the most of natural light, how to adapt your subjects under artificial light, composition, and set up. It's a reference resource for food bloggers around the world.

Food Photography: From Snapshots To Great Shots, by Nicole Young

A beautifully illustrated book, now in its second edition, Food Photography: From Snapshots To Great Shots includes instructional tips and tricks and practical advice, as well as offering insights on business strategy and recent changes in the industry.

If you want to take your food blogging skills to the next level by mastering fundamental photography principles, using props skillfully, and improving your photos through editing, this is your book.

The Food Stylist's Handbook, by Denise Vivaldo with Cindie Flannigan

Acclaimed food stylist Denise Vivaldo’s publication includes tricks of the trade for anyone interested in becoming a master food stylist.

Whether you're a food blogger, a professional chef, or a food photographer, learning to slice, plate, and arrange the elements of elaborate culinary designs to craft edible works of art is becoming increasingly important. In this book, you’ll find out how to get started, what equipment you’ll need, how to find clients, tips to staying successful in the business, how to craft and style food, and much more.

Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera, by Delores Custer

Established freelance food stylist and culinary educator since the '70s, Delores Custer released this book as a serious publication on the subject of food styling for specific media: editorial, advertorial, public relations, marketing, advertising, packaging, and television and film production.

The aim is to provide chefs with the skills and techniques to develop their product presentation for marketing purposes. Her food clients include Kraft Foods, Campbell Soup Company, Nestlé, Häagen-Dazs, Subway, Cuisinart, Budweiser, and many more.

If you want to learn more about food styling and photography, sign up for Kimberly's Domestika course Food Styling and Photography for Instagram. In the course, Kimberly takes you through techniques for styling, photographing, and editing delicious Insta-ready food photos.

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