As Featured on BBC Radio Berkshire

My First Live Radio Interview & Practical Food Styling Tips

This month, I had the fantastic experience of being invited for a live interview with Kirsten O’Brien on BBC Radio Berkshire at their Reading studios. If you missed it, you can still catch the full interview on BBC Sounds here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kqj6rb (interview starts around 12min 30sec) but this is only available until 9th April 2025.

The focus of the interview was my work as a food photographer—how I bring food to life through the camera and the tricks I use to make dishes look their absolute best. Being my first live radio interview, I’ll admit I was a little nervous! But Kirsten was an incredible host and put me at ease straight away. It was also a surreal moment meeting someone I grew up watching on TV!

One of the key topics we covered was food styling, so I thought I’d dive deeper into it for this month's newsletter. Food styling is essential for getting that perfect shot, and while I’m not a professional food stylist, I often have to tweak and adjust dishes on set to make them more camera-friendly.

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Food Styling Tips: How to Make Your Dishes Look Incredible on Camera

1. Plating with the Camera in Mind

When I shoot for restaurants, chefs often do an amazing job with plating. However, one small tweak can make a huge difference: consider the camera angle.

• For flat lays, plating should be spread out attractively to showcase the textures and colours.

• For head-on shots, height and layers become crucial. A great tip I share with chefs is to place an upturned stock pot on the surface and plate at eye level—this mimics the camera’s viewpoint and ensures the dish is framed beautifully.

2. Styling the Perfect Burger

Some dishes require a bit more hands-on styling, and burgers are one of them. Rather than stacking everything at once, I build the burger layer by layer in front of the camera. This way, every ingredient gets its moment to shine.

• Toothpicks or metal T-pins are lifesavers for keeping everything in place.

• Always style the burger while looking from the same angle as the camera to ensure it looks perfect in the final shot.

• And remember—it doesn’t matter what the back looks like, only the front!

  
  

A great example of this is a recent shoot I did for Black Apple Produce featuring their Premium British Wagyu Burger. 

To make the burger look as high-end as the product itself, I carefully styled each layer, capturing a shot after adding each ingredient. This allowed me to create a stop-motion animation of the burger coming together.

One of the most important parts of food styling in my opinion is selecting the right ingredients. 

For this burger, I chose:

• Deep red, farm shop tomatoes for a rich colour contrast.

• Frilly lettuce to add height and texture and a bit more interest.

And just to prove that styling is all about the illusion of perfection, here’s a behind-the-scenes shot showing how I propped up the top bun with a toothpick.

Food styling is all about attention to detail, and small adjustments can take a dish from looking great in person to stunning on camera. Whether you're a chef plating dishes for your restaurant’s social media or a food brand looking to elevate your images, these little tricks can make all the difference.

Have any questions about food styling or photography? Drop me a message—I’d love to chat!

Until next month,

Matt