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Home » Resources

{FREE} 7 Simple Steps to Make Ugly Food Beautiful - Food Photography

Last Modified: Feb 24, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links

Hello there!

Here's Why I Love This Topic - Making Ugly Food Look Beautiful

I don’t choose the food I photograph. Every week, I produce a new episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast based on the recipes that my guests give me. I often don’t even know what recipe I’m going to make and photograph until a guest has already committed to coming on the show. Occasionally, I’m given really photogenic recipes that are poised to blow up Instagram. More often, my guests come with humble recipes that have been in their families for generations and have been beautified by love and memories. It’s my job to translate that beauty into my images. It’s a challenge that I embrace with all my heart. When I get a recipe that’s not naturally photogenic, here are 7 tips I turn to again and again to make stunning photographs.

10 Pages and 7 Tips to Help YOU Make Ugly Foods Look Beautiful

The free printable pdf was created as a place to curate and share all the tips and tricks I bring to every shoot. The pdf is 10 pages long and full of images to inspire and illustrate my points.

Other Photographers Love "How To Make Ugly Food Beautiful"

"I just got your food photography resources. I LOVE them! They are so practical, straight forward, easy to understand and apply. I've taken many photography courses and this is the most accessible information I think I've received. Thank you for these and I look forward to more! You are so talented, I think you underestimate yourself!"

Other Food Photography resources:

The Storied Shot Series

All Free Downloadable PDFs

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dark and moody photo of Becky Hadeed kneading arepas dough

Welcome, Friend!

I’m Becky Hadeed, a mother to 4, curious home cook, lover of extraordinary light, and host of The Storied Recipe Podcast. I consider it a great honor that my guests entrust me with their stories and allow me photograph and share their most treasured family recipes.

More About Me ->

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dark and moody photo of Becky Hadeed kneading arepas dough

Welcome, Friend!

I’m Becky Hadeed, a mother to 4, curious home cook, lover of extraordinary light, and host of The Storied Recipe Podcast. I consider it a great honor that my guests entrust me with their stories and allow me photograph and share their most treasured family recipes.

More About Me ->

Most Popular Recipes

  • two slices of chewy golden nian gao on pink plate
    Baked Nian Gao: Glutinous Rice Cake (with Sticky Rice Flour)
  • hand holds flaky spiraled roti paratha (aka roti canai in malaysia) above lush green foliage.
    How to Make Flaky Roti Paratha (Malaysian Roti Canai)
  • pollo frito puerto rican fried chicken with no flour in basket lined with red checked napkin
    Pollo Frito: Puerto Rican Fried Chicken (Without Flour)
  • delicate white dish holds fish cooked in tomato sauce, topped with gently caramelized onons, dill and parsley
    Ukrainian Red Fish in Tomato Sauce

Follow in Your Favorite Player

Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

Listen to the Latest

Featured Episodes

  • 058 "I Wanted Something Different" with Juan Salazar of La Coop Coffee
  • 022 "I am Piotr's Granddaughter" with Lydia Cottrell
  • 019 "We Were Not Leprosy" with Suwanee Lennon
  • 077 Arabic Feasts with My Husband, John Hadeed
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