In balance of masses, two (or more) objects are included in the photo that, well, balance each other out. While generally similar in size, they sometimes vary with one smaller subject and one larger. But as long as they compliment each other, their sizes and shapes don’t matter.

There are so many possibilities for balance of masses in food photography! A salt shaker and basket of fries, a slice of cake and scoop of ice cream, a stack of pancakes and a pat of butter, a messy cheeseburger and crumpled up napkin…

Be creative, but try to avoid sticking random unrelated objects into your photo just to “fill space.” The ensuing shot usually results in a cluttered and distracting photo. When in doubt, take it out: simple is always good!

Here are a few examples of balance of masses from my photography. Sometimes I use two objects, sometimes three or more—as long as they balance out!

Now it’s your turn to practice balance of masses! Feel free to post any questions, comments, or tips in the comments section below!

On every tropical trip, my family walked over to the extravagant Hyatt hotel in the late afternoon on Tuesdays and Saturdays. (We stayed in condos nearby; we were too messy to spend a week cramped in one tiny room!) After strolling around the lush gardens and lagoon-style pool, we claimed couches on the terrace for the evening entertainment.  

The night began with a traditional torch lighting ceremony. Natives ran down between the ferns, one sounding through a conch shells while another two handled the flames. Then Leilani stepped on stage to sing both sweet and lively Hawaiian songs while her little hula girl students danced in front.

If we behaved during the day and didn’t beg too much at night, our parents sometimes treated us to smoothies during the show. My brother favored fruity flavors like guava and strawberry, while I chose chocolate (and rarely shared a single sip!).

We never asked for piña colada smoothies though. Our young taste buds considered coconut “icky,” and Mom feared that the bartender would forget to make them virgin. But had I know piña coladas contained pineapple — one of my favorite fruits — I would’ve ordered them every time!

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My family will be sleepwalking through security and snoring in our seats at the airport on Monday. With a 4 am wake-up call, we’ll need plenty of caffeine to make it through the morning, but after a 5 hour flight, we’ll pick up our luggage and start working on our tans in beautiful Hawaii!  

During a trip in high school, my mom heard about a guava plantation and begged us to visit. We wandered around the gardens while slurping on shave ice, smelling the pink plumerias and dodging the dangerous low-hanging fruit. (Being short does come in handy sometimes!)

As a memento, Mom bought guava jelly. And guava jam. And guava pancake syrup. And guava hand soap. And we sang her happy song for the rest of the week. “Guava jelly, guava jelly…”

We flew back a few years later and made a beeline for the plantation, but with the booming tourism industry, the owners had sold it off and built a mini golf course instead. Slightly dejected, we headed to the supermarket to purchase Mom’s guava jelly. This year, I made a batch of guava gummies before we left, so that emergency grocery stop might not be necessary!

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We all learned about triangles in preschool or kindergarten, but they’re also powerful photography tools! Place three points of interest in the picture, and the eye naturally travels from one to the next to the next and back again, which keeps the brain (and viewer!) engaged. The points can be close or far apart, although the former is generally more effective. It also helps to use the same color for all three tips of the triangle.  

Triangles are commonly incorporated into food photos through garnishes, such as morsels of goat cheese or sprigs of parsley. Photographers also orient three of the same thing into a triangle, such as muffins, cupcakes, or even dinner plates.

Below I included a few of my photos with triangles incorporated. I do love trios of baked treats!

Now it’s your turn to practice triangles! Feel free to post any questions, comments, or tips in the comments section below!

Two weeks ago, a knock-knock-knock on the door set off my doggie alarm, and the two of us raced to see who could answer it first. (Even with two legs against four, I still won!) An old high school friend stood on the other side. She had tagged along on her husband’s mini road trip and snuck off during his boring work training to visit me!  

For those of you who don’t know Mrs. Webb, I highly suggested you become acquainted. Not only is she a complete sweetheart, but she also has a sweet job working in a bakery. Lucky lady!

From our longtime friendship, Mrs. Webb knows about (and understands) my addiction to dark chocolate, so when she handed me a small brown box, I jumped up and down like a little kid. She had bought me two chocolate-covered candies: cashews AND honeycomb!

The honeycomb tasted like a sophisticated Butterfinger!

Since I unashamedly inhaled both as soon as she left, I decided to try making my own. While honeycomb sounded exotic, I lacked the patience to make it and went with the nuts instead. No regrets there—I munched my way through these almonds just as quickly as her cashews!

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Although not much of a picky eater growing up, I hated when foods touched on my plate. I only classified a few combinations as “acceptable”: butter and mashed potatoes, maple syrup and pancakes, chocolate sauce and ice cream. But I nearly threw a tantrum if…  

Turkey touched the mashed potatoes.
Fresh fruit fell into the maple syrup.
Birthday cake became soggy from the melting ice cream.

(My mom actually bought me one of those divided-up plates for Christmas last year. Only 20 years too late!)

So the brilliance of Neapolitan desserts was completely lost on me. I couldn’t fathom why people actually wanted their chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry all mixed together in a single milkshake or scoop of ice cream! Wouldn’t that just be a muddled sugary mess?

It took me until adulthood to come up with a compromise: combine the three flavors but still keep them separate. How?

Bake a vanilla cheesecake studded with strawberries and chocolate chips! I could easily pick out the bits if necessary to eat each flavor individually. But after my first bite, I definitely didn’t want to!

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Don’t forget to “Like” the Foods for the Soul Facebook page to get your free copy of my Favorite Healthy Chocolate Recipes cookbook!

Nothing tricky about this one! Just like it sounds, framing uses objects as a border or edge around the main subject. This technique draws the viewer’s attention towards that area of the shot (similar to showing off our favorite printed photographs by encasing them in wooden frames). Round, rectangular, and square frames all work equally well, as do partial frames—where an object only extends partway around the subject.  

In food photography, plates and bowls act as natural frames, as well as placemats and wire cooling racks. Other foods can also be frames, like spaghetti noodles spilling out from underneath a Bolognese sauce or sprinkles around the edge of a sugar cookie. I’ve also used flowers or paper bags, such as the blue one framing the popcorn below.

Now it’s your turn to practice framing! Feel free to post any questions, comments, or tips in the comments section below!

Growing up, my grandparents flew out to visit us once or twice a year. During every visit, Grandpa would bang around in the kitchen one morning after drinking his coffee, pulling out measuring cups and mixing bowls to make his famous Cowboy Coffee Cake.  

Despite the overpowering temptation to eat dessert for breakfast, my brother and I turned up our noses at Grandpa’s treat. He studded it with raisins, but we only nibbled on those in trail mix or oatmeal cookies. Not cake!

Yet Grandpa refused to cook a separate breakfast just for us grandkids, so on his next visit, he rummaged around in the pantry until he found an acceptable substitute.

After 45 minutes of microwaving (yes, microwaving, not baking in a conventional oven; that was part of his magic!), Grandpa cut out two big pieces and set the plates in front of us. We poked at the speckles, confused by his handiwork.

“Grandpa, what are those?”

“Fruity Pebbles,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye. “Don’t you kids like those?”

To this day, Grandpa still makes our coffee cake with Fruity Pebbles, even though my brother and I both qualify as full-fledged adults. (And we ask for a second slice every time!)

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One more thing! I just published a cookbook called “Favorite Healthy Chocolate Recipes”, and you can download it for free! Just “Like” the Foods for the Soul Facebook page here to get your copy. Happy baking everyone!

One Saturday during high school, my friend showed up on my doorstep holding a square white shoebox. “My boyfriend baked cheesecake!” she bragged as I peeked inside. “It’s amazing; he’s practically a gourmet chef!”  

I tried a bite of the rich dessert and immediately handed off the entire pie to my parents as soon as she left. It tasted exactly like smear for my cinnamon raisin bagels. Her boyfriend must have forgotten the sugar or vanilla—or both!

I actively avoided cheesecake for ages afterward, nearly faking lactose intolerance at a Christmas party or two, until a few years ago when I randomly craved its texture. Not the taste. The texture.

To ensure I’d eat an entire slice, I completely masked the tangy cheesiness by mixing in half a jar of dark chocolate sauce. After devouring most of the resulting cheesecake in three days, I began brainstorming different flavor combinations to try: butterscotch, caramel, strawberry, and…

Pineapple mango!

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Leading lines naturally guide the viewer’s eyes toward to subject of the picture. Photographers generally prefer slanted lines because the diagonals stand out from the horizontal and vertical edges of the frame and add another dimension to the photo.  

Silverware, spatulas, and whisks all work really well as leading lines to draw attention toward the food. Certain ingredients also naturally act as leading lines, such as celery, dry spaghetti, and ice cream cones. The lines may also be implied, such as a trail of crumbs from a cookie or little crystals of salt spreading away from a seasoned chicken breast.

Here are a few of my shots that include leading lines. I love how well the knife in the Nutella turned out with the cookie!

Now it’s your turn to practice leading lines! Feel free to post any questions, comments, or tips in the comments section below!