Food and Drink Photography Insights:
Focus on Beautiful

What you’re looking at

An afternoon tea straight out of our Retro Food Series — a celebration of the treats we grew up with, styled and lit to feel a little more glamorous. It’s National Afternoon Tea Week, so we thought it only right to give the classics their moment in the spotlight.

We handled the food styling as well as the photography — no extra stylist needed, which keeps things simpler (and more cost-effective) for our clients.

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Lighting setup

• Key light: Large softbox to camera left
• Fill light: Bounce reflectors right and front, to lift shadows a little
• Background separation: A gridded light back right, to enhance textures and add a subtle rim light
• Flags used to keep the backdrop dark and not distracting

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Camera settings

• Shutter: 1/200
• Aperture: f/14 — we wanted all but the most distant food to be sharp, but the background soft
• ISO: 100
• Lens: 65mm
• Tripod-mounted for precision framing
• Tethered

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Styling and prep

The table was set with a slate cake stand, small modern tea cups, a plate and cake fork. The napkins, coloured fabric (actually a silk scarf with colours that worked really well with the background) and rose petals were added to add texture and enhance the sumptuous feel.

As much as possible was set up before the sandwiches were made, so everything could be shot fresh. Butter curls, clotted cream and jam were all plated and left in the fridge while the rest was prepared. We also added extra jam and fresh cream to the little cakes.

All the sandwiches were made by us, with freshly prepared egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and prawn cocktail. All very retro! And fresh herb garnishes, to ensure it all looked inviting.

It was a very hot day, so we knew we had to work fast once everything was made, styled and placed on set.

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Editing touches

• Cleaned crumbs and smudges from plates
• Added a bit more contrast between the display and background

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Why this works

It’s familiar and indulgent at the same time. The styling keeps it authentic but delicious, while the lighting makes every texture and detail pop. It tells a story of shared plates, conversation, and a treat worth taking your time over.

The aim was to look elegant and sumptuous, but it was important to make it food photography. Every item needed to look fresh and appetising.

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Worth knowing

When the styling and photography are handled by the same team, it’s faster, easier, and more cost-effective. It means we can make adjustments on the fly without waiting for multiple people to agree — the focus stays on getting the best possible image.