: How to make food images not so dried out The skewer looks a lot worse than it actually tasted (juicy and tender). In photoshop, what are some methods to make this look more appetizing?

@Steve758

This is one of those things that is easier to fix during the actual photo-shoot, instead of with post processing. The main reason it looks 'dry' is because of the harsh lighting (you can tell by the shadow under the plate) - choosing a more indirect, and more warmer light will make this look more appetizing.

There are a bunch of other tricks such as spraying it with some oil when you're done to make it look shiny, or under-cooking certain meats to make it look more plump.

Anywho, here's what I came up with in Photoshop:



What I did:


lower contrast via curves, also overall brightness
color balanced to make it look warmer
dodge light areas of food
burn darker areas

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@Carla748

Food photography that looks great, generally tastes horrible. It's under cooked, slathered with motor oil, or completely replaced with non-food alternatives. The techniques that food stylists use to prepare mouthwatering photos might make you lose your appetite. :)

However, if you want the best possible photos of real food, there are some great tips in this blog post:


Choose Your Angle
Surround Your Hero
Natural Is Best Modified
Our Old Friends Lines And Layers
Hold The Color


I have nothing to do with that blog post, but it has some good advice.

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