Food stylist reveals her best tricks for getting mouthwatering photos
From smooth, delicious ice cream to Instagram-worthy eggs, Diana Jeffra dishes on all the secrets behind food photography.
Who knew there was so much craft behind a photo of a milkshake?
Has this ever happened to you? You’re minding your own business, when suddenly an ad for food pops up. A perfectly stacked burger with nary a sesame seed out of place…fries the color of the sun at summertime…a milkshake so impossibly frothy you don’t know whether to sip it or slather it on your body…you had only eaten lunch an hour ago, but now, as if by magic, you’re starving again.
Of course, when you finally do make it through the fast food window, your order looks nothing like that dreamy photograph. Many of us know that this expectation-vs-reality moment is because an entire team of creatives work together to create the image that sold you the idea of the food.
In other words, it’s an art form. And if there’s any doubt of that, just watch a food stylist at work.
Food stylist and recipe developer Diana Jeffra has wowed over 18 million people on TikTok with her video of what appears to be delicious cookies n’ cream ice cream, which actually contains no ice cream at all.
In the video, Jeffra explains that the faux ice cream was created to appear in the background of a photo for an ice cream sandwich company. Which in turn meant that the product would have it last a couple of hours without melting.
Though she does use non-food products on occasion to get the look she wants, Jeffra tries to stick to the real deal. So for this recipe, she whips together a combination of frosting and powdered sugar, adding in additional scoops of the latter ingredient until she reaches her desired texture, after which she kneads in Oreo bits.
And voila, smooth, mouthwatering “ice cream.” And it’s still edible, so win win!
@culina_creative How to make fake cookies and cream ice cream for photography. #foodstylingsecrets #foodstylingtipsandtricks #foodstylingvideo #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstylist #foodstylingtips #fakeicecream #foodstylinghacks #foodstylingtiktok ♬ Live Your Beautiful Life - Gray Griggs
Also, an interesting caveat: Jeffra mentioned that this image would not be used on the product’s packaging, and therefore it’s “not considered false advertising.”
She also mentioned that since food stylist can be a hard business to break into, she wanted to give others some helpful tips on the creative side, hence her behind-the-scenes videos which on more than one occasion have been called “fascinating” by viewers.
Take this video for instance, which has 445,000 views, where Jeffra shows how to create perfectly photogenic eggs.
@culina_creative How to food style eggs for food photography. #foodstylingtips #foodstylingvideo #drippyeggs #foodstylingsecrets #foodstylingandphotography #foodstylingtipsandtricks #eggphotography #foodstyling ♬ Souvenir De Paris - Martin Taylor
If Jeffra is creating eggs that will show by themselves—i.e, on a plate next to bacon or pancakes—she drops the whites into a pan with oil, then drops the yolk into the center. But if the eggs are supposed to go on a sandwich, she might place the yoke further on the edge so that it’s visible. She might even use a pipette to give the sandwich that delectable “egg drip.”
“Food styling is all about controlling the food to get it to look a specific way for the camera, “ she says in the clip.
Or this one of a milkshake, which has nearly 2 million views.
“I know it looks delicious, but trust me, it’s not,” she says, revealing that what you see is actually a cup of mashed potatoes in a very glamorous disguise.
@culina_creative Food styling a fake milkshake for food photography. #foodstylingtipsandtricks #foodstylingtips #foodstylingsecrets #milkshake #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstylingandphotography #foodstylist #fakeicecream ♬ Souvenir De Paris - Martin Taylor
Jeffra apparently takes instant mashed potatoes, adds chocolate syrup, and whisks in water until she gets her desired texture (because, again, texture matters with ice cream). She then transfers the mixture to a cup, and tops it with whipped cream, aka “white chocolate pudding mix and cream.”
Once the milkshake is placed on set, Jeffra sprays it with a glycerin-water mixture to “make the cup look cold.” Talk about insider secrets.
And if you’re thinking, “I could get down with some chocolate potatoes,” you’re in good company with folks in the comments section.
Or how about this: ever wondered how they get non-melting ice for fancy drinks? Sure, you can order some pretty uniform ones, but in this video, Jeffra shows how she makes them herself:
@culina_creative How to make fake ice for photography. #foodblogger #beveragephotographer #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstylingsecrets #fakeice #foodstylingtipsandtricks #foodphotographytips ♬ Write This Down (Instrumental) - SoulChef
Even this simple trick for how to get a perfectly unwrapped candy bar is so so cool:
@culina_creative How to style a candy bar in its packaging with @Kate Grewal #foodstylingandphotography #foodstylingtips #foodstylingtiktok #candyphotoshoot #foodphototips #foodstylist #foodstylinghacks #lifeofafoodstylist ♬ Golden Hour: Piano Version - Andy Morris
Food styling really is a unique blend of art and science. There’s a need for precision and attention to detail, a willingness to think outside the box, probably a healthy dose of perfectionism and of course, a good eye. Kudos to the folks who can do it, even if your work leaves us with some uncontrollable cravings.
By the way, if you’re hoping to get into food styling yourself, Jeffra swore by a book titled "The Food Stylist's Handbook" by Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannigan in her interview with Good Morning America.
Plus, you can follow Jeffra on TikTok for even more amazing insider tips. Or check out her website: www.culinacreative.com.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."