How to Style and Photograph Frozen Treats: Tips for Solo Food Photographers

Photographing frozen treats is no small feat, especially when you're styling, shooting, and troubleshooting all on your own. Frozen dessert photography can feel like a race against time.

In this video, I’m sharing how to style and photograph frozen treats so you can capture those perfectly chilled shots without the stress. These tips are especially helpful if you’re a solo food photographer working with limited hands and limited time.

Here are some of the tips we cover:

• Prep everything first—props, camera, lighting—before your frozen subject comes out.

• Use a chilled metal baking sheet to keep frozen items colder longer while you style and shoot.

• Chill your props (plates, boards, etc.) to avoid speeding up the melt.

• Keep all your tools close by and shoot near the freezer, or use a portable cooler.

• Take test shots and make adjustments before placing the actual frozen item on set.

These small steps make a big difference when you're trying to keep your frozen subject looking as fresh as it does frosty.

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Flat Lay Photography: A guide to styling from minimal to cluttercore

Some say flat lays are over, but here’s the truth: flat lay photography hasn’t gone anywhere—it’s just evolved. And when done well, it still communicates a message to the viewer in an inspiring, informative way.

A flat lay gives you the opportunity to tell a story in one single frame. They are great for product highlights, ingredients, tools, seasonal themes, color stories, and styled kits.

They are highly shareable whether on social media, on your website or portfolio, and in e-commerce stores. They are still used in everything from print layouts and ebooks, digital products, and branding imagery. They make what you are trying to communicate or sell easy to understand. 

Just this spring, I photographed an advertorial for EdibleSLO that ran in their spring issue to share about local products for Easter baskets and spring gifts.

Flat lays are applicable to nearly everyone. Here are some ways they work for photog-stylists, small business owners, bloggers, and content creators.

• Food & Ingredients – shopping lists, recipe breakdowns.

• Products & Packaging – skincare, jewelry, paper goods, you name it.

• Travel and Shopping Stories – maps, postcards, tickets, journals. Souvenirs you picked up, thrifting shopping finds.

• Creative Lifestyle – art tools, outfits, accessories, moodboards.

• Small Biz Scenes – flat lays of your process, materials, or kits.

• Education - all the varieties that exist (my favorite when it comes to produce, of course!).

These are a few tips to keep in mind when you are styling your shot.

Plan your color palette and choose a direction with color. Go monotone or use complementary color families to create a cohesive look.

Layer by choosing your hero item. Then build from your background to the focal point, your hero. (But you don’t always have to layer. For some flat lays, the hero on the surface works the best.)

Consider the eye path. You are in control of where you want your viewers to look first and where you want their eyes to go. Build that with your composition.

Don’t be afraid of negative space even in busy scenes that embrace cluttercore.

Natural light is your best friend. Use a scrim and white bounce card if necessary to reduce harsh shadows.

Flat lays can range from minimal to maximal in style. It’s your choice and it may vary by your shoot, the client and product, even your mood or the season. Here are some styles to experiment with. 

Minimal = One or two objects. Lots of space. Feels calm and clean.
Classic = A central focus item + a few accent props.
Story + Education Driven = A curated collection of items that tell a moment in time or educate on a topic.
Cluttercore = a current styling trend that is maximal, visually rich, and busy but balanced. An overflowing harvest table or a plant lover's shelf are good examples.

Experiment with different styles to find which you like best and which works the best with the hero you are photographing.

Maximalist food styling tips for minimalist photographers

One of the big predictions in art this year, , was a shift to maximalism. Supposedly, it’s in retaliation for all the minimalism with simple designs and neutral colors that grew in popularity over recent years. 

So if bold colors, bright patterns, and over-propping (in a good way) are your thing, it’s your time to shine. 

But what if it’s not your thing? 

As a negative space, neutral-loving stylist-photographer, I feel you. 

There are ways to create more maximalism in your work while still keeping things simple. While, of course, you don’t need to follow trends, sometimes experimenting with them can help you grow. Here are some ideas.

Try simple applications of color. You don’t have to go all out. Incorporating one or two and still keeping the propping simple gives a balance of boldness with minimalism. 

Lower angles can create a towering effect for your subject, giving it a more striking presence. 

A tighter shot with focus on the top of a drink or bowl, highlighting the garnish, communicates a strong message as well.

If propping your scene isn’t your strength, focus on the subject. If you’ve put in the time styling your salad, for example, fill the frame with the details of your hero.

Experiment with a print. Incorporate something simple with you cooler tones and minimalism. It will hint a more maximalist style. 

When trends come around that aren’t an exact fit, you can always find ways to make them your own. 

How do you define your work - more maximal or minimal?