5 Tips To Crush a Food Styling Time Lapse

Creating a simple food styling time lapse is simple and from my experience clients love to share them. I love to share them as well and I always get a lot of love when I post them. In the video above I break down the process for you and I believe you’ll find it easier than you think. 

The video breaks down creating a food styling time lapse really well, but here are some of my favorite tips (some not in the video).

1. Find The Edges Of Your Frame:

It’s really tough to create a food styling time lapse if you don’t know where your action will enter or exit the frame. In the video you can see I recommend using live view on the camera’s LCD screen. If you turn it to video mode. The overlay will change to give you a guide of the 16:9 crop. After that you can simply lay tape down to mark the edge of your food styling time lapse. 

Another way, would be to tether your camera to your computer using editing software like Lightroom or Capture One. (BTW there is a whole lesson on creating stop motion / food styling time lapse in my Lightroom course right here!) Once inside the software you can apply a 16:9 crop overlay on each image you create. This also speeds things up in the final editing of the food styling time lapse.

2. Don’t Create A Shadow

This tip is short but oh-so important!! When creating the food styling time lapse, be sure that you’re standing and styling from opposite your light source (and be sure to turn off all other lights). This will prevent your body from casting unwanted shadows, which will cause flicker in the time lapse. You’ll be moving around the table a lot during the creation process and you don’t want to make an unwanted cameo.

3. Make Your Camera Visible!

Block your camera, stands or tripod with something highly visible. You do this as a reminder to yourself, but also anyone who may come wandering in to your studio. The last thing you want at minute 45 of your food styling time lapse is a bump that moves the camera!

4. Create A Plan

Before you even start your food styling time lapse, create a plan for your composition. Like in the video, you can even go as far as setting up the entire photo (sans food), just to get the idea cemented in your head. This will help any action you create during the time lapse become as smooth as possible. I personally like to set up my composition and take one or two reference photos. That way when I’m deep in the time lapse creating process, I have something to refer back to.  

5. Prepare Everything!

This kind of goes with the last tip. Like the composition, have all of your props and food prepared and portioned out before you even make the first image in your food styling time lapse. You don’t want to find yourself cooking or hunting around for that perfect prop, in the middle of shooting, because nothing kills food faster than it sitting on your table.

Creating a food styling time lapse is a whole lot of fun. They give a unique view into the whole food photography process. Naturally, you have to slow down when styling one of these, but I find it helps me focus and as a result my styling has improved. Plus it’s always a crowd pleaser with my clients and audience!