My Food Photography Dreams: Making Gluten Free Food Look As Good As It Tastes

Daily writing prompt

What skill would you like to learn?

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If I could really master a new skill, it would be photography. Right now my “style” usually involves juggling a phone, a kitchen counter covered in gluten free pasta, and the hope that natural light through the window will save me. Sometimes it works, sometimes the food ends up looking like it has been through a minor accident. My brownies are a great example. In real life they are soft, rich and gooey, but in my photos they often resemble oddly shaped bricks.

Food blogging is such a visual space, and I know how important it is to make gluten free food look appetising. I want people to see that gluten free can be colourful, exciting and delicious, not beige or boring. But that message gets lost when a great plate of gluten free pasta looks washed out, or when a cake that tastes amazing ends up looking like something from a school science experiment.

Where I would like to be is very different. I imagine being able to style shots so that the food jumps off the screen. I want to understand lighting properly so I am not at the mercy of the weather. I would love to have that clean and crisp look where every crumb and swirl of sauce looks intentional. Think of the kind of photography that makes you instantly hungry, the sort that makes you want to cook or buy that dish straight away. That is where I would like to get to.

It would not just help with food either. Having proper photography skills would mean better family photos too. Ollie’s big grin when he tucks into gluten free pizza deserves more than a quick blurry snap, and days out with Helen would be great to capture properly so we can look back on them without thinking “shame about the lighting.”

For me, photography feels like the missing piece. The creativity is already there with the recipes and the writing, but if I could match that with proper professional looking photos it would lift The GF Table to another level. And most importantly, it would show gluten free life the way it really is, vibrant, fun and delicious.

To all my readers, a little apology. I know some of my food photos have been more “what on earth is that?” than “wow, that looks tasty.” I promise I am working on it and hopefully soon my gluten free creations will stop resembling crime scene evidence and start looking like something you would actually want on your plate.

Thank you for sticking with me.