How To Become A Food Stylist

How to become a food stylist 101: If you’re trying to figure out the best path to becoming a fully-fledged food stylist, here is my advice as a qualified chef and experienced stylist on switching from being a traditional chef to a full-time food artist!

My name is Casey Bumpsteed. I’m a qualified Cordon Bleu chef with a background in food styling, food photography, and writing.

How To Become A Food Stylist: The Path

Firstly, you’ve got to know the answer to “what does a food stylist do?” For more info on this, check out my article What is a Food Stylist?

Secondly, any career switch can feel overwhelming, so start by settling into the fact that your background as a chef/foodie gives you an instant advantage.

The two most important considerations when questioning “how do I become a food stylist?”

1. Practice and experience

2. Building a portfolio of images

How To Make the Move from Chef/Cook to Being a Food Stylist

Aside from taking an online course or working as an apprentice/assistant to an experienced food stylist, another fantastic option is to pair up with a budding food photographer.

A talented and newbie food photographer will be perfect for practicing your craft with. They will also build their portfolio and jump at the chance to have a food stylist and chef to work with to build great shots.

This option to “grow together” is great if you want to build confidence and experience without the pressure of going straight onto a shoot as an assistant stylist.

Practice and Experience

Assuming you will still be working as a chef while you transition and figure out how to become a food stylist, try to set yourself a goal to work on 1 -2 shoots a month to build your experience. You’ll need to find a seasoned stylist to work with. This person will be your mentor, so choose someone you want to emulate in terms of their work. If you don’t have a stylist in mind or don’t have one in your network already, try one or all of the following (I know a few stylists who found their mentors this way):

• 1. Research a list of stylists in your area (online), check that you like their work, and send them an email asking for a meet-up, mentioning you’re looking to become an assistant stylist. Attach your CV and preferably a reference letter as well.

• 2. If no one gets back to you, make a list of food photographers, call them, explain what you’re looking to do, and ask them if they could directly connect you with a food stylist or two.

• 3. Another route is to visit advertising agencies in your area. Make sure they have worked with food related clients. If they have, they are likely to have a list of stylists and you could ask them to connect you.

• 4. Visit food shows – especially ones focussed on food trends as food stylists are likely to be around!

With zero experience, you might want to offer your services for free for the first shoot, so that he/she can see your value – you WILL be valuable to them, even without any styling experience, as you will know how to prep the food and ingredient elements. Offer a free shoot, as a kind of interview, if you will.

Once they are happy with your work, give them your availability, and hopefully, they will start to book you for shoots as an assistant stylist.

Be prepared to work/learn on the job for a while as you gather the skills of food styling – take note of the following, while in your learning phase:

• • The various and most common camera angles used.

• • How the stylist interacts with the photographer.

• • The tools in your stylist’s kit.

• • How the stylist chooses and packs the props.

Building a Portfolio

Having a portfolio of images to share with prospective clients is critical. It is often the first thing a client or advertising agency will ask for—that, and your rate card.

You can add that image to your portfolio even if you were the assistant stylist on a food styling job. Just make sure you ask the client and lead stylist’s permission first (I like to have permission from clients via email in case of any comeback at a later stage).

You should have at least 12 images in your portfolio for it to feel “full”. That’s just my opinion – anything less and, as a client, I wouldn’t feel assured that you have enough experience for me to hire you.

Try to include a variety of:

• 1. Angles: Each camera angle requires a different understanding from a stylist.

• 2. Themes and styles: If you can showcase that you can grasp a few different styles, that will be helpful. Examples of what I mean by styles and themes are modern, vintage, retro, natural, etc.

• 3. Lighting setups and themes: Moody and dark versus bright, summertime lighting. Your portfolio could be a website, but, if you’re starting out, an Instagram or Facebook page is an acceptable place to “point” prospective clients to.

What To Expect During Your First Year as a Food Stylist

During your first year of (full-time) styling, expect to settle into a new working routine. Gone are your days in a restaurant kitchen when you clock in and out according to a schedule.

The routine as a freelance food stylist (which you will most likely be) is closer to that of a caterer. There are days when you plan, shop, or cook, and then there are other days when you are on-site at the job.

Then, there are the days in between where you will be doing the business admin that comes with being a freelance food stylist, which includes (not limited to):

• • Quoting on new jobs

• • Invoicing

• • Marketing of your business and brand

• • Taxes and banking

Here’s a bit more on the different days you’ll have as a professional full stylist:

• • Briefing meetings and prep days: These can involve online or in-person meetings where you hear the brief from the client or ad agency and then work on a mood board if required.

• • Recipe development: Some jobs will require you to develop recipes, while others will include recipes from the client.

• • Food and prop shopping: This could take place all or part of a day leading up to a shoot. Props in this context include crockery, cutlery, linens, backdrops, and all other décor elements. These are often taken on consignment and returned to the stores afterwards. Food stylists eventually collect pieces and use them repeatedly.

• • Food preparation: Again, depending on the upcoming shoot, this could take part of a day, a full day, or two.

• • Pre-production meeting: For busy shoot days, an online or in-person pre-production meeting is common. These meetings involve revisiting the brief, covering each recipe to be shot, and the details around the expected outcomes of the images or video content. An order of recipes is usually clarified at this point, and the stylist will prepare accordingly.

• • The shoot: The day or days of the shoot are very busy for food stylists. They involve transporting all the props to the shoot site and unpacking them into the kitchen or studio. Once everything is unpacked, the team will run the shoot schedule quickly before beginning. The day is packed for the stylist (more so than for anyone) as he/she oversees the bulk of the food, physical products, and props involved in the shoot. The pressure is on as a food stylist (who is often the chef for a shoot, too) is the person most likely to impact the shoot day schedule.

• • Post shoot: This involves breaking down the set, returning consignment props, and billing.

The actual shoot day is the key pressure point. In my opinion, all other days and work involved in being a food stylist are pretty relaxed.

What About the Pressure of Being a Food Stylist?

Look, the life and role of a food stylist is pretty high-pressure, depending on the type of clients you have and the level of professionalism you’re at.

Having worked in the industry for a while, the best food stylists, from my perspective, are:

• • Always on trend: You’re going to be the go-to when it comes to what is on trend or at least, will have to meet a theme that’s on trend via your choice of props, colors, and ingredients.

• • Very, very organized: Food stylists need to plan well—this goes without saying as they are responsible for each prop, ingredient, quantity, etc., and what item is needed when.

• • Punctual: Shoots are timed to the hour and sometimes even the minute. It is a big issue if the stylist is even 15 minutes late.

• • Flexible: You’ve got a brain for change – things change on the day; ingredients run out, the client changes their mind, venues get moved last minute – you need to be able to roll with last-minute changes.

• • Natural and practised artistry: You’ve either got to have a natural eye for composition and color, or you need to learn and practise it.

• • Great communicators: As with any freelance business, you need to be quick to quote and to respond to clients and ad agencies.

I’ve seen stylists drop out and switch careers due to burnout. As with any freelancing career, there is always an anxiety around turning down work. The problem with this is that you never take a proper break or enough leave, which is an issue for work/life balance.

On this path to learning how to become a food stylist, learn to pace yourself. One thing I’ve learned, even working remotely from an East Coast African city, is that there is ALWAYS work, you’ve just got to push to find it.

4 Tips for Your First Year as a Food Stylist

The first year as a food stylist involves building your business and brand, gaining as much experience as possible, and practising your craft.

Here are a few tips for getting through your first year:

• 1. Take care of your health: Build strength, sleep well. As with working as a chef, maybe even more so, food styling is hard on the body. I had to build a lot of core strength to carry all my props, work on my feet, on the floor, and bent over tables. A strong core, arms, legs, and good posture are the key to a pain-free career. Alongside that is a healthy diet to support a stressful work environment and long hours without a break. Oh, and drink tons of water.

• 2. Network: Aim to work with a variety of clients and brands, early on. You’ll need to attend events and ask to be referred to other clients and brands.

• 3. Nurture relationships and deliver, every time: You’re only as good as your last job and your last image, as far as your clients are concerned. Build a reputation of trust, quality and consistency.

• 4. Work for free: Every now and then, take a job that will shine on your resume and portfolio for free if need be, especially in your first year. Think of it as investing in year two.

How Much Does a Food Stylist Make?

As with most freelance, creative-type careers, the pay rate for a food stylist rises depending on location and experience.

Remember that, even for busy stylists, there are days in the month you won’t be booked. Days for administration and business practices you won’t get paid for.

Note that a food stylist can generally be categorised in 3 ways:

• 1. Assistant food stylist: Entry level or in a junior role – supports lead stylist with food preparation, setup, and cleanup. Sometimes a freelancer, but also sometimes a full-time hire by a busy lead stylist.

• 2. Mid-level food stylist: Has a few years of experience – around 3 years and up. Able to lead smaller projects solo and style independently for mid-tier clients.

• 3. Senior or experienced: Has a high level of skill and a strong portfolio. Has worked on ad campaigns, TV commercials, or for high-end brands.

In the US, an assistant food stylist will earn between $300 and $500 daily, depending on experience. A mid-level stylist will earn $700 to $850 daily, where you can likely stay until you have built a busy business. Once you’re at the experienced level, your rate will be about $900 and up to $1,500 per day. Rates should increase slowly and annually, alongside your confidence and experience.

As a South African, I see daily rates in Cape Town and Johannesburg of :

• • Assistant food stylist:R1000-R2500

• • Mid-level food stylist: R3000-R5500

• • Senior of experienced food stylist: R6000-R10 000

In Sydney, the current daily rate looks like this (AUD):

• • Assistant food stylist: $300 - $500

• • Mid-level food stylist: $600 - $1,200

• • Senior of experienced food stylist: $1500-$2000

These are just indications — everyone is different and may set their rates as they see fit.

Wrapping Up: How to Become a Food Stylist

I hope this article helped you understand how to become a food stylist and answered more questions about what a food stylist does. If you want a deeper understanding of this career and its responsibilities, check out my full article on What is a Food Stylist?

Food styling is a truly rewarding, creative, and exciting space for a young chef or foodie to dive into. I love looking back at the art and work I’ve created over the years for clients, and I’m sure, if you walk this road, you will too!