Browse through the LISH Creative Instagram and you’ll see that I shoot a lot of food in my work with clients and their brands! I love the challenge of making food look fun or interesting or downright drool-worthy.
But…guess what? Sometimes I don’t actually use real food or drinks in product photography. On those occasions where the real food or drink in a shot just won’t look right, I have to get creative and use other things.
Read on to find out how I create and style “milk” in this blog post — or watch this video if you prefer!
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What you’ll need
Glue is a perfect stand-in for milk since it’s not as runny as real milk, nor does it make your products, props, or backdrops soggy! You can also add more or wipe away any excess before it dries completely.
✅ Washable all-purpose glue (here’s my go-to glue from Amazon)
How to style
Styling milk is super easy since you only need two things, both of which you can buy online! Once you fill your squeeze bottle with some glue, you’re ready to style your “milk.”
Make a splash
Use your squeeze bottle of glue to create little splashes of milk. Work slowly and steadily; no need to rush! Vary the size of your milk droplets to keep your shot interesting.
Check out all the different shapes and sizes of milk droplets I made in this shoot!
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A little (or big) spill
Fake the look of lots of spilled milk with even more glue! Like you did with the small droplets, work slowly and don’t rush. You can steadily pour from a big glue bottle and style the edges by adding more milk or wiping some away, or by using the squeeze bottle again.
This is one of my favorite shots with spilled milk I styled for Norman Love Confections!
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Pair it with cereal
Of course I have to talk about how you can style fake milk with cereal for product photography! Glue is great to use since you can put cereal directly on top of it without ruining the cereal — or your shot.
Pour a little glue into a cereal bowl or spoon like I did here, plop some pieces of cereal on top, and you’re all set.
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More than milk
Glue: it’s not just for milk! You can also use it to replace liquids, sauces, and other foods in your shot. Icing, melted vanilla ice cream, white chocolate — give glue a try for all of these!
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Get more styling and photography tips from me
Wanna learn more about the tips and tricks I use in my work? Join my course, Slay the Flatlay, and you’ll not only learn all about styling and photography, but also personal branding, camera gear, composition, lighting, shoot planning, and so much more!
You get over 4 hours of instruction and over 20 modules when you sign up for Slay the Flatlay. Save $50 on my course with the code SLAY! Head over here to sign up!
