One of my favorite parts of my job as a stylist is coming up with wacky, weird, and sometimes complicated food styling tricks! Like using glue as fake “milk” splashes in a shoot, or making a beverage look perfectly chilled and delicious with spots of fake condensation.
You’ll find a ton of these mind-blowing photography hacks on my TikTok, too, so check that out if you’d want to learn how I made DIY fake ice and what I used to put together an appetizing stack of pancakes. (Hint: You wouldn’t want to eat them if you knew!)
Today, I’m sharing one of the simplest photography hacks I keep in my back pocket for when I use fruit in my photoshoots! Keep reading to see how I create stacks of fruits that won’t budge.
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My super secret tool for stacking fruit…
…is straight pins!
Straight pins are a type of sewing pin. They’re typically used to hold fabric together before you sew, but in the photography and styling world, you can repurpose them to hold objects in place during a shoot!
Yep, it’s as easy as it sounds. Pin your object in place using a straight pin, and then edit the pin out later when your shoot is over. This trick works for stacking fruit like you see here in my Fun Wine photoshoot.
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But it also works for other food! Straight pins can help hold wraps together, and keep every ingredient in a burger or sandwich in place. They’re a super handy tool to keep in your studio!
Where to get straight pins
Like many of my photography hack supplies, props, and tools for photoshoots, you can easily find straight pins on Amazon for less than $10. You’ll also find them at your local arts and crafts store or office supply store.
I like to use T-pins, which are straight pins with the head bent into the shape of a capital letter “T.” They’re easier to pick up and use. But that’s just my preference! You can use straight pins with flat heads or ball heads if you like them more.
Follow me for more food styling tips and tricks
Wanna watch me create those yummy stacks of strawberries using straight pins? Check out my TikTok! You’ll find a lot of other fun photography hacks there, too.
And if this super simple photography hack made you want to learn even more behind-the-scenes tips, then you’ll love my course, Slay the Flatlay. When you join Slay the Flatlay, you’ll learn all you need to know about launching your own photography and styling biz in one comprehensive course!
