1. There needs to be one Big Food Idea: communicate quickly by catching the viewer's attention. The entire studio team needs to be focussed on this idea.
2. Understand the mindset of the target audience: who is viewing the photo? How is the food being portrayed?
3. Every picture needs to tell a story: create a context, sense of place, evoke emotions.
4. Engage your audience's imagination: be real, approachable, let them fill in the details.
5. Direct the focus to the single Big Idea: use styling, lighting, focus, color, props, and cropping to direct the viewer's eye.

Source: Think Food, San Francisco, California

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