I want to talk about dark and moody food photography—the kind of shots that feel like a Dutch Master painting and somehow make a humble bowl of lentils look like a five-star dish.  If you’ve ever tried it and ended up with a photo that looked flat and just kinda BLAH, don’t worry. You’re not alone. The good news? You don’t need fancy gear or moody lighting presets. You just need some solid food photography tips and tricks—and maybe a little help from your backdrops (hey, we know a place).

Every time I teach the Food Photography & Styling Intensive workshop, (which I just did this past weekend!) students request a demo on how to shoot dark and moody. So, I figured it was time to dive into the topic here.

1. Darkness, Not Underexposure

Here’s the first thing people get wrong (and is one of my biggest pet peeves): dark and moody food photography doesn’t mean you underexpose your image. That’s a one-way ticket to grainy, muddy photos with no detail. What you want is intentional lighting control. This is where shaping your light comes in.

Use black foam core to block and shape the light hitting your scene. I typically use a bi-fold piece so I can stand it up on my table easily or I clip the piece(s) of foam core to a stand. Place the board so that it blocks light from the areas that you want to "fall" into darkness, (typically the back of your scene, sometimes the very front as well.) This gives you that rich, dramatic contrast without killing all the detail in your image. You’re not turning the light off—you’re sculpting it. There's a big difference.

2. Choose the Right Food Photography Surfaces

Your food photography backdrop can make or break a moody photo. For this kind of vibe, you want to lean into darker surfaces—think charcoal, slate, aged wood, or even deep blues and greens. Not only do they complement the darker tones of the image, but they also help the highlights on your subject pop. Some of my very favorite backdrops to use for these types of shots are Luca, Zealand, Coal, Bruno and Zane. If you look at any of my darker shots on our site or social channels, you will see those surfaces repeated a lot. 

3. Props: Keep it Moody

Props are your supporting cast, and for dark and moody food photography, you want them to stay in character. Go for darker ceramics, vintage cutlery and flowy, textured linens. Think matte over shiny. Subtle over bold. It's less about what the props are and more about how they absorb and reflect light because you don't want them detracting from the star of the image. 

4. Light Where It Matters

In moody images, you want to draw the eye directly to your subject. That means getting your highlights in the right spot—usually on the food—and letting the rest fall off into shadow. It’s that play of light and dark that makes moody food photography so compelling. Use a reflector to bounce just a bit of light back onto your subject if you need to lift the shadows slightly without losing the mood.

5. Watch for Sneaky Scene-Stealers

Even the tiniest bright spot in your frame can hijack attention from your main subject. A white dish of salt? Super distracting. A shiny utensil catching light? Suddenly, your viewer is looking at a spoon instead of the star of the show. Scan your scene before you hit the shutter. Your goal is to control not just the light—but where the eye goes. 

Look at the images below to see what I mean. In the shot where I replaced the darker spice with salt, your eye gets pulled to the area of brightness instead of looking at the subject.

6. Don't Lose the Details in the Darks

Black holes are great in space. Not so much in food photography. Yes, you want your image to be dark—but not dead. Make sure there’s still texture and nuance in your shadows. Zoom in, check your histogram, and make sure you’re not crushing those blacks. It’s the detail in the dark areas that adds richness and depth.

So, How Do You Actually Learn to Do This?

Reading tips is helpful, but seeing it in action? That’s where the magic happens. One of the biggest shifts in my own food photography journey happened when I stopped guessing and started watching how the pros actually build a shot. Not just the end result, but the messy middle—when the light isn’t quite right, when the backdrop looks off, when the props don’t flow. That’s the part no one talks about enough, (although, I DO talk about it! Have you looked at this post? 😂)

Learning how to shoot dark and moody food photography isn’t about memorizing settings. It’s about understanding light, color, texture, and composition. It’s about developing your eye—and that takes practice, feedback, and real-world examples. That’s exactly what I’ve built into The Photo Collective.