Ever wondered how food photos in magazines, or your Instagram feed, end up looking so tasty and impressive? Imagine a full bowl of hot-creamy soup with a spoon artistically resting on a rustic-wooden surface and a crisply folded napkin adding some depth to the frame. The main idea in food styling is undoubtedly to have quality shots look tempting and natural, all the while conveying an air of practicality. An experienced food photographer has stepped-in to help this lovingly arranged serving come to life by sharing techniques and tips."Each item [you use for styling] must have an [individual] role to tell in a story, and add some meaning to the frame," explains Eda İldam, a food writer, stylist and photographer from Istanbul, and also the founder of "Geraldine Cooks," where she shares her creative recipes and photographs online.Props, like scissors or a crumpled napkin, are all conveying something to the viewer, while perking up the setting, she adds. "Without writing a caption on a [food] photograph, you must get the essence of the story. The scissors might have been used to cut the flowers collected during the early morning hours, while a finished meal scene can make you think they have eaten everything enthusiastically or that [the invisible protagonist] has kept playing with the napkin on his lap during the meal."Food styling sounds very artistic and fun, but it is a hard-earned skill to achieve a coherent ambiance by arranging props, colors and serving styles in a way to make the dish look attractive. There is no single right or wrong way to style food. However, as in painting, an unlucky color choice can turn the work into a boring one, but a clever brushstroke, or a pop of color, may introduce an interesting angle. İldam said placing an object merely for its fine appearance in a frame distorts the scenario. "The items you use are what craft the story. Both the main and subsidiary objects I use are related to each other and each has its own role. [In my personal portfolio] my work is a reflection of what I have done that day or something that I want to share with my audience. The lighting I use in my work always reflects my mood. The natural look of daylight is my favorite."A self-taught photographer, with a specialization in video production, İldam has upgraded her skills at international workshops. To artfully capture a food photograph, she applies her own style and methods. Using natural daylight in her work, İldam has most of her shoots at her home or in her office. "I have everything on hand there, including all the props like piles of cloth napkins, dinnerware and cutlery." To introduce her own visual voice, she said vintage props are good. "I have been keenly collecting vintage items for a long time. Each has a different story. My older items have a nostalgic appeal and I like calm tones and natural props," she noted. In prop styling, among various items ranging from a wooden rolling pin to a hand-carved spoon or a picnic basket, a cutting board or a black ceramic bowl, the best ones are chosen for each shoot's scenario. What is important here is that the props should not compete with the texture or color of the food, she explained.İldam only does food and prop styling for advertising projects and video productions in her professional life. She said, "My personal work I share [on social media] is a reflection of my own life, which is shaped by my own style. When I work for a brand as a stylist, I have to combine my own perspective with the client's needs." With the hashtag #Geraldinecooks, İldam is a very active Instagram user. "I think most of my followers are quite interested in food styling and photography and also enjoy it. Through my visual stories, I am trying to create a feast for the eyes."'Any field related to food is delightful'Many food stylists are also passionate foodies who love seasonal produce, cooking new dishes, gourmet products and are constantly being inspired by food every day."Being involved in food is a huge pleasure for me, no matter what the subject it is. I always treat myself by ordering fine meals or just cook to relax, even though I generally follow a very busy schedule. If you ask what I like the most, it would be my own recipes.""Geraldine Cooks" had already been created when İldam was thinking about escaping from the business life where she started as a graphic designer and later moved to digital creative agencies and corporate companies. She has more than 10 years of experience in design and production. "It took four to five years to decide to quit, in the meantime, I opened my blog, 'Geraldine Cooks.'" At the beginning, she mostly shared her photography work which, in turn, aroused interest in the form of project offers. "At that time, I made up my mind to build my career on food, a field which would satisfy me and make me happy. With word of mouth, I attracted many brands and suddenly found myself in what I am doing now."'Improvised recipes'A food stylist, who regards food like a palette and produces creative tricks with textures and colors, sometimes extends their limits and becomes a recipe developer. İldam is also a self-taught food writer. "Cooking has brought me joy for a very long time. My keyword is 'improvisation.' I trust in my senses and knowledge while cooking. Often an image I come across on Instagram or Pinterest inspires me and I begin to create my own recipes," she said, adding that she learned the basics of cooking during an eight-week-long training at the Culinary Arts Academy (MSA) in Istanbul five years ago.While she was working at an advertising agency, İldam started to post her recipes on "Geraldine Cooks." "It was hard to spare time for my blog posts while working. Sometimes I could only publish recipes and other times I only shared their photos. You need to work devotedly and full-time to run a successful blog. This is why my blog is not a long-running one which lead me to re-structured everything for current trends and I started sharing on Instagram." Although laid back, her blog still has numerous recipes, like tasty cookies, tarts and cakes, in both Turkish and English."I give short and straight recipes in my posts and those willing to try my recipes can ask me anytime for full instructions," she noted. Her posts on social media are generally in English, as she not only likes having a global following, but is also able to reach more people with whom she can create new friendships. İldam continues developing her recipes and, in the near future, will design a single platform to share her work.