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From drooling over that oozing to regularly seeking gastronomic titillation on the internet, at some point we鈥檝e all got hot under the collar about a delectable dish that鈥檚 been primped and preened for our pleasure. That鈥檚 why the pastime has the slightly unsavoury label of .

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Despite what you might think, food can be quite the diva to photograph: it doesn鈥檛 strike a pose and it never smiles. Step forward : the people who work the magic behind the scenes on photoshoots.

Now, we鈥檝e all heard rumours about the black arts of home economy: varnished tomatoes, mashed potato scooped into ice cream cones, and micro-waved sanitary products steaming from behind painted turkeys or popped into stone-cold pies. However, contrary to popular belief, good stylists now coax the best out of their subjects without resorting to subterfuge 鈥� which is heartening news for us amateurs. These days, the stylist鈥檚 wand is no more than a pair of tweezers, a spritz of water, a steady hand鈥� and the nous that comes from experience.

So what can us mortals do to make our food photographs cut the mustard? I鈥檝e directed many photoshoots for the site 鈥� a tough job, I know, but somebody has to do it 鈥� and have asked the experts for some tips.

First and foremost, all agree that buying the best digital camera you can afford is a worthwhile investment. But there鈥檚 no need for expensive lights, says food writer, stylist and blogger 鈥� make the most of the sunniest room in your house and set up a temporary 鈥榮tudio鈥� there:

鈥淎s far as the set up goes, the best thing to do is to pick the best light in your house 鈥� a porch or back door where light floods in is perfect鈥�, she says. 鈥淕et a table set up and use a tripod or lamp stand to put your camera on.

鈥淣ext, get some different coloured sheets of cardboard from stationery stores to use as backgrounds and use clamps from hardware stores to clip them to the table. You can also buy a reflector from photography specialists 鈥� it鈥檚 a simple screen that reflects whatever light you have back onto your food.鈥�

Once you鈥檙e set up, visualise how you want your images to turn out.

鈥淭hink about what style you want the image to have 鈥� such as rustic, contemporary or minimal,鈥� advises Joyce. 鈥淭hink about whether to do an overhead shot or one at an angle. With an overhead shot you can get away with as little as possible props-wise.鈥�

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Professional stylists hire their props 鈥� crockery, cutlery and linen 鈥� from specialist companies. However, there are always interesting pieces knocking around in charity shops and second-hand stores.

鈥淗ave fun with what you have in your house 鈥� chopping boards, tea towels, skewers and cups,鈥� says Joyce. 鈥淔or a rustic feel, try putting your dish on a wooden board and a very simple linen tea towel. For barbecued dishes or canap茅s you could present little skewers of food in glasses.鈥�

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There are ways to lift an image without using more props. On a recent shoot for 主播大秀 Food, food writer and stylist used a stencil to add a cocoa snowflake to a picture of egg nog. 鈥淔or a similar effect,鈥� she said, 鈥渦se the edge of a doily.鈥�

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And what about the hero of the image 鈥� the food? Nine times out of ten your dish, however delicious, will need a little TLC in readiness for its close-up, and that鈥檚 where the food stylist shines. Joyce recommends using colours and textures to your advantage.

鈥淚f you鈥檝e got a soup or curry the ingredients will look much better chopped up chunky and graphic,鈥� she explains. 鈥淲ith a soup, chop everything up roughly and serve less liquid in the bowl than you normally would. That way, you see all the big stuff on the top.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e shooting something that doesn鈥檛 have bright colours of its own, like a brown stew, then you definitely need a bay leaf or some fresh herbs to make the image pop. For a curry you could use chopped spring onions, coriander or red chillies to bring it to life.鈥�

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Williams agrees that judiciously placed greenery can do wonders for the finished image.

鈥淵ou only need to add a few leaves and herbs to the plate,鈥� she warns. 鈥淟ess is more: if you pile a normal-sized portion of salad leaves next to the food, it will look much bigger on camera.鈥�

Chef , who writes and styles all of his cookery books, agrees:

鈥淗ow the camera sees the food is a lot different to how your eye sees it. Sometimes you鈥檒l have a beautiful fish like salmon with a lovely crispy skin, but it can look like a big mound on camera. In that case we might angle the food a bit differently or put fewer components on the plate. I roll my finger and thumb together to make a telescope and look at the shot through that.鈥�

And have I picked up any tips from my time on photoshoots? While no expert, I鈥檓 always impressed by the way a little salt and pepper or a drizzle of olive oil can bring a shot together. I鈥檝e also realised that it鈥檚 best to build up the components of an image gradually and keep it simple. But the most important rule? Never ever eat the food unless you鈥檙e sure that shot is a wrap鈥�

Oatcakes before...

...oatcakes after.

Do you take photos of your dishes or do you salivate over other people鈥檚? Share your favourite sites and your own tips for making food photos look fabulous.

Nicky Evans works on the 主播大秀 Food website.