Intentional mess in food photography is a great way to hook the viewer and make them want to try your food. It’s something I use in a lot of my compositions to capture the beauty in the process of enjoying good food, but there’s definitely a right and a wrong way to do it.

Read on to find out what intentional mess is exactly, why it’s such a powerful way to evoke an emotional response in your customers and things to consider when using it in your imagery.

What is intentional mess?

Intentional mess is a term I’ve coined for all the little details in a food photography composition that make the final image more enticing. It might be crumbs or herbs on a plate or surface, drizzles of sauce, smears and smudges left on cutlery, or even a messy or half eaten portion to give a sense of movement.

It can also be fun to play around with more abstract shots, like an empty plate or a larger messy scene to convey an ‘after the dinner party’ kind of vibe. Anything that breaks up an otherwise stylised set to create something a little more relaxed or relatable.

It can also be incredibly subtle and doesn’t always have to come from the food. The lentil pasta below is a good example of using a crinkled linen to create a sense of ‘mess’, while the tiramisu cup on a plate is a great example of how a few small chocolate shavings act as the perfect finishing touch to this image.

how-to-use-intentional-mess-samantha-couzens-photography

How can it be used to your advantage as a food business?

The reason intentional mess is such a powerful compositional tool is because it facilitates mental simulation, which is essentially getting the viewer to imagine themselves eating the food and anticipating the result - ie. it being delicious! Having a few naturally falling crumbs that simulate the way your table might look when you share a meal at home immediately inserts the viewer into the story itself and is proven to make a customer more likely to buy.

It also helps to extends the story beyond what the viewer can see in the image and encourages your eyes to move about the image to anticipate the wider context. All of this evokes an emotional response and delays the viewer from scrolling on. The longer you can hook your customer’s attention, the more likely they are to emotionally invest and ultimately buy from you.

Best practices for using it as a compositional tool

The most important thing to consider when using intentional mess as a compositional tool in your images is not to overdo it. There’s a difference between a few blueberries that have rolled off your plate and an entire handful laid out on the table. Same goes for crumbs, or spills - a small amount is to be expected, but any significant mess is less relatable.

You’re also looking to capture the movement of the scene and freeze it in time, rather than always capturing the ‘final’ part of a meal. Let’s go back to the blueberries as an example. I’m not suggesting here that having a few blueberries just sitting on the table while you eat your breakfast is natural, because it’s not. What would be considered natural is those blueberries falling off the spoon as you scoop them out of the bowl, and then picking them up and either popping them back into the bowl or onto your pancakes for you to eat. What you’re capturing with food photography is that moment in between - after the berries have tumbled onto the table but before they’re added to your plate for you to devour. This is where the true beauty of food photography lies; capturing those messy and imperfect moments in the process of preparing, eating and enjoying food.