• The bare flash was angled on the left side of the setup and diagonally towards the pizza.
• A softbox flash was angled top-down from the left side and slightly behind the pizza.
• The camera was positioned to photograph a straight frontal of the pizza.
• White foam boards were placed at the back and diagonally from the pizza.

As the light is positioned from the left side, the pizza slice meant for the cheese pull is strategically placed to face the lighting so that it will be beautifully highlighted. This will also allow the light to shine through the cheese pull, reducing any uneven and noticeable dark shadows in the image. A white foam board reflector is placed at the back and side of the dish for bouncing off the light from the bare flash and softbox flash, casting a soft and even lighting to the overall image.
 

Step 2: Technical Preparation

Before working on the food and ingredients, it is recommended to test out the lighting. Take a few test shots with a similar object (a book, a phone etc.) on the plate to simulate the scene. You should also use this chance to set your Manual Focus and determine the height of the cheese pull where light is most flattering. For this shot, Joyce set her camera on continuous shooting mode to increase the chances of nailing the perfect moment during the cheese pulling process. By using tethered shooting with the EOS Utility app, she was able to view the sample images on a bigger screen to troubleshoot any changes required in the setup or lighting. 
 

Step 3: Food Preparation

Do remember to pre-cut your pizza slice before baking it in the oven. If not, the cheese might harden or dry up when you attempt to cut the slices after the cooking process. This will also reduce the number of attempts to cheese pull before needing to add more mozzarella cheese.

Tip: when working with frozen pizza or any baked items for the first time, it will be better to underbake the dish first to check for the food’s vibrancy and overall look. Some food may look more appetising in photos when slightly undercooked.

Step 4: Glue-infused Cheese

To create fake cheese, it’s best to use the same type of cheese already on the food. For this example, mozzarella was used.  

Start by melting some mozzarella cheese in the microwave on low heat before mixing it with some white glue. It’s important to avoid a high temperature as it may burn the cheese instead of melting it. Next, paint the fake cheese on the sides of the cut pizza slice so that it sticks. You can also sprinkle additional shredded cheese on top to add more texture. 

Tip: for the right consistency, the gluey cheese shouldn’t be too watery that it just drips off the pizza. If it is too watery, you can give it a few minutes to harden up. The ratio between the cheese and white glue is never fixed as it depends on how stringy you want to showcase the final cheese pull. 

Different cheese come with their unique traits. Cheddar cheese will often lose its colour after mixing with white glue, so a few drops of yellow food colouring is necessary for maintaining realism and vibrancy.

EOS 6D Mark II, EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, f/7.1, ISO 100, 1/6s, 50mm 

Step 5: Garnishing Before the Shoot

Don’t forget to add your cherry tomatoes and basil leaves on top of the cooked pizza. Remember that some of the garnishes should not be baked together and only added after as this will retain the ingredients’ colour and freshness. You should always try your first cheese pull before shooting to ensure you get the desired consistency.   

Tip: you can choose to use any strong adhesive to fix down the other slices so that they don’t lift during the cheese pull process.

Tips Roundup:

Here are more cheese pull shots to inspire you: 

For similar articles: 
Applying Creative Filters to Artsy Food Photography 
How To Create and Photograph Stacked Still-Life Food Structures 
Taking Dramatic Food Photos in Chiaroscuro Style