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JEDDAH: While food styling is an important ingredient in the Kingdom's culinary arts scene, it remains a niche profession. But one culinary artist is quickly making a name for herself by arranging dishes with style.

Rawan Shouman's interest in food styling – the process of staging food to make it look as attractive and appealing as possible for photos or videos – began during her college years, just before the global pandemic, when she decided to help out a photographer friend.

“Since I have a passion for cooking and photography, styling seemed like a natural fit,” she told Arab News.

Although cooking skills aren't essential for styling, in Shouman's case they've proven to be an advantage. “Speaking the chef's language and the photographer's language is essential for communication,” she said.

Shouman said she has “always loved cooking and photography, so styling seemed a natural fit as it combines the two.”

The result is a career that combines food styling, set and prop design, and creative direction.

Shouman invested the money she earned as a stylist in special equipment for photography and videography.

However, since food styling is relatively new in the Kingdom, it was a challenge for her to establish herself professionally.

“Most of us pretend we know what we're doing until we actually know,” she said. But with hard work, determination and a good portfolio, she convinced clients to work with her.

So what exactly does a food stylist do? “We work with chefs to produce the highest quality food, either in restaurants or on commercial sets where I put a production chef on my team,” said Shouman. “Using their culinary skills and my styling tricks and vision, we develop the best looking final products.”

Every project is different and has its own requirements and budgets. A stylist's work ends at the end of the shoot, but Shouman is also involved in pre- and post-production.

“The creative process starts with what the client wants, then comes ideation and planning,” she said. “We prepare for the needs of the shoot, from backdrops, plates, everything. Then it's the shoot day… sometimes we do test shots before the shoot to perfect a styling method.”

Shouman also looks for props that fit the project and recipes. “I think about what other elements I want to add on set, so not just plating options, but also glasses, cutlery, boards and ramekins for sauces, garnishes or ingredients,” she said.

When designing a visually appealing food setup, she considers textures, layering props and fabrics.

As our food industry continues to evolve, it needs to be presented in a way that attracts attention and highlights its uniqueness.

Rawan ShoumanFood stylist

She said that Santos Loo, a Los Angeles-based food stylist, “once mentioned that he thinks about textures, and I like to think that way too.”

While in the past perfection was the standard in food photography, today the trend is towards a more natural aesthetic.

“Victoria Granof (the US-based food stylist) was the one who started to disregard these rules and her style is more acceptable and in demand today,” Shouman added.

The Saudi stylist makes sure she stays up to date with the latest trends and techniques by following artists she admires and reading cookbooks, magazines and websites.

“We are artists, we create trends, we don't have to follow them, if you know what I mean,” she said.

Like a painter, her techniques and styles depend on the mood and feelings that prevail at the time of preparing a plate or set. She is also an advocate of ethical working practices with less food waste as well as finding and creating edible substitutes for chemicals normally used in styling.

Shouman is glad that creatives in the industry have the opportunity to showcase their talent, adding that this is necessary for the expansion of this field.

Food photo shoots “happen every day,” but unfortunately styling is not always in demand due to budget constraints and the “what you see is what you get” approach, she said.

Shouman has worked with many leading personalities, studios, companies and hotels as well as local and international brands including Al-Osra Sugar, Wister, Rustic Grill, IKEA, Lallo Restaurant, Plan Burger, Savola, Nespresso and Haagen-Dazs.

Shouman sees food styling as an essential part of Saudi Arabia’s growing culinary landscape.

“As our food industry evolves, it needs to be presented in a way that attracts attention and showcases its uniqueness,” she said. “This is where food styling comes in… it helps tell the story behind the dish, make it more attractive and draw people in.”

When asked about her future projects and plans, Shouman said, “I'm always looking forward to the next project, meeting new people and collaborating on creative projects. I'm not the type to follow rigid plans, but prefer to take on new challenges and let inspiration guide my work.”

She added: “Inspiration is everywhere; you just have to be curious and open to it. I like to think in series – I come up with concepts, titles and ideas for food photography and videography. I find inspiration in nature, films, podcasts and even in seemingly unrelated areas like car photoshoots or fashion shows.”

Shouman makes it a point to document her ideas, even if they are not immediately applicable, because she believes this is a valuable exercise for the creative mind.

A defining moment in her career was a project that pushed her out of her comfort zone. “I was just getting started in photography and videography,” she recalls, “and my usual collaborators were unavailable. I had to rely on my skills and ingenuity to complete the project. This experience taught me a lot about adaptability and independence.”

This anecdote highlights the career path of a food stylist – a constant pursuit of learning, growth and creative expression.