Updated: 4 November 2026

Appetising food photo

This prompt creates an editorial-style food photo from above. Name the dish, side dishes and props for a richer, more believable result.

image-sd-food-photo — stable diffusion — 66 words

Overhead food photo of [DISH, e.g. a bowl of butter chicken with naan and rice] on [SURFACE, e.g. a dark wooden table], natural side light, steam rising, fresh garnish, a linen napkin and a small bowl of chutney nearby, rich colours, shallow depth of field, editorial food photography.

Negative prompt: plastic-looking food, deformed cutlery, extra plates, text, watermark, blurry, oversaturated

Settings: 1024x1024, 30 steps, CFG 5-6

Edit in the builder

Name the side dishes and props. A plain "bowl of curry" looks flat.

Get a better result

What you will get

An overhead food photo of your dish on the surface you chose, with natural side light, steam, a fresh garnish, a linen napkin and a small chutney bowl nearby in rich editorial colour.

Common mistake

The food looks plastic or has a strange texture.

Fix: Keep “plastic-looking food” in the negative prompt, use a lower CFG of 5 to 6 and add “natural glossy sauce, real texture”.

Also watch for

Cutlery or plates have odd shapes. Follow the tip about props, but keep them few. Say “one fork, one plate” and regenerate if they deform.
The dish itself is not recognisable. Describe its colour and parts, for example “orange curry with a swirl of cream, a naan with charred spots, and basmati rice”.

Try a variation: 45-degree angle

Change “overhead” to “45-degree angle, shallow depth of field” and keep the props. It shows more of the dish’s height.

Still not right? Add this and run it again

Same scene. Make the light softer from the left, reduce the steam and use only two props on the table.