Adding a 3D Twist to Lifestyle Food Photography on Location

When a client recently requested a 3D-style effect for our upcoming lifestyle food photography shoot on location, I knew it would take more than just showing up with a camera. They wanted something fresh and dynamic to use across their website and social media channels—something that would stop the scroll and stand out.

With just a week before the shoot, I tested several 3D GIF effects using layered stills and a parallax-style approach. The goal was to create subtle movement that brought the food to life while keeping the visual language clean and aligned with the brand. I sent off a few samples for early approval, giving the client time to review and tweak before shoot day.

As a location photographer, I’m often juggling light changes, tight schedules, and a variety of content formats. Adding a motion element like this meant being ultra-prepared—pre-planning angles, lens choices, and timing so everything worked seamlessly during capture and post-production.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we built the shoot from the ground up: