Four eggs stacked on a pile of powder © Virginie Gosselin / Offset

Black plums in a jar © Zaira Zarotti / Offset

From the pomegranates of Caravaggio and the pears of Paul Cezanne to the oysters of Edouard Manet, sculptural arrays of food have claimed their place in the history of the still-life. Delightful and surprising compositions take us from the realm of ordinary meals and into the world of fantastical feasts, but in photography, constructing these delectable balancing acts can prove a bit more difficult than it might be with a paintbrush. For our latest Offset group show, we’ve pulled together a collection of outstanding sculptural food photographs that whet our aesthetic appetites.

In speaking with some of these photographers, we learned some insider tricks about how to make these seemingly impossible configurations come to life. Kristin Teig, for instance, employed the expertise of food stylish Rowena Day, who stabilized a stack of precariously balanced scones using a skewer that ran vertically through the heap. The method, she explains, was to keep the scones from looking stagnant by avoiding aligning them along a perfect vertical line. For Mark Platt, the process required a great deal of persistence. The blueberries he shot were chosen by himself and his stylist for their size relative to one another, then stacked to enhance their natural appearance.

Toy dinosaurs on various exotic fruits © Shana Novak / Offset

Stack of scones with whipped cream and raspberry jam © Kristin Teig / Offset

Cracked chocolate pieces stacked on the table © Anna Williams / Offset

Loaf of bread and cheese with fruits © Ryan Miller / Offset

A stack of blueberries © Mark Platt / Offset

Raw fish tail on sushi ingredients © Carmen Mitrotta / Offset

Various cheese wedges stacked © Matt Armendariz / Offset

Red cabbage stacked on green cabbage © Johnér / Offset

Stack of dark chocolate with coffee beans, raspberries and dried flower © Gentl and Hyers / Offset

A stack of breads and muffins © Shana Novak / Offset

All photos featured in this post can be found on Offset, a new curated collection of high-end commercial and editorial photography and illustration from award-winning artists around the world. Offset is a category partner on Feature Shoot.