First of, you should not have started shooting without the client present. Second, food photography is one of the hardest to get right. Most great food photography does not include actual foodstuffs. Third, use this as a learning experience. Never accept a job without knowing you’ll be able to achieve it.
How did you handle lighting for the foodstuff? On camera flash? Strobes? Did you have an assistant so they could move things while you stood behind the lens and guided them?
Honesty is the only way forward.
Now to you learning something from all this.
First of, you should not have started shooting without the client present. Second, food photography is one of the hardest to get right. Most great food photography does not include actual foodstuffs. Third, use this as a learning experience. Never accept a job without knowing you’ll be able to achieve it.
How did you handle lighting for the foodstuff? On camera flash? Strobes? Did you have an assistant so they could move things while you stood behind the lens and guided them?