It’s a human need, you tell yourself. Why feel guilty? Just looking at those photos on glossy magazine paper makes you salivate. You want to be there. The sin! But like any attractive photo, we must ask ourselves — is it real?
Food photography is based on the principle of making food look as real as possible. It is also an art form that is contingent on the motives, budget, supplies, and the time frame involved for each shoot.
So what does it take to get appealing photos of food? The bulk of this job goes to the food stylist, who is responsible for bringing in the right tools, and seamlessly setting up the food for the food photographer.
The hardest task for the food stylist is to make the perfect “hero,” the food item that will be the star of the shoot as well as the best representative of the chosen product. Getting a hero right can take many attempts and a lot of time. You know when an actor in a typical food commercial takes a huge bite of the advertised product? Well, if that one shot does not work out, the food stylist needs to go back to square one and prepare a new hero.
A good example of a time-consuming take would be a “pizza pull,” a shot of a slice being taken out of the pie. According to some food stylists, a good pizza pull takes about half a day to get right. Mozzarella sticks have to be placed horizontally, to enhance the cheese pull effect, toppings have to be fresh, and the actual “pull” requires top-notch timing. If a pull doesn’t work out, the stylist may even attempt to reheat the pizza, although it is very difficult to prevent overcooking.
How about ingredients? Food photographers usually can’t photograph the natural ingredients of products, because the food they use becomes wilted, stale, or discoloured. As a result, many food stylists use a variety of chemicals, brushes, or blow torch techniques to style the hero. (A word to the wise: don’t eat the hero. Ever.)
For example, milk is usually replaced with heavy cream. Ice cream is usually done with mashed potatoes, while “fruity” ice cream usually has pieces of fruit strategically placed in it. Ice cubes are fake, expensive, and made from acrylic. Tea is usually a mixture of coffee and water, and water is added to beverages to make it easier for light to shine through and add sparkle.
On an even more bizarre note, liquid household cleaners with pine or orange oil base are lightly brushed onto the edges of cheese in cheeseburgers to make them look freshly melted. Turkeys and chickens are basted with a browning spray. According to Delores Cluster, it takes two to three turkeys to film a shot of a turkey being brought to a table, and up to 20 turkeys to film a tight shot of a turkey being sliced for the camera.
Camera tricks are also used to trick portion sizes and to brighten the colour of the food. For example, food stylists tend to shoot close-ups of the food, and arrange the food from the perspective of the consumer.
The Food Network has inspired millions to look before they eat. But like all things too pretty to be true, there’s always a story. Thankfully, this story can end where you want it to — your tummy.
