Food Styling
and
Photography
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Food Styling
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What does that strange term mean?
How does it relate to ART?
Do people really do that for a living?
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Food Styling Is Aesthetics

When food is styled, it is made to look
better. Just like your hair is styled or
clothing is made to appear more “put
together” by a stylist!
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Food Stylists
• Food stylists
prepare
foods to look like
art.
• Then the graphic
design artists take
it from a very nice
photograph…
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…to a finished magazine
cover.
See favorite recipes inside!
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Food stylists work with
photographers
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Highly specialized profession
Food styling is fun and challenging
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There are boundless ways to do your job
creatively
Photographers are your best buddies

You must form professional
alliances with photographers or do the
photography yourself!
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Shortening is ice cream?
The food in ads
would not taste
very good if
you ate it...
Did you ever wonder why the food on the restaurant menu looks so much
better than what the waitress brings to the table?
FOOD STYLING!!!
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Some other
“Tricks of the Trade”
Glycerin makes
glasses look
frosted cold when
it is sprayed on
the outside.
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Meat has grill
marks
painted
on and it is
often
photographed
cold.
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Rolls and Breads:
Covered in varnish or shellac
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Sometimes
bread is
covered with
fine cracker
crumbs…
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Whipped cream is
shaving cream mixed with
vanilla frosting…
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You might want to show a
recipe during the preparation
This works particularly
well to sell a product that
is normally thought of as
a “home cooked”
specialty, such as baked
goods and comfort
foods. Don’t
be afraid to throw in
some of the ingredients
onto your tabletop!
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All foods are photographed
cool or cold, even syrups…
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Sometimes it is more
important when you shoot
the food than what the food is.
Capturing that perfect drip of chocolate!
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You can make it
as complex…
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…or as simple
as you wish.
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If you go for simplicity,
design it impressively well.
This is a
lime…
…a mirrored
surface…
…a well
thought out
shadow…
…glycerin…
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You can shoot food as a
background object.
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The Procedures:
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Step one – the decision: choose your
weapon!
Think about what you will enjoy
photographing and what will be within your
grasp. Do not over-commit at this point.
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THINK
BRIGHT
COLORS!
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Think about
RHYTHM &
MOVEMENT
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Think about a
THEME
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THINK ABOUT YOUR
ANGLE!
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Step two- Plan for
materials.
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Plates, garnish, tableware,
cloths, and the like.
Think about your
background.
Plan lighting.
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Practice with lights to get
the highlights & cast
shadows that you want.
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Remember, have fun and
let your creativity take over.
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