Every now and then a video seems to explode over YouTube. More recently this has been the food styling hacks tutorials. Here are some myth busting facts.
Having worked in the food photography industry for a number of years shooting everything from a local cafe to world wide print campaigns for major brands, almost everyone I know sends me videos about styling hacks. From the obscure to the obscene, most of the ideas presented in the videos are completely false. Although I am pretty impressed that someone has taken the time to think them up and then to execute them. Food styling and styling in general is nothing new. Almost every form of photography has a stylist involved in one way or another.
There are those who specialize in fashion, set styling, prop sourcing, and pretty much anything that can be taken to a shoot. Thinking that the photographer is solely responsible for an image couldn't be further from the truth. However, the food industry takes a lot of flak for the styling. This seems to be predominantly due to the images in fast food restaurants that look amazing in comparison to the limp food they serve. Although this is true for pretty much anything. If I were to dress myself in Gucci, I wouldn't look anything like the people in the adverts (unfortunately for both my partner and I.)
There are a lot of laws in advertisement both for stills and moving images and especially with regards to food. Although you could copy some of these ideas (it might make a cool photo essay), most of them wouldn't pass the regulations in the UK or US to make it to print. I am also pretty sure that none of these have ever been used. The old claims of tampons for steam when cotton wool would clearly do the same thing are mostly there just to add interest and shock value.
In this video, I go over my experience of food photography styling and what actually goes into getting the shot as well as looking at how obscene some of these suggestions actually are.
Great video Scott Choucino ! You're a natural in front of the camera!
Thanks Paul. I have just uploaded another vide to my channel. Aiming for one a week atm to see if I can keep it going until Christmas.
Cool, looks good!
Yes, the secret to shooting food is making it real. I laugh when people ask me about using mashed potatoes in place of ice cream, it simply does not work for me. I also say that a good Food Stylist is worth their weight in gold.
Yeah my work would be horrendous 95% of the time without a food stylist. They are as important as the photographer.
Love it. Those videos always make me laugh.
I do a heck of a lot of beer photography, I won't use anything but the real thing. There are tricks, but luckily my clients agree with me. If we can use the real deal, we're showing the real deal.
Downside, we might get through a crate of beer for one shot.
Here's the full gif of the pizza glue thing he talks about at the beginning of the video.
You know Scott for a first go at it (ok take 3 but still) you rocked it!
Great video and article.
Subscribed and stoked to see more!
Thanks!
Hopefully I get better over time.
Bravo! If it's not edible it's deception, pure and simple.
Yeah that tends to be the line that people take now days.