Tricks of Food Photographers -- InterMeat Trade Fair

Tricks of Food Photographers

Freshness and attractivity are the most important elements in the effectiveness of food photography. Indeed, food is a perishable product and not always looks in the reality as nice as the photographers wish for. Hence, help is needed with some tricks.

A few examples:

- To create cooking atmosphere with steam, the stylists use small fog machines. Also the combination of real cooking steam and dry ice offers very satisfactory results.
- Glass containers, fruit and vegetables look especially fresh and crisp if these are provided with water pearls. A grease-free surface is substantial. Then spray with acrylic spray and put on a mixture of water and glycerine.
- A surface treatment with syrup priming and next strewing with powdered sugar creates a permanently "frosty" look

A mixture of water and glycerine makes everything look extra fresh

- brown food colour lends roast and fowl crunchy qualities
- in cream Corn Flakes do not become Corn Flakes sticky so fast. The use of white glue is considered unacceptable meanwhile.
- coffee looks better if combined with red wine in the mug
- vegetables should rather only be blanched than cooked, so that it looks more fresh
- drinks are diluted with water because light gleams better through and the impression is more “pearly”
- ice cubes of acrylic are more stable in form and position than the real cool makers
- drink foam for beer and cappuccino becomes even more persuasive with soap bubbles
- tea looks better if coffee and water are in the cup
- salads must renounce dressing because the sauce makes the green stuff collapse. It is all a matter of surface: Hence, the salad is arranged in the bowl on a "stage" of mashed potatoes
- ice scoops are formed from margarine and made long-lasting. Food colour provides for the right taste impression

No limits are put to the creativity. Look is most important. The nice show determines the choice of means. Food photographers call their work sometimes a "tough job". Since in spite of all tricks speed is always needed, timing and care are vital in this business. And one also does not become well fed: The so treated food is not suitable of course for consumption any more and must be disposed of after the shooting.

Ralph M. Bloemer, InterMopro.de