rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Here's what I alluded to and caught some push back. But, if you want to raise your mediocre food snapshots to the next level, here's some help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MflT0I7ZPCs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRRUgI_iUXI
It also validates my comment regarding eating food in a food studio.
--Bob

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

As a part-time chef , I have to keep memories of a favorite dish and we do it all the time now cause the new cameras take great images of everything and I even have a picture style in the camera now just for this purpose if I choose to utilize it....don't need to.

Kletzentono

I take exception to the general statement that to be photographed cannot be eaten. Food styling is one of the key components for successful photography, and the second pone is appropriate lighting. Yes, you CAN take excellent food images without using motor oil, shaving cream, et al. A good plan, previsualization, using stand ins for desired composition and lighting will greatly help to be successful.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

And you cannot use substituted inedible items for food stuff where that food is the subject of commercial advertising. Example, you cannot sub mashed potatoes for ice cream if you are advertising ice cream. Advertising the cereal in the bowl has to be the real product (although the stylist will go through as many boxes as needed to find the perfect corn flakes to use) but the milk can be Elmer's Glue since they aren't trying to sell milk.

But in general, I agree you CAN produce good food shots using real food. Planning and lighting are key.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

First half of first video is great -

I use a really hot pan with some oil on it to sear the burger on all sides - 45 secs max, then a red hot skewer to add grill marks, and glycerin to make it look juicy - spraying oil does have a tendency to slip off.

In addition to adding some dish soap to the beer, what's missing are the droplets of condensation on the outside of the glass - which I add by mixing some corn syrup and water, and using a spray mister to add the droplets. These dry and stay in place for the duration of a shoot.

I've used the corn syrup/shortening/food coloring thing as a prop for composition ice cream shoots, but I've kept a cooler with a big piece of dry ice and a sheet pan with carefully scooped ice cream scoops for the actual shoot.

For turkeys, I usually season them and let them sit in the fridge for a couple of days to dry out the skin - then use a similar browning mix - using either Kitchen Bouquet or Dark Soy Sauce, and dish soap (to dissolve any remain surface fat to avoid a splotchy appearance), and pop the thing in a hot oven for about 20 mins, which completes the charade.

The ramekin for a creamed or pureed soup is pretty standard, but what do you do for a clear broth soup? I use glass beads to fill up the bowl, and pour enough strained broth from the can to cover the beads with 1" of broth, then add and carefully arrange the solids to look their best.

There are so many tricks and hacks - and yes, I wouldn't want to eat a big bowl of cereal with Elmer's Glue.

I suspect the SOOC people's heads are on fire or actually exploding!!!!

Photoguy120

I spent a day on a shoot for a product that were adding to our line. There was a food shoot taking place at the same time. Five cans of green beans to obtain enough for the one plate. In another the raw hamburger patty was “cooked” with a culinary torch and a soldering iron.

The comment is spot on. Food for award winning photos is not edible.

GailConnorsPhotography Loc: Holbrook, MA

Nice!

Photocraig

My HHH rule #1 is Listen to Gene!!!!!

Meantime on YouTube search for the BiteShot. She's soup to nuts on food and food photography. She is very to the point and easy to understand for a beginner to a pro. If you're a video/audio type learner, this is a good way to go.

The key to great food shots is in the styling, lighting and backgrounds. And getting to it fast.

Binge on the BiteShot and you'll be ready.
C

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Hey Y'all! I do this for a living! 65% of my commercial work is in the food and beverage manufacturing, distribution and service industries.

There is a lot of mythology about food photography- stuff like coating food with floor wax, spraying glycerin on everything and all sorts of shenanigans. A little of it is true and most of it is a bit silly. In food packaging there are laws about misrepresenting the contents. So here's the truth.

Half the job is in the styling and food preparation. In my work, sometimes, I get to work in a team with expert stylists, art directors and chefs. That's for big manufacturers and corporate clients. Sometimes the job is for small restaurant operators and I end up working with a decent short-order cook or have to cook and prep the food myself myself.

A shot that takes 15 minutes to light and shoot might tale an entire day to build the set and prep the product. There's a lot of painstaking work.

Lighting is an important element in that the rendition of textures and colors.

Sometimes it's like spots action shooting in that we are dealing with perishable food stuffs that wilt, melt, discolor, and fall apart and do not do well under the lights.

The goal is simple- Ig the shot don't make you hungry or thirsty, it's a failure! Let's face it, food advertising should make you wanna buy more, eat more and order more when you are in a restaurant. If it look like a pile of bones or it's already been eaten- you are out of luck! I know that sounds gross but a plate of chicken ala king that is not photographed with a lot of savvy- waht can I say? UHG!

So...for the OP- come to the Commercial & Industrial Section of this forum and tell me what you plan shooting and I'll give you a plan and a few tips. If you have a good monolight in a soft box , a boom rig and a roll of aluminum foil- you are good to go or you gonna have to do some heavy duty MacGyver work!

It's interesting. One day it coud be some egg rolls and hot dogs for display on the Jumbotron at the local NHL venue, the next day it coud be a few omelets for the menu cards at a small breakfast joint.