A CAREER IN FOOD STYLING AND FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY – YES, IT’S POSSIBLE!
Food is and always will be a hot topic for any occasion, but two things are particularly sizzling today – Food Photography and Food Styling. These fields have no shortage of creative talents, but a few have already made their names known because of their outstanding works.
Lydia Go started out as an assistant to her top photographer husband, Eddie Go. Today, she is possibly the top food stylist in the country. It’s no wonder that she is being tapped by big food and drink brands like Nestlé, Jollibee, Greenwich, Maggi, Knorr, and many more.
Two other notable names in the industry include Chef Noel Navarro, a young Chef-Food Stylist who just returned to Manila from a stint abroad, and Chef Theo Zaragoza, Managing Director of Resultado Gourmet Designs, a food styling and food photography firm, and one of our Bounty Fresh Chefs.
Many food stylists like Lydia Go, Noel Navarro, and Theo Zaragoza charge professional fees within the range of 50,000-350,000 pesos depending on their skill and expertise. For someone with a passion for food and the arts, this can be a very lucrative career.
So where does one start? Here are some tips from the Food Styling and Food Photography masters:
In this photo: Chef Theo Zaragoza
Photo courtesy of www.resultado.com.ph
Focus on Food
First and foremost, you must have a passion for food. Since food styling also requires skills in art, you must have an eye for balanced and good design. Furthermore, you must have knowledge in cooking and baking techniques. It would help if you have knowledge in photography and lighting to make the food look even more delicious. Not to worry, there is no shortage of cooking schools in the Metro that also offer courses on food styling. Chef Theo offers food styling classes for groups of 8 to 12 at Resultado Gourmet Designs.
Resultado Gourmet Designs
www.resultado.com.ph
resultado_foodstyling@yahoo.com
Photo courtesy of www.afotogirlsworld.posterous.com
Learn, Test, Observe
Experience is the best teacher. Ask a food photographer or stylist if you can assist and learn from him or her. You can also experiment on your own – test different materials with different tools. It would help if you have a toolbox filled with all the styling essentials like brushes, tweezers, cotton buds, gloves, tissue, food coloring, and others. Start clicking away and take down notes on what worked and what didn’t. Every test shot is a learning experience.
Read and Learn from the Best
There is so much you can learn from reading, and your local bookstore has all kinds of resource materials for food styling and food photography. Here are some that might be helpful – check them out in Power Books or Fully Booked or order them from Amazon.com:
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera by Delores Custer (Wiley 2010)
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
Food Styling for Photographers: A Guide to Creating Your Own Appetizing Art by Linda Bellingham and Jean Ann Bybee (Focal Press 2010)
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
Food Presentation Secrets: Styling Techniques of Professionals by Cara Hobday and Jo Denbury
Photo courtesy of www.amazon.com
The Food Stylist’s Handbook by Denise Vivaldo (Gibbs Smith 2010)
Make the Food Look Fabulous
It’s all about the way it looks, so try different ingredients like Glycerine or Oil to add that special sheen on the food. Use Freeze Syrup and Whipped Cream, so your food will not melt under the hot lights. Ice Cream can be very tricky. Chef Noel recommends using mashed potato and condensed milk mixed w/ food coloring to mimic ice cream. Some ice cream manufacturers make special slow-melting ice cream especially for photo shoots. You can use sponges to prop food or even crunched up paper towel underneath pasta or rice to simulate a full bowl. Just make sure the paper is well hidden underneath. Again, the rule of thumb is to make the food look great.
Photo courtesy of www.photokitchenfood.com
Lighting is the Key
If natural light is available, use it well. Natural light is softer and can bring out the best in your food set-up. You can also direct light (natural or artificial) via small mirrors or reflective surfaces such as a sheet of foil. Study other food photos and get inspired by the way light and shadows make the dishes look so inviting and luscious. On the subject of lighting, the photographer can use a hand-held camera if there’s a lot of light during the shoot. On the other hand, if you’re shooting on low light, it’s best to use a tripod.
Photo courtesy of http://blog.thenavarros.ca
Photo courtesy of Tamás Schauermann
Start a Grab-Bag of Props, Tools, and other Materials
You’ll probably end up looking like a bag-lady with your collection of props, serving trays, bowls, plates, ceramic pieces, textured backgrounds (a piece of antique wood can be the setting for a rustic shoot). You can also start looking in places like Divisoria, Uniwide, Dapitan or raid your Mom’s china cabinet for some unique pieces that you can use for photo shoots.
Lydia Go started out as an assistant to her top photographer husband, Eddie Go. Today, she is possibly the top food stylist in the country. It’s no wonder that she is being tapped by big food and drink brands like Nestlé, Jollibee, Greenwich, Maggi, Knorr, and many more.
Two other notable names in the industry include Chef Noel Navarro, a young Chef-Food Stylist who just returned to Manila from a stint abroad, and Chef Theo Zaragoza, Managing Director of Resultado Gourmet Designs, a food styling and food photography firm, and one of our Bounty Fresh Chefs.
Many food stylists like Lydia Go, Noel Navarro, and Theo Zaragoza charge professional fees within the range of 50,000-350,000 pesos depending on their skill and expertise. For someone with a passion for food and the arts, this can be a very lucrative career.
So where does one start? Here are some tips from the Food Styling and Food Photography masters:
Focus on Food
First and foremost, you must have a passion for food. Since food styling also requires skills in art, you must have an eye for balanced and good design. Furthermore, you must have knowledge in cooking and baking techniques. It would help if you have knowledge in photography and lighting to make the food look even more delicious. Not to worry, there is no shortage of cooking schools in the Metro that also offer courses on food styling. Chef Theo offers food styling classes for groups of 8 to 12 at Resultado Gourmet Designs.
Resultado Gourmet Designs
www.resultado.com.ph
resultado_foodstyling@yahoo.com
Learn, Test, Observe
Experience is the best teacher. Ask a food photographer or stylist if you can assist and learn from him or her. You can also experiment on your own – test different materials with different tools. It would help if you have a toolbox filled with all the styling essentials like brushes, tweezers, cotton buds, gloves, tissue, food coloring, and others. Start clicking away and take down notes on what worked and what didn’t. Every test shot is a learning experience.
Read and Learn from the Best
There is so much you can learn from reading, and your local bookstore has all kinds of resource materials for food styling and food photography. Here are some that might be helpful – check them out in Power Books or Fully Booked or order them from Amazon.com:
Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera by Delores Custer (Wiley 2010)
Food Styling for Photographers: A Guide to Creating Your Own Appetizing Art by Linda Bellingham and Jean Ann Bybee (Focal Press 2010)
Food Presentation Secrets: Styling Techniques of Professionals by Cara Hobday and Jo Denbury
The Food Stylist’s Handbook by Denise Vivaldo (Gibbs Smith 2010)
Make the Food Look Fabulous
It’s all about the way it looks, so try different ingredients like Glycerine or Oil to add that special sheen on the food. Use Freeze Syrup and Whipped Cream, so your food will not melt under the hot lights. Ice Cream can be very tricky. Chef Noel recommends using mashed potato and condensed milk mixed w/ food coloring to mimic ice cream. Some ice cream manufacturers make special slow-melting ice cream especially for photo shoots. You can use sponges to prop food or even crunched up paper towel underneath pasta or rice to simulate a full bowl. Just make sure the paper is well hidden underneath. Again, the rule of thumb is to make the food look great.
Lighting is the Key
If natural light is available, use it well. Natural light is softer and can bring out the best in your food set-up. You can also direct light (natural or artificial) via small mirrors or reflective surfaces such as a sheet of foil. Study other food photos and get inspired by the way light and shadows make the dishes look so inviting and luscious. On the subject of lighting, the photographer can use a hand-held camera if there’s a lot of light during the shoot. On the other hand, if you’re shooting on low light, it’s best to use a tripod.
Start a Grab-Bag of Props, Tools, and other Materials
You’ll probably end up looking like a bag-lady with your collection of props, serving trays, bowls, plates, ceramic pieces, textured backgrounds (a piece of antique wood can be the setting for a rustic shoot). You can also start looking in places like Divisoria, Uniwide, Dapitan or raid your Mom’s china cabinet for some unique pieces that you can use for photo shoots.
