It was rightly said that food was consumed three times. Firstly by its aroma and fragrance, Secondly by its presentation and look, and Finally by its taste. If anyone of the above is missing or not appropriate as per standard, the dish will fail as a complete one. So, today we will try to discuss Food Styling and Food photography.
It will seem bland or unappetizing if we serve any dish without proper styling and finishing. Right food styling not only enhances the overall appearance of food but rather increases the appetizing factor. An appealing food pic is required to get a delectable pic for your Instagram, another social networking page, and even for magazine and restaurant menu covers.
I will try to deal with both food styling and food photography in depth later on. But today, I want to highlight these two essential topics.
Food Styling
What is Food Styling: Food styling creates a feast for the eyes – making food look so picturesque that one is tempted to eat what one sees in the photo. What a painter does with a paintbrush, a makeup man, and a hairstylist does in the fashion world is the same as a food stylist does with food. It is the art of playing with food and food arrangements so it looks appealing, delicious, and fresh. Food styling is not just plating the food. It is much more than that. To be a food stylist, there should be a creative bend of mind. To be a food stylist, one should have a creative imagination to elevate the food picture by adding ingredients, props, or a background to the image or merely replacing the crockery.
The foundation of food styling is to transform the simplest of food in the best possible manner so that it becomes pleasing and eye-catchy.
Food Stylist
Where are food stylists required: Mostly in Restaurants, they want their menu cover and social networking site to look appetizing. Also, a customer would like to revisit a restaurant if the food is equally tempting as it tastes. Then if you are a chef, it’s the cherry on the cake for your profession—last but not least, food bloggers. Your viewer will only get impressed with your recipe idea if you can allure them with delicious food pics.
There are different techniques used for other dishes/food. What works best with dessert is not necessarily what will work with the main course too. We must experiment with different ways and techniques to make the food more attractive and appealing. There is no specific school for food styling; it does come under hotel management courses or other cooking courses. It’s like a craftsmanship skill; the more you practice, you will get perfection.
One aspect of food styling is Layering, one of the critical factors in food styling. You can’t place a bowl of soup on the table and click the picture. There should be some layering that can create a dimension to the food. Then only it looks tempting in pictures.
Like Layering, we will discuss many other aspects later in my blog.
Food Photography
What is Food Photography: The mania surrounding food photography is a recent phenomenon after taking selfies. Nowadays, people use to carry food pic first before taking a bite. Taking food pics and posting on Instagram or social networks is the new normal today. But professional food photography is a lot different. If you want good food pictures for your food blog or want to click photographs for restaurant menu covers or pamphlets for some advertising agency, then the game is much more significant. You require a high-tech camera, setting, and good food styling before clicking an appetizing pic of a specific dish.
Light: Here, you also have to remember which food pic shoots better in natural light and which under overhead lights or lamps.
- Take photos under natural light. Decide, before clicking, if it requires an overhead lamp or light or not.
- Try to take a pic where the light is enough or which time of day suits the specific dish to be clicked. Sometimes a word requires soft light to be great, like evening time, but some require more light during day time.
- Also, don’t just stick to your kitchen to click food pics; try experimenting in different parts of the room to get that perfect click.
- Also, never hesitate to experiment with different angles And click as many photos as possible. It’s better to click more pics and decide later which is the best. Some plates of food look better from above (like, pizza), from the side (burgers), or at a 45-degree angle (drinks).
- Don’t try to overcrowd the background during food styling so that the main dish losses its charm. Please keep it simple and beautiful.
Like light as one of the aspects, many other factors will help click nice food pics.
I will try to bring more information on food styling and food photography tips and techniques. Till then, stay connected, stay motivated, and be happy.
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