Ever questioned how some food images manage to look so appetizing—possibly even too good to be true? This entertaining article examines photography trickery.
Ever questioned how some food images manage to look so appetizing—possibly even too good to be true? Okay, so perhaps they are.
It's difficult to photograph food, and it's even more challenging to capture food in a way that the spectator will salivate.
Because of this, the best food photographers recruit the aid of stylists who are equipped with a variety of tips and tactics.
We'll reveal some of the top trade secrets for capturing the best images in the food sector in this article.
13 Food Photography Tips and Tricks That You Should Know!
1) Realistic drips on fake ice cream
One of the most frequently "hacked" goods in the market is ice cream. This is due to the fact that it melts easily (particularly under the illumination used for photography! ), so having a durable version that still looks great is crucial when taking pictures.
Note: A few different recipes can be used to create faux ice cream. The simplest one calls for you to replace the ice cream with mashed potatoes and then, depending on the flavor of the ice cream you wish to imitate, add some food coloring.
A different recipe calls for frosting and powdered sugar. This base can be used to make ice scoops.
What about those mouthwatering-looking droplets of ice cream that are melting? Use some Elmer's glue, please!
Keep in mind that while doing this is permitted for editorial photography, it is not permitted for commercial photography.
(If you're promoting a particular brand of ice cream, use genuine ice cream.)
2) Pizza cheese that stretches: glue or no adhesive?
Let's start by going through a photography tip for creating the most delectable melted cheese look on your pizza photographs.
Use the proper cheese to start if you want your food picture to look as natural as possible.
You must use mozzarella cheese for any stringy melt shot. The best cheese for a cheese pull, in the opinion of food photographer Joanie Simon, is part-skim mozzarella.
What about some additional pointers for capturing the ideal "lifted pizza" photograph like the one above?
Prior to pulling the cheese on a pizza, the dough must be cut. You must also cut the cheese once the pizza has been cooked. When it's still hot, push it back together.
In this manner, it will remelt with the other pieces to form the string. But because of the pre-cut, it won't be as resistant.
You must now gradually draw up and away. Keep in mind that each pizza only gets one chance at the ideal cheese pull.
Finally, prepare yourself for the terrible hack that will give you a lovely, cheesy slice pull on a pizza.
The edges of the pre-cut slice should be covered with melted mozzarella mixed with adhesive, as you've probably seen on TikTok or Instagram.
If you use this food trick, the pizza will be covered in a ton of sticky threads when you take it out. If you do this, avoid eating the pizza after the photo session!
3) Pancakes that are fluffy and stacked perfectly
No matter how good they may taste, flat pancakes aren't particularly enticing. You need sturdy pancakes that can stand up to being stacked high.
Let's start by discussing how to make a real pancake fluffier.
Use half milk and half yoghurt in the batter as opposed to only milk. This will make the pancakes rise even more when you’re cooking. They'll also taste better, too!
It's time for some food-hackery now as we move on to the stack!
Place a cardboard circle between each pancake. It should be made of sturdy cardboard, similar to that seen in moving boxes. To prevent the cardboard from showing, make sure the diameter is about an inch smaller than the pancakes.
Remember to remove the cardboard after the photo session so you can enjoy your pancakes... Unless, of course, you like them chewy:
4) Condensation droplets and persistent icing
When you notice condensation drops on a drink on a hot summer day, you can tell it's chilly. Right away, this makes you want to drink it.
Therefore, commercial beverages require this icy appearance. It not only appears more natural, but it also makes you want to salivate. Unfortunately, the condensation drops melt rather rapidly in the real world.
So you can mix glycerin and water to form a liquid. After that, spray it onto the bottle or the glass using a little spritzer. Use wax or matting spray to simulate icing for a more realistic appearance.
While we're talking about making drinks seem colder than they are, did you know that food photographers utilize fake ice?
Acrylic or resin can be used to create fake ice, however they are quite expensive materials. Food photographers can be certain of the transparency and form of the ice in their drink photographs by using artificial ice.
Of course, the fact that the 'ice' won't melt or dilute the beverage, changing its hue, is more crucial.
5) Maintain the appearance of fresh vegetables
It goes without saying that for the greatest food photography results, you should utilize the freshest vegetables you can locate.
On the morning of the photo session, visit your neighborhood market and choose your produce by hand.
You should often spritz herbs and vegetables with water to keep them fresh. If you want to provide the viewer an additional cue that suggests "freshness," you can keep the droplets at the time of the photo.
You can use the same water and glycerin mixture that is used to make cold drinks.
6) The perfect beer foam head
Are you losing your beer head too quickly? merely add salt! The beer froth will rise and appear flawless thanks to that easy trick.
Useless workarounds like adding soap are not necessary. It's crucial that you first conduct some experimentation. Learn how the beer reacts to determine the appropriate amount of salt.
Additionally, different varieties of beer and salts will produce various reactions. Bring the salt you are familiar with and utilize it at the photo shoot.
For a highly frothy impression, you can purchase something called Foam Booster if you're not seeking for a hack but rather a more sophisticated solution. Even though it can be pricey, if you're doing something professionally, it's worth it.
7) photography that's blazing hot? Choose from the plethora of hacks available.
I was at a loss about how to picture hot food and beverages because there are so many different methods.
Instead, I'll list the most popular ones so you can choose the one that will be the easiest for you to find and modify for your shot.
- Tampons damped in boiling water.
- Incense.
- Cigarettes.
- Electronic cigarettes.
- Clothing iron with steam spritzer.
- Steam gun.
- Hydrochloric acid and ammonia. Be very careful using these chemicals and never drink or eat what you photographed if you use this hack.
8) A must-have is Accent Flavor Enhancer.
A product called an accent flavor enhancer is made to improve the flavor of food.
Why would you be concerned with the taste of food that you are only intended to photograph? Of course not.
Monosodium glutamate is the only taste enhancer used as an accent. This substance stops food from oxidizing, therefore there won't be any more wilting or dark lettuce!
Therefore, you can use this trick to picture fruits and vegetables that turn brown as soon as you cut them.
9) Does the ideal hamburger even exist?
Yes, the hamburgers you see in images are typically real.
However, a skilled food stylist needs between 20 and 30 minutes to construct them.
These culinary geniuses carefully select each component to ensure perfection. Then, carefully arrange each component, frequently making use of numerous pins, skewers, and the circular cardboard discs we previously saw.
Other trade secrets include using a heat gun to melt the cheese in place and oiling the meat to make it shine.
What is the story's lesson? On a photo shoot, never eat a well presented hamburger!
10) Got milk?
The milk you typically see in cereal photos is actually glue. One difference is that the adhesive is whiter than actual milk.
Why do stylists still favor glue over real milk when this could be easily fixed in Photoshop?
The cereal (or whatever other meal the milk is photographed with) won't absorb it so quickly, which is the main reason glue works better than milk. You'll get cereal that looks crisper and crunchier for longer this way.
Another food trick that renders food inedible after the photo is this one.
11) Fantastic soup and garnish... how does it float, though?
How do you obtain the shot if there isn't enough soup to fill the bowl of your choice?
The trick to having a full bowl of soup while using less broth is as follows: Place a ramekin or other tiny bowl inside the soup bowl before pouring the soup.
Additionally, this will keep any garnishes on top of the soup precisely organized.
12) Even fake drinks taste good.
Food photography frequently uses phony drinks. This is mostly done to keep the expense of a photo shoot down because, as most of us are aware, alcoholic beverages are expensive!
Since actors in movies and plays could get wasted after a few takes, using fake alcohol is helpful.
Note: If you want to make whiskey, bourbon, or any other brown spirits, you can add Kitchen Bouquet or Worcester sauce to water. Use of tea or sugar that has been burned with water is another method.
Use sparkling water colored with food coloring to make champagne. what about white wine? You can substitute white grape juice or diluted lime juice. Cranberry juice can be used to make red wine.
Depending on the drink you need, you can find a variety of fake drink recipes online. Just keep in mind that you must utilize the actual beverage when advertising a brand for commercial photography.
13) Bountiful feast… or is it just a filler?
The sleek, sophisticated aesthetic works beautifully for some food photography. Others require a hearty feast... But is all that food actually necessary to use?
No, particularly if you need to employ a hack that renders it inedible. When you require a full or overflowing plate, you can fill the most of it with some dough since you don't want to be wasting food.
To make enough dough to line your dish, just combine flour and water. Then place the actual dish on top to cover it.
Who knows, maybe baking this dish will result in something tasty!
Did You Like These Food Ads' Tricks to Make the Food Look Delicious?
Here are a few tips from the backstage that will make your food photos appear delectable.
As I stated from the outset, the majority of seasoned food stylists and photographers don't really notice any "bad" tricks.
Instead, they spend a lot of time searching for the ingredients that appear perfect. In order to make the cuisine look its best, they also have a staff of stylists.
A well-known and successful food photographer is Andrew Scrivani. He never utilizes phony food as a moral rule and a fundamental aspect of his photographing technique.
Nevertheless, he is supported by a top-notch team. I once overheard him explain at a workshop that he has a hairdresser who specializes in swirls produced with whipped cream and comparable things.
You can see from that how much effort and time go into creating a dish that looks picture-perfect. These food photography tricks come in handy because we don't always have access to those tools.
I hope this list was useful and will help you continue to get better at photographing food. Please share any additional food photography tips you may have with us in the comments section.