"ugly" food- before and after

When Becky and I teach our Food Styling and Photography workshop, we always have an ugly food challenge. How do you photograph something that's inherently challenging or unattractive?

In the photos below, you can see our before and after from a recent workshop we taught in Vermont. The subject is clam chowder.

I think we succeeded in making it better the second time around, no?

food styling tip: heat guns

See those sad looking cookies in the first photo, there? That's what they looked like, straight out of the package. And then see that second photo down there? That's after using my trusty heat gun on the chocolate, (and, I won't lie, doing a little Photoshop touch up for some of the harder blemishes.)

A heat gun is an awesome food styling tool for melting butter or softening cheese on set, or for my favorite-- giving chocolate a nice shine. The trick is not over-melt things, which can happen pretty easily, so you have to be careful. Also, heat guns blow hot air, so if you have carefully placed crumbs or lighter objects in your shot, you may want to cover them while you use the heat gun or they will blow away.

Now that you have learned this little trick of the trade, I guarantee you will start noticing the melty shine on chocolate in books and magazines everywhere.
Go forth and melt! :)

 

food styling tip: cool whip

I am going to be starting a few new repeating topics on this blog, offering easy tips about food styling and food photography every now and then.

So, here's the first official tip about food styling, (which, by the way, I only know because of my kick-ass food stylist, Julie):

You want to create that perfect-looking dollop of whipped cream? Use Cool Whip. Mind you, I would never actually EAT fake whipped topping, but it works wonders in food photography. It moves beautifully and holds it's shape much better than actual whipped cream.

:)