Comments on: The dirty tricks of food photographers

By: Curtis Wallis

Curtis Wallis — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:39:24 +0000

Anybody thats asks why i dont eat the food when i’m done with a shoot can just read this article.

By: What's NOT Good World - FDA: Labels Misleading on Major Food Brands

What's NOT Good World - FDA: Labels Misleading on Major Food Brands — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:26:57 +0000

[...] Read About Some Food Photography Tricks [...]

By: JJ

JJ — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:55:48 +0000

The Menu doesn’t taste like the meal.

On the morality side: If it entices your senses the picture is a success.

“american families” should rather see fake food than consume it.

Thanks for the tips in a well written article

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:17:01 +0000

Really interesting article, but I’ll take natural styling any day!

By: London photographer

London photographer — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:15:03 +0000

Gloria nails it on the head. Even without considering the retouching process, the lengths which some go to in order to make themselves appear “picture perfect” makes these food photography tricks seem perfectly normal.

By: Gloria

Gloria — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 03:19:35 +0000

ok seriously!!? how many times do we admire the cover of a magazine–admire the picture of someone whose so touched up that we prob wouldn’t recognize them if we saw them in person. I do beleive that you should be true and authentic and all of that–but give the people a break! Geesh!

By: Jerk Ethic » Blog Archive » My Eyes Are Dumber Than My Stomach

Jerk Ethic » Blog Archive » My Eyes Are Dumber Than My Stomach — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:17:16 +0000

[...] meat products are raw. Poultry is usually completely raw, or briefly cooked just to get the skin slightly browned. The rest is done with a blowtorch. The shrimp, lobster, and other ocean delights caught by the [...]

By: someone you dont know

someone you dont know — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:09:33 +0000

this is very good help because i am doing a media project that i have to take pictures of food using media tricks! :)

By: Food Photography « Beginner's Photo Journal

Food Photography « Beginner's Photo Journal — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:13:36 +0000

[...] problem is that food photos you see in magazines, like Bon Appetit, are usually staged (see The Dirty Tricks of Food Photographers). Unfortunately, when eating at a restaurant, most people don’t have the luxury of [...]

By: Gina

Gina — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:41:02 +0000

Great article!

Actually, I was looking for the recipe for fake ice cream.

Does anybody know?

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:28:53 +0000

I enjoyed Jens comment. Australian’s are much more relaxed. And it’s also fair to say that I don’t know any of my colleagues in Australia who use the old “tricks of the trade”.

By: elya

elya — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:37:08 +0000

man thanks for sharing the tricks on how to make food photos look real.don t worry about those stupid people who don’t know what they re talking about.

By: Making food tasty with some nasty tricks (repost) « Photo Surgeon

Making food tasty with some nasty tricks (repost) « Photo Surgeon — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:01:02 +0000

[...] photocritic.org/food-photo-tricks [...]

By: Food photography « Blogger Mathai

Food photography « Blogger Mathai — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:46:15 +0000

[...] Two of my favorite subjects; Food and Photography. Looking at the various hobby groups on flickr, I’ve realized that there’s more to food photography than just shooting stuff on a plate. The arrangement, lighting, composition and color can either make it look appetizing or just plain yucky. Some professionals in marketing and advertising even use ‘fake food’ since a photo shoot can last several hours and stuff goes bad if you leave it out that long. Here’s some info about fake food tricks. [...]

By: Grok

Grok — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:05:23 +0000

Sometimes I thing I’d rather eat the hairspray, motor-oil and glue food more than the actual processed garbage they’re serving on the menu.

By: design~o~saurus // wise words from design~o~saurs » Blog Archive » Faux Food

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:14:51 +0000

[...] Source: http://photocritic.org/food-photo-tricks/ [...]

By: jen

jen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:04:12 +0000

hahahaha As an out-sider looking in, I love this. Americans are so dramatic. I can’t believe someone actually threw up… I’m pretty sure that’s an exaggeration. Interesting article, but the comments are the best part. Gives a much more well-rounded insight into the topic. I’m going to blog about your blog. And I agree with a previous comment; no-one is actually asking you to eat it. Stress less. Come to Australia.

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:51:22 +0000

This is photography we’re talking about, not food…..relax

By: keith

keith — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:04:13 +0000

Give me a break guys. You are telling me that you believe everything you see in photos? Food is not possible to photograph well without some ‘help’. It is unwise to make the food look something that it is not, litigation is sure to follow, but you should do anything you can to get the shot.

By: L fowler

L fowler — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:00:37 +0000

Oh good God dont turn food styling green like everything else. Even if we style green we still are not going to hand that food over to 3rd world villages when we are done. Green or not it gets trashed. I love the smell of capitalism in the morning.

By: Links of the Day

Links of the Day — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:01:04 +0000

[...] The dirty tricks of food photographers Take photographs of food? Here are some tricks you can use to improve your food photographs. (tags: food foodphotography tips tricks hacks) [...]

By: Logan

Logan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:26:31 +0000

Thanks for the tips… I’ll definately be trying a few of them on my next food shoot. I always knew there were tricks like this out there so it’s great to finally learn a few.
Bon Apetite!

By: Joseph Hoetzl

Joseph Hoetzl — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:52:20 +0000

And add in food coloring and soap/salt for beer photography, and acrylic ice cubes/splashes, soldering iron for the lines on the steaks, and lots of other crafty ways…

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:23:09 +0000

I’ve seen pig’s fat used to shoot a famous ice-cream product. The place smelled like bacon – a bit weird for an ice cream shoot – but the practicality of a long shoot under studio lights seemed enough of a reason for them to use it. The result, a very appetizing desert from a print perspective. None of this is surprising after that.

“Bart Simpson: Why are you dressing that horse like a cow?
Crew Member: Cows don’t look like cows on camera?
Bart: What if you need to film a horse?
Crew member: Usually we just tape a bunch of cats together.”

At least the uninformed might have a bit more insight as to why their own food shots are not getting results they’re looking for. Nice piece this.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:03:25 +0000

I guess when you first learn about the tricks used in food photography, it’s a bit shocking and gross! But, really people, open your minds. It is a business, it is about money! Think about how movies are made. Lots of fake stuff and behind the scenes tricks are used to create the finished movies that we enjoy. These food stylists and photographers are real artists! They are paid for their skills. The client, magazine or cook-book or whatever, has a publication or an actual food product to sell. Of course he wants it shown in the best possible way! A customer who is going to buy that package of food from off the store shelf, only sees the outside packaging and decides in 2 or 3 seconds. If it doesn’t look great, then he reaches for the “other brand” to buy and take home. It’s certainly a competetive market on the store shelf…or the magazine rack. Again, it’s all about money! It’s a business, so grow up all you weak-in-the-knees people!!

By: TfromTexas

TfromTexas — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:18:18 +0000

Some of us have been doing food photog. from back before digital and computers. It all had to be done in camera. Just as Candace explained camera/lenses can’t do what our eyes can do. Some things just don’t photograph well. As far as laws, they are in place. If you are shooting for a company that makes ice cream cones and they want a picture on their box with a kid eating an ice cream cone, you can fake the ice cream so it doesn’t melt in the heat or under the lights. But you could not do that if they were selling the ice cream. That’s when you have to use their real ice cream. My home economist/stylist had to work over a large Igloo cooler filled with dry ice and lots of perfect cones she made so we could keep replacing the ones the kid held as they melted. If you think all this is cheating, next time you have a professional portrait done, be sure and not wear any make-up or brush your hair and tell them to leave all your blemishes, dark under eyes, harsh wrinkles, yellowed teeth….etc. Maybe people will find you kind of gross and not want to get to know you, hire you, etc.

By: Crazy_Chick

Crazy_Chick — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:56:20 +0000

Jody’s commerical on T.V uses real, good, wholesome American food for their commerical but on the contraily their food looks gross on the commerical. But go there the food is GREAT!!^^

By: stefanos

stefanos — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:25:15 +0000

Food is by itself looks amazing. However, sometimes it is necessary to make it look more appetizing. This is done for promotional reasons mostly. However, when someone has to do that. He must me sure that he knows what he is doing.

By: Blog Review Monday « 101 Quick and Easy Secrets

Blog Review Monday « 101 Quick and Easy Secrets — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:08:10 +0000

[...] The writing comes with a lot of thorough research into a topic. Take, for example, the post, Food Photo Tricks. He lists every trick in the book for making food look yummy, some of which will make you lose your [...]

By: :::Media-Digest » Blog Archive » THE DIRTY TRICKS OF FOOD PHOTOGRAPHERS

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:24:19 +0000

[...] OF FOOD PHOTOGRAPHERS by jesse ~ April 3rd, 2009. Filed under: Photographie, Tipps and Tricks. “We’ve all seen the seductive photos of vividly colorful fresh vegetables, sumptuous cherry … [...]