...details that make a difference

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Food For The Day


** Food Stylist Secrets:  How Many Photographs Can You Do in A Day?
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One of the most common questions I get is, "How much can you do in a day?"

On average, most projects achieve 3-5 shots in one day (1 to 2 shots in the morning and 2 to 3 shots in the afternoon). However, how many shots we actually achieve depends on the need of the project and on unexpected variables. Here are some of those factors:

Purpose of the Photos
The most important thing when I start up a new project is to make sure the client has a clear vision about what they want to achieve. Not only do I need to know what "look" they want to go for, but also how they will use the photographs after they are produced. For example, packaging and advertising projects typically take a bit longer to make sure the food represents itself on a variety of mediums. It needs to look like the end product exactly.  Food styling for editorials or recipes on the web can often have a more relaxed, home-cooked less-styled feel to them.

Type of Food
The type of food can be a huge variable when preparing to for a photo shoot. Generally items such as ice cream, pizza, iced beverages and intensive recipes take longer than items such as fried foods, sandwiches and pastas. If there are a lot of components or sides to prepare this can add time. If there is baking involved or roasts that take a while to cook and cool, this needs to be factored in as well. Sometimes the amount of studio time can be shortened by adding an assistant or allowing for prep days in advance, especially if there is a lot of baking to be done.

The Background
Of course, your food has to be photographed against a background. A solid white background will take less time than setting up an entire table scape. A stylist can spend hours just getting the props in the correct space to achieve that perfect look.

Every food stylist will always give you the best of their talents and will aim to prepare  your food for as many picture-perfect photographs in a day as possible. A well-trained food stylist will coordinate with your photographer and walk you through questions like these to achieve the most during your photo shoot.

If you are looking for a food stylist, please contact Impressions Food Styling at (612) 636-1994 or visit http://impressionsfoodstyling.com.