Originally posted by alohadave I didn't say that they don't style food. What I said was that for foods that are branded, like a Big Mag for example, you cannot modify the food to make it look more appealing, you have to prepare it the same way it would be prepared for sale and you cannot add anything to the food that it isn't included in the food. When it is cooked, you can arrange the food for maximum impact, but that is all you can do to the food.
True you can't add anything to the branded item.
But the lettuce will look nice and crisp and the tomato will be nice and red and will look perfect via food colorings and stuff. The bread will be fluffy. Now when you get that thing (I just can't call it food) the lettuce is usually wilted and the tomato is under ripe. The bread is usually squished down and mangled.
If you're shooting a pasta dish for example, the pasta will be barely cooked so you get the look, the sauce will generally be cold. A touch of oil will be added to make it glisten. The plate will be clean all around the food.
Shooting ribs? They probably aren't cooked. Just hit with a heat gun to get the browning. It's quicker.
In a photograph you get to appeal to only one of the senses. It just has to look perfect.
There's only one thing I like more than shooting food. Well, OK 2 things. And they just about run neck and neck.