HOW DO FOOD PHOTOGRAPHERS MAKE THE FOOD THEY CAPTURE ON FILM LOOK SO GOOD?
"Lighting is key when it comes to creating beautiful food still lifes," said Wise. She prefers using natural daylight, when possible.
She suggested placing a small, rectangular table by a window, or setting up a unique surface on saw horses, as a basis for the photograph.
"The food needs to look impeccable, and the props, surfaces and backdrops need to be considered for the overall look," Wise said.
IS ANY OF IT—THE FOOD, OR ANY OF THE INGREDIENTS IN THE DISHES—EVER FAKE?
"Sure, I sometimes see fake items used on a food photography set," Wise told us.
She's seen everything from marzipan-covered cardboard cakes to a chef making fake ice cream with butter and food coloring.
"Glycerin is painted on to add shine to vegetables," said Wise. "Veggies are often spritzed with water to keep them looking fresh."
Adding salt or sugar to a glass of beer or champagne will increase the foam or bubbling right before the shutter is clicked.
Wise said she's even heard that white glue be used to replace milk on set, although she's never done it herself.
"Of course improvising is common: I’ve used cardboard or moistened paper towel under food items to give them more lift (like under the bread on a sandwich) and volume (like inside a sparse salad)," she said.
ARE THE PHOTOS EVER PHOTOSHOPPED? IF SO, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM PHOTOSHOPPING PEOPLE?
"If anything a slight Photoshop curve is added to alter brightness and contrast on the film scan. I don’t retouch my photos other than this," Wise said.
However, a designer may decide to Photoshop something out of an image for their book cover or to match the accompanying recipe," Wise said. But "I am often not the one Photoshopping things out of the work.
She said that for her upcoming book, "Ultimate Nachos," her post-production editor went through each image and did a slight brightness/contract curve on it to make it look like the pictures were shot in the same place but in different lighting conditions.
"There wasn’t much more Photoshopping done than this, as I like to alter depth of field and create motion in-camera," she said.
WHAT CAN GREAT-LOOKING PHOTOS DO FOR THE BUSINESSES SELLING THE FOOD? HOW DOES IT OPERATE AS A MARKETING TOOL?
There is nothing like a scrumptious looking photograph of food to capture my attention and make my mouth water!" Wise said. "And there is no question that food sells.
The best looking food still lifes are generally the ones strategically placed on the cover of a magazine, or cookbook cover, because they will help to sell the book.
Now check out some other awesome photos.
