Food stylists are pretty amazing. I am consistently awed by their talent during photo shoots for our magazines. You wouldn't believe the transformations that take place. You know those “Before” and “After” shots of makeovers in women’s magazines? Styling food is a little like that.
When a recipe is first made up in the kitchen, a Kitchen Technician takes a photo of it. It’s just a quick digital snapshot to give the art director an idea of what the foods looks like so he or she can make a rough sketch of it. The sketches are then used during photography. Here’s a “Before” shot of Black Forest Brownie Dessert from Betty Crocker magazine #242, published in January.
Not exactly appetizing, eh?
It’s the food stylist’s job—along with the photographer, of course—to make every food as beautiful as possible, whether it’s a drumstick or a dessert (and, let’s face it, some foods just aren’t pretty). From teeny, tiny paintbrushes to tweezers and spray bottles, there are a lot of tools stylists use to perfect the smallest of details. Here’s a peek into the tool bag of a food stylist:
And now……drum roll please……here’s the “After” shot"
A vast improvement, wouldn’t you agree?