Toronto food photography

Toronto food photography

Food photography is an interesting sector of the photography industry. Food product shots can be produced for:

• Food advertising photography

• Food packaging photography

•  Food trade publication photography

At my Toronto food photography studio, we produce drink photography and food photography for numerous business applications.  In doing so, sometimes we must stage food complete with props to photograph them in a real world and natural setting.

Other times the images are shot on a neutral white backdrop and traced out or masked. Masked Food Product Shots are useful when the client wants a minimalistic product shot of their food. Masked images of food product shots are useful for trade publications, menus, advertising, and many marketing applications.



We add gel not ice when we do drink photography so the item will look colder longer

At my Toronto photo studio, when we prepare the food items for photography, the life of the staged item is relatively short.  For this reason, we must apply techniques to preserve the appearance of the food item for the product shot. For example, when I photograph beer, I must prepare the glass to appear cold for an extended amount of time. To do this, I will treat the class with various sprays to make the item look cold. I will also add additives to the beer to make the foam last longer than it would otherwise survive in a real-world setting. 

After you position the cheese just right, use a heat gun to melt it

When I do Toronto drink photography, I employ the service of a real bartender. Nobody knows how to make a drink better then a bartender. Essentially the drink preparation is the same as at a bar.  A bartender will garnish the drink appropriately to demonstrate the cocktail in a pleasing manner.  Granted, the bartender will use alternative materials to give the product a longer life for photography (such as gel ice chips versus real ice).

For food photography, a food stylist is often useful. These professionals specialize in preparing the presentation of food for food photography. Despite what many people think, being a food stylist is not rocket science. Indeed, there are many tricks in stylizing food, however they are easily learned.

For example, for meat photography, brush the food item with oil in order to give it a greasy tasty appearance. Also, present it almost raw.   Sear the edges to make it look cooked. If you overcook the protein, the meat will shrivel and look less hardy then it would if it was fully cooked. Use tools like a hot plate, a blowtorch, or a paint heat gun to sear the product. To char the meat, add shoe polish with a grill as a stamp to give it a barbequed look.

 

On a side note, who cares what the back side of the dish looks like.  The front is the only part the camera will see.  

Many food photography tricks are online; therefore, you do not have to lose sleep in order to figure out how to produce a great image.  I do recommend that if you will be shooting food, practice with an equivalent stand-in before you do the real thing. I hate learning on Client time, especially if the Client is nearby.  That approach is sloppy, and unprofessional.   Before I do any Client products shoots, I always practice at my Toronto food photography studio.

For more information on Food Photography
Contact Jules Design
T: 647.997.2793 or
E jules@julesdesign.ca