Results: Would You Like One Scoop Or Two Mashed Potatoes In Your Sundae?
Published on 04/05/2019
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1.
1.
On my recent survey about maple syrup, many of you were surprised to learn that motor oil was substituted for the syrup in food photography, simply because it looks better than the real thing. For about ten years I worked in the retail photography industry, and saw a lot of strange photo tricks used by food stylist and photographers. Have you ever worked in the food photography business?
No
84%
2061 votes
Yes, now
4%
87 votes
Yes, in the past
2%
49 votes
No, but I know many of the tricks they use
11%
264 votes
2.
2.
Not everything is faked. The product the advertiser is trying to sell is almost always featured, unless it just does not photograph well. If it's an ad for Breyers, the photographer shoots the real ice cream. But if it's for Gay Lea Foods' whipped cream, the ice cream it rests atop can be made of anything – so long as it looks delicious. Here are a few of the tricks I learned while in the industry. Have you ever heard about any of these tricks?
Stacked food like pancakes or burgers often are perked up with cardboard support in between the layers; the pancakes can then be sprayed with water-repellent Scotch Guard so the syrup (often motor oil) easily glides over the edge.
13%
315 votes
Whole turkeys are first sprayed—usually with a browning sauce, water, and food coloring—and then blowtorched till they gleam the perfect color. But inside, they're uncooked, and some are also stuffed with paper towels to plump them up further.
14%
353 votes
Food stylists heat up a little water and gently dip cheese in it for a couple of seconds before laying it on a (probably cold) burger to achieve that perfect cheeseburger
6%
143 votes
That perfect steak is carefully designed by stylists using a paint stripper, or individual metal skewers so they can place those evenly spaced char lines
6%
149 votes
Because ice would melt under hot lights, a food stylist uses carved plastic blocks as ice cubes. The drinks are also likely fake, made from granulated gel squeezed into water. Even the condensation on the glass could be a mix of corn syrup and water, sprayed on.
9%
214 votes
All of them
7%
179 votes
None
69%
1697 votes
3.
3.
How about these--how many did you already know about?
Mexican food is not the most photogenic. To give enchiladas the appearance of bulkiness they are stuffed with instant mashed potatoes, with added meat and veggies to the ends where the tortillas open up.
5%
115 votes
Because milk will cause cereal to look soggy usually white glue or white cream lotion is used to achieve that perfect shoot
10%
240 votes
Black coffee is hard to work with because of its oily sheen. In a latte or cappuccino, the foam will quickly evaporate. I Kitchen Bouquet, water and gelatin gives the coffee a smooth look. Also watered-down soy sauce and cream and gravy browner is used to simulate coffee.
5%
124 votes
Ice cream is tough to shoot, so often a frosting and icing sugar mixture, a vegetable shortening, powdered sugar and corn syrup mixture or even mashed potatoes is used to achieve the look
10%
246 votes
Bacon needs a little help to achieve that picture perfect look. Food stylists weave the strips over and under tubes in the oven or they drape them over squished aluminum foil. Highlights created by spritzing oil on the finished product make it look less dry and more mouthwatering.
5%
119 votes
Knew all of them
6%
148 votes
None
74%
1816 votes
4.
4.
Here are a few more common tricks used to make food look more appetizing, and achieve exactly what food photography is meant to do -- get you, the consumer to want to eat it. How many have you heard about?
White plates show off most food best, so most food shots will be on plain white plates
17%
408 votes
Sandwiches and burgers are carefully built and held together with toothpicks, skewers and sometimes glue
17%
414 votes
That steam that rises over boiling pots of pasta is achieved by incense, clothing steamer or cigarette smoke. By far the most odd method is to microwave water-soaked tampons (cotton balls work as well) and bury them behind a dish.
7%
176 votes
To achieve picture perfect food, often it is painted with vegetable oil or sprayed with WD-40
10%
236 votes
Knew all
6%
150 votes
None
65%
1600 votes
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