Shooting food can be quite challenging at times. Lighting has to be set up just right, otherwise things just look off, and the food doesn't look appealing at all. Then, depending on the dish, you have to worry about getting the shots while the food is still hot, or before it dries out under hot lights.
There are a series of tricks photographers can use to make food look delicious, and keep it looking great throughout a long shoot. For example, a few scoops of shortening can be used to replace ice cream, which can obviously be problematic thanks to the whole melting thing. To keep meat, fruit or vegetables looking fresh and juicy, spraying a bit of veggie oil over the subject is sure to do the trick. Need a bowl of corn flakes in a shot, but don't want the cereal to get soggy? Use white glue instead of milk. Problem solved!
I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the idea. So the next time you see a delicious dish in a magazine, take a good look and wonder what was done to that food to make it look so good. These lunch shots I post are not lit, or enhanced with foreign materials (I actually eat the food after I take a few quick shots), so they're not the greatest, but I still enjoy taking them. Hope you like seeing them.
