Food stylists prepare food for photographs, commercials, TV, film, and live events. They use tricks to make food look photogenic, but for filmed foods, the food must be fully edible. Culinary school experience and assistant stylist experience are recommended for aspiring food stylists.
Anyone who has ever had their stomach rumble past a magazine photograph of a steaming turkey or watched a movie character eat a hot fudge sundae probably has a food stylist to thank. While the fundamental goal of food styling is to make food look the way a client or director wants it to, the exact nature of food stylist jobs can vary. Generally, food stylist jobs fall into the following categories: preparing food for photographs, preparing it for commercials, television and film, and arranging it for cooking demonstrations and trade shows. In addition to a creative eye, many food stylist jobs require professional cooking experience and experience as an assistant stylist.
One of the most common food stylist jobs is arranging food for photographs, which can then be incorporated into a cookbook or magazine or used in advertisements. Perhaps the main challenge of this job is making food look good despite the hot studio lights and advanced photography equipment that detects even the smallest flaws. To meet this challenge, food stylists working on photo shoots often employ a wide variety of tricks to make a dish appear more photogenic. For example, the stylist might paint grill marks on a piece of chicken breast or substitute a mixture of shortening and confectioners’ sugar for ice cream that melts quickly. Fashion designers working in advertising must also accommodate laws imposed by many countries stipulating that food advertisements must represent the actual product being advertised.
Some food stylists work primarily with food shot for commercials, television and film. In addition to making foods look as delicious or unappealing as the director or client requires, stylists must also deal with the fact that an actor may be compelled to eat the foods in question. Consequently, filmed foods generally must be fully edible, which means that tricks used to increase a food’s attractiveness in photographs may not be an option. Additionally, the stylist may need to prepare a large number of identical looking plates to preserve continuity in scenes that require multiple shots or shots.
Perhaps the least talked about among food stylist jobs is preparing food for live events such as trade shows and cooking demonstrations. In many ways, this type of food stylist faces the same challenges as stylists working in television and film. Food must be presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner, but it must also be edible. Unlike movie stylists, however, live event food stylists don’t have the luxury of multiple takes, but instead have to get the style right the first time.
Those interested in food stylist jobs should keep in mind arranging objects in a pleasing or creative way. Additionally, many working food stylists claim that a culinary school diploma is a must for aspiring stylists. Many of these professionals also suggest that the best way to break into this field is to work as an assistant stylist.
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