Last Updated on 12/10/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
This video bears the secrets to food photography that advertisers have been keeping from us.
Ever wondered how those food ads and commercials make the dishes so appetizing and convincingly good? Food photographers and advertisers have mastered the secrets to mouthwatering food photos, which you too can now learn through this shocking video!
All of us have been deceived by restaurant menus, print ads, and TV commercials into believing that their dishes and food products are actually really tasty. We’ve all had “expectations vs. reality” moments and there’s no shame in that. The shame, perhaps, lies in how the advertising industry has been using these tricks to make our mouths water — and empty our wallets in the process. These secrets are now out thanks to this video from Blossom:
Cardboard pieces to get those pancakes stacked up nicely? Check. Motor oil instead of maple syrup? Check. Glue over jelly for the perfect morning cereal bowl? Check. Dishwashing liquid to add extra long-lasting foam on the beer? Check. Prop ice cream made using corn syrup and food coloring? Wow, that’s new (I thought they made it using mashed potatoes!). Browning sauce concoction to “cook” a whole chicken? Shaving cream for whipped cream? Yikes. Not so appetizing now, are they?
To be fair, the ramekin trick is pretty cool, and maybe the tampons trick too, to some degree. The sponge trick for the burger is perhaps the most cruel of them all, and the source of many “expectations vs. reality” frustrations!
However, as shocking and disgusting as these “deceptions” all look, we can’t help but still be amazed at how food can look totally and convincingly good with just a few tricks. Food photographers and food stylists have always needed to be resourceful given the demands of their clients, and you have to commend them for thinking out of the box this way!
On a side note, if you’ve ever wondered if food stylists and photographers ever get to eat the food they shoot (must be a dream, yeah), I think we now know the answer!
Now, pancakes with cardboard and extra helping of motor oil, anyone?
Screenshot image from the video by Blosssom