Artfully Delicious Why does the always look so delicious and delectable in magazines, cookbooks, scenes of a movie, and TV commercials? …because the food is photographed and often prepared by a Food Stylist. If you would like to showcase your creative skills as an artist and cook, please join me for a fun-filled week of designing, arranging and preparing camera-ready, mouthwatering treats. Bon Appetit!

What Does a Food Stylist Do? Food stylists combine culinary art and science to prepare food for cookbook and advertising photographs, television commercials, and scenes in movies. Stylists are responsible for finding unusual ingredients and preparing food so it looks freshly made and appetizing. A culinary school degree is a must for a food stylist, as the job requires extensive knowledge of how food acts, both aesthetically and scientifically.

How can I get started in the business? The best way to break in to the market is to work as an assistant to a well-established stylist, and then branch out into having your own clients. Those pursuing a food styling career typically start out as traditional cooks or chefs. They work in kitchens of all types of different fine dining establishments, from hotel kitchens to classy restaurants. The beginning of most food styling careers starts by working with experienced and established food stylists first. Once a beginning food stylist gains enough experience – as well as pieces for his portfolio – he can then start to take on clients of his own.

What are the positive and negatives for this career? But being a food stylist requires always being at the top of your game, and food doesn’t always behave. A Food Stylist is only as good as the last photo or commercial, so it requires an individual that is detail-oriented, organized, and focused. Starting out can be hard, but if you are passionate about something nothing can stop you.

What are the educational requirements? A good food stylist starts out with a solid culinary education, and spends several years working as a traditional chef before working in the field. The majority of food stylists are very passionate about what they do and passionate about food in general. In general, food stylists should love to cook and be great at it. They should also have an eye for little details.

What is the salary? Food Stylists can earn anywhere from $450 to $850 a day once they are established. In general, the amount of money a food stylist will get paid will vary, depending on several things. Food stylists in larger city will usually be more in demand, for instance, and can therefore command a higher fee. Since many food stylists work as freelancers and the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not collect data for this particular profession, however, calculating the average salary of a food stylist can be difficult. Individuals who work in special food services are the closest sort of professionals to food stylists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these professionals made an average salary of $40,890 in 2010.

What skills other than cooking would be required for this career? Being a Food Stylist is an excellent way to combine artistic vision with culinary skills. To be an accomplished food stylist, you must be a creative individual with strong visualization skills and an appetite for small details. When a magazine publisher explains to you the kind of dish she wants you to cook and style, for example, you should be able to visualize the image and select the right ingredients and styling technique. Strong teamwork skills are essential, as the job typically involves collaborating with chefs and food photographers. You also need a normal color vision to easily differentiate different colors.

Where are Food Stylists employed? Many food stylists work as freelancers, but some companies also hire in-house food stylists. Restaurants, for example, may hire food stylists to arrange their food for menu pictures. Magazine publishers might also hire food stylists, as will cook book publishers. Advertising agencies who work with food companies might also hire a few food stylists of their own.

What tools are used by Food Stylists? Stylists know that looks are more important than taste during a photo shoot, and they use culinary tricks to make food the star of the show. For instance, they might substitute heavy cream for milk when photographing cereal (heavy cream looks much more appetizing). By adding aspirin powder to champagne, stylists create extra fizz. Talcum powder sprinkled over charcoal simulates ash. There are other tricks too—applying lipstick on strawberries to deepen their redness, using hair dryers to cook a slice of turkey, or using shortening mixed with sugar to simulate ice cream.

What tools are used by Food Stylists? With the advent of digital photography, the Food Stylist’s job has gotten much easier. No longer does the stylist need to worry about such details as the food sitting under the hot lights for hours and hours—photos are now taken and assessed much more quickly. There are certain situations in which the way food looks is actually more important than how it tastes. Food styling is the art of arranging food so that it looks tasty and fresh. This is important in a number of situations, particularly when the food is being photographed. For instance, the pictures of food that you see in cook books, magazines, advertisements, and menus have been styled.

What tools are used by Food Stylists? Although these pictures may have the power to make your mouth water, it may not even be edible. Professional food stylists have several tricks up their sleeves to make it appear as delicious as possible. Here are a few common tricks that many food stylists will use… Undercooked meat is usually used in photographs. Food loses moisture and mass when it is cooked completely and will often look much smaller or even shriveled. To avoid this, food stylists will usually only cook meat until it just looks done. Wooden skewers and toothpicks can be shoved through certain dishes, including hamburgers and stacks of pancakes, to keep them upright.

What tools are used by Food Stylists? Being a food stylist is a fascinating and challenging job. Each Food Stylist has their favorite tools of the trade, whether they are a good set of shaping knives, needle-nose tweezers, Q-tips, or various things from art supply stores. But it’s not all about fooling the cameras! Food Stylists also get to experiment with new recipes when they are helping do the photographs for a new cookbook, and they get to create the new and interesting foods that restaurant chains such as McDonald’s launch.

What tools are used by Food Stylists? Clear acrylic ice cubes are used instead of regular ice cubes in drinks and for dishes like shrimp cocktail. These faux ice cubes are less messy and they don’t melt in warm environments. Dye and paint is often used to give food better color. This is usually brushed on after the food has been prepared. Wood stain and shoe polish, for instance can be used to give those chickens and turkeys that golden brown “fresh from the oven” look. Motor oil is sometimes used in place of pancake syrup, since the real thing can be rather difficult to photograph. White glue can be substituted for milk in a bowl of cereal. The glue has a much thicker consistency than milk, and it prevents the cereal pieces from becoming too soggy and unattractive too early. Fast drying glue can also be used to reassemble pieces of food that are crumbled or torn.…and the list goes on.

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