September ALREADY? WTF? Where on earth did this summer go? Good luck to all the mini humans going back to school!
I thought I’d share a little info about a food photo shoot that some of you may not know. It’s actually quite amazing at how many people this industry employs — so next time you see a food commercial, ad or packaging with a food photo, consider this (I’ve really simplified this complex process):
A designer designs the packaging or advertising prior to the photo shoot. There are many layers in the design phase and several people involved but it boils down to the art director and client who dictates the look and feel of the photo. The Food Stylist is involved in the design phase if there needs to be special ‘recipes’ or plating requirements (like I was involved in coming up with 8-10 ideas for the products we were shooting last week).
Once a design is established, the Art Director creates a “Pre-Pro” which details the props and “recipes” that will be photographed. The “Pre-Pro” is approved by the client and distributed to:
- The Prop Stylist (this person is an expert in props, where to find them, rent them or buy them). A prop is anything that may be used in the photo, such as fabric, plates, noise (background items that are out of focus) and cutlery. Props are generally reserved for the photograph and not used in the preparation of the food. Depending on the photo shoot complexity, the Prop Stylist may be required to stay on set to select the exact props to be used in each shot. If they don’t stay, the Art Director makes that decision.
- The Food Stylist (this person is an expert in food, how to get the best out of food so that the consumer recognizes instantly the message the Art Director and client wishes to convey). The food stylist buys the components to make the ‘recipe’ happen. Contrasting colours and textures are paramount. The Food Stylist may have an assistant depending on the complexity and budget of the shoot.
- The Photographer (this person is the expert in photography, understands light whether natural or man-made and even how to make man-made light look natural because they have more control over it). The photographer will prepare the lighting set up required to execute the art director’s wishes. The Photographer may have an assistant depending on the complexity and budget of the shoot. And sometimes the Photographer brings a tasty breakfast.
- The Client: The Boss. The client knows the intricacies of the product and what they feel is important to convey in the photo. The client approves the shot before we move on to the next one. Sometimes the client is off site, but that adds a layer of time to the shoot and we all know that food generally doesn’t last long on set. Things dry out, melt and don’t look appealing. We always prefer the client to be on set.
Shoot day starts early and is busy from the get-go. Photographer, Prop Stylist and Food Stylist are usually the first to arrive. There is a lot of shlepping, but it’s generally a very generous group and everyone helps get everything organized. Of course, the behind the scenes studio team sets everything in motion the day before, food, snacks, coffee/tea, water are all provided generally — the one thing for sure, there is ALWAYS A LOT of food!
Once everything and everyone is set up, we begin to work getting things ready for the first shot (as a Food Stylist, I also keep in mind all of the shots for that day to see if I can consolidate any tasks that will save a bit of time in the long run). The Art Director I recently worked with enjoys shooting with natural light, but that can be challenging since natural light changes all the time so the photographer is constantly tweaking the settings and extra lighting to make the shot perfect.
In terms of food styling, there are many tricks of the trade and the stylists I’ve worked with have been incredibly generous with their advice, but as with anything else, I still have a lot to learn. Apparently, wearing comfortable shoes is something I haven’t learned…but I am trying ;-). I have a couple of pairs of stylish yet comfortable shoes but I still gravitate to stylish over comfort. One of these days, I’ll learn, it’s generally a very long day where the only time I sit is for about 30 minutes at lunch!
So I hope you’ve gained a little appreciation for the energy, people and time involved for food photography; after all, that strawberry on the front of the cereal package was carefully chosen over hundreds of strawberries, deliberated over (with such phrases as “it’s not doing it for me”, or “is it just me..,?”, and “do you see a face in that?”) intentionally placed and oiled for shine and to catch a little sparkle! Who knew?
Recently we had my GF BFF and her hubby for brunch and I wanted to serve something that just screamed SUMMER! And for me, there is nothing that screams summer than a Caprese Salad. We searched for a local farmers market but sadly missed the boat because we were too late getting there so I was stuck with grocery store tomatoes. I bought the best, vine ripened variety but was still disappointed. They lacked that great, summer tomato flavour. So I decided to oven roast them to concentrate the flavours and we were not disappointed!
Caprese Salad with a Twist
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 6 oven roasted tomatoes (sliced into 4 thick slices)
- 250 g Bufala Mozzarella at room temperature (sliced into quarters and sliced into 5 medium thick slices.
- 3-4 tbsp home made pesto
- 4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Alternately layer the sliced Bufala Mozzarella with the tomatoes on a plate.
- Combine the home made pesto with the white balsamic until a drizzle-able consistency is achieved. Drizzle over the tomatoes and mozzarella. Serve at room temperature.
- Enjoy.
Notes:
- I would not substitute sun-dried tomatoes for oven dried tomatoes because they are much stronger in flavour and will over power the subtle flavour of the bufala mozzarella.
- Bocconcini may be substituted for the Bufala Mozzarella but it is a harder cheese with a slightly stronger flavour.
- Burrata cheese is a beautiful substitute but you wouldn’t want to cut it because all that delicious cream will pour out. Serve a small Burrata and surround it with the tomato slices and drizzle the pesto over everything.
Thank you Eva for this insight into the glamorous world of food styling. I’ve never worked collaboratively before, but I play food stylist at home for my blog. It’s just for fun though.
I laughed at your impractical shoes comment. When I’m pottering around, I’m always barefoot! Maybe you can wear your sexy shoes to work but bring a pair of fluffy slippers to get into once everyone has seen your sexy shoes?
This cooked Caprese sound delicious. Mozzarella was made to be melted! I also prefer cooked tomatoes over raw. It really brings out the flavour.
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Thank you kindly Genie, at home I too am always barefoot! I have never been the one to enjoy taking off my shoes (no matter how painful) in public. I have a set of shoes that I bought for ‘walking’ and styling, they are generally wedges with rubber soles (but still 4-5″ high!)
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I love that one can roast the saddest looking and tasting tomatoes and make something completely different out of them. What a great idea to do this as a caprese salad…and one that you can enjoy much longer than just the tomato season. Glad you are still enjoying styling, Eva!
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Great save on the tomatoes! I love caprese salads and yours would be no exception! I bet you’re getting lots of styling inspiration from your job…thanks for sharing what’s involved in a photo shoot…so interesting.
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life is far too short for comfortable shoes 😉 (says the woman who wears runners 90% of the time – lol) — I’ve never roasted tomatoes for a caprese salad before – what a neat idea, I must try it during the off-season. I think it would be delicious and the pesto is a lovely, fresh addition. I hope you’re savouring the final weeks at your beautiful, peaceful retreat on the water Eva.
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I have a counter full of heirloom tomatoes right now but the season is coming to an end. This is a nice idea when you have tomatoes without much taste. I’m sure your friend enjoyed the salad.
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Great twist on this classic summer salad! I love the idea because I too am always disappointed in grocery store tomatoes. Had to laugh at your September WTF! I couldn’t agree more. It’s crazy. And thank you for the insight into food photo shoots. What a fascinating and complicated process. I’m sure it’s a ton of fun though too! (And like you – I still gravitate toward style over comfort!)
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Very interesting for us who have no idea how food photographs are done. Your caprese salad looks beautiful. I oven dry slightly wrinkled tomatoes all the time and agree they are fabulous. PS I don’t want to sound pedantic, but the correct Italian name is “mozzarella di bufala” (or maybe you meant “buffalo” in English?).
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Really interesting post! I always enjoy hearing about how stuff gets done, and food photography is something all of us (try to) do, so the details of how the pros do it is always interesting. Anyway, lovely dish — caprese anything makes my day. Thanks.
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I can’t wait for delicious, sweet tomatoes to hit the markets! And so much goes into a photograph-thanks for sharing this! 😀
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Fascinating post, Eva. I enjoy these “behind the scenes” looks into every day occurrences. We see so many food-related adverts, employing tens of thousands of people — if not more — but never give a moment’s thought to what goes into creating that 20 second piece. Well, thanks to you, I’ve a better idea now.
I believe it was you that suggested I lightly roast winter tomatoes to improve their flavor. I normally boycott tomatoes from Fall to early Summer. I definitely intend to try Winter but, first, I’ll give it a go with my next Caprese salad. Even with the freshest of tomatoes, I bet the roasting would add another flavor and I like the idea of using pesto in place of fresh basil. This was a great post. 🙂
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Thank you kindly John, you always make me blush with your very flattering words.
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fun twist and a beautiful one at that! Love a roasted tomato. This is perfect for a dinner party
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Great idea oven roasting those tomatoes… a delicious dish!
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It’s amazing how casually we flip through a cookbook or a magazine without taking the time to appreciate how much effort has gone into creating those images! I love the look of your salad xx
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This looks so pretty and appetizing, Eva, and I love the twist!
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Thanks for the backstage look, Eva. It sounds hectic, fascinating and fun. So glad you’re doing work that’s absolutely meant for you and makes you happy. I’ve always loved Caprese salad and do still indulge every once in a while. Your twist is an awesome idea. Nice!
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Thanks for an in-depth look at what goes on behind the camera. I read Denise Vivaldo’s book about it and she says the same thing you do. You wouldn’t do this job if you didn’t love it. 🙂
I think roasting the tomatoes is very clever when they aren’t home grown.
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All the behind the scenes stuff is very complicated … designed to capture our attention which is already overwhelmed with information and visuals from all sides.
The plating/styling/photography is gorgeous as always. When fruits (tomatoes in this case) aren’t bursting with flavour, concentrating what’s there by roasting is a very smart idea.
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Thank you Maria. You must be excited about everything getting back to routine with school. I can’t believe how quickly the summer passed us.
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This caprese salad looks so good, I have never seen it with roasted tomatoes before 😀
And loving the behind the scenes!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thank you kindly CCU.
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Thanks for the behind the scene tour, I can feel the energy and excitement in your writing. How fun but I am sure much tension in the studio. Yep, you definitely need to wear comfy shoes on shooting days.
Very clever using roasted tomatoes in your Caprese salad. I oven roast my tomatoes also actually have some sitting on the counter ready for the oven.
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Hi Norma, thank you for you kind words, indeed it is exciting on set but to be honest, I’ve not found it stressful, it’s a very give and take environment.
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Great looking Caprese salad , roasting must make the elements sweet. thanks for the interesting tour Eva
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Thank you so much MKS.
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