Fun with flakes
Cameron and I were talking about the problem of smashed cereal and it reminded me of one of my former duties as the assistant in the previously mentioned commercial photo studio.
One of our big clients was Kelloggs, for which we produced many, many cereal bowl shots.
As the lowest on the totem pole, it was my job to go through a CASE of cereal and pick out (with tweezers) only the absolute PERFECT flakes to be used by the food stylist. I'm not kidding, an entire case of cereal for about 50-60 perfect flakes.
The more "natural" shapes brands (like Special K) were easier, of course, but the real buggers were the specialty shaped cereals. Anyone ever try to find a perfect Crispix flake?
So the secret is out. Here's the Food Stylist's recipe for a perfect bowl of cereal:
1. Dump several boxes of cereal out onto flat baking sheets.
2. Using tweezers so one doesn't damage any pieces, root through finding the most perfectly shaped flakes (about 50-60)
3. Fill the prop bowl about 2/3 with Crisco, creating a dome at the top
4. Again using tweezers, embed the perfect flakes into the Crisco to create a pleasing arrangement and realistic volume of cereal
5. Fill in gaps and edges with Wild Root Hair Tonic to simulate milk.
Wild Root is a 50's era product that men used to slick back their hair. Elmer's Glue forms a skin under the lights and doesn't last long. When I was shooting, there was a only one place to get Wild Root, a chain drugstore. I'd get some odd looks when I'd go in and by several bottles at a time. We'd use Wild Root for the spoon shot, too. Use a dab of Crisco to hold the flakes in place and drip Wild Root on the spoon for the milk.
And Barbasol shaving cream holds up better than whipped cream for a photoshoot. Unless the whipped cream product is what is being advertised, that is. Then you have to use the real thing. I've drooled of many cherry and apple pies that looked gorgeous but had the faint odor of Menthol.
One of our big clients was Kelloggs, for which we produced many, many cereal bowl shots.
As the lowest on the totem pole, it was my job to go through a CASE of cereal and pick out (with tweezers) only the absolute PERFECT flakes to be used by the food stylist. I'm not kidding, an entire case of cereal for about 50-60 perfect flakes.
The more "natural" shapes brands (like Special K) were easier, of course, but the real buggers were the specialty shaped cereals. Anyone ever try to find a perfect Crispix flake?
So the secret is out. Here's the Food Stylist's recipe for a perfect bowl of cereal:
1. Dump several boxes of cereal out onto flat baking sheets.
2. Using tweezers so one doesn't damage any pieces, root through finding the most perfectly shaped flakes (about 50-60)
3. Fill the prop bowl about 2/3 with Crisco, creating a dome at the top
4. Again using tweezers, embed the perfect flakes into the Crisco to create a pleasing arrangement and realistic volume of cereal
5. Fill in gaps and edges with Wild Root Hair Tonic to simulate milk.
Wild Root is a 50's era product that men used to slick back their hair. Elmer's Glue forms a skin under the lights and doesn't last long. When I was shooting, there was a only one place to get Wild Root, a chain drugstore. I'd get some odd looks when I'd go in and by several bottles at a time. We'd use Wild Root for the spoon shot, too. Use a dab of Crisco to hold the flakes in place and drip Wild Root on the spoon for the milk.
And Barbasol shaving cream holds up better than whipped cream for a photoshoot. Unless the whipped cream product is what is being advertised, that is. Then you have to use the real thing. I've drooled of many cherry and apple pies that looked gorgeous but had the faint odor of Menthol.
Kristian Link
12 Comments:
That's cool. I've always wondered how they do things like that. did you ever photograph souffles? I would be interested how the shape is kept for so long.
Never did a souffle. Although I suspect that they might go the same route as they do with ice cream. The shot is lit and propped with a dummy in place. Then when everything is good, they bring in one of several dishes that are prepared. A quick round of exposures and the film's off the to lab. The food was only under the lights for a minute or two. Sometimes, with ice cream, you may do three or four sets of exposures with new dishes each time, just to get things right.
Love the article.
On the ice: Who gets to eat it once it's "unfit for photo's" ?
If you could, a few more stories like this on different foodshoots would be great, I really think it's wonderful to read the story behind it. (It also reminds me of website code hacks, where I had to do all sorts of wierd things to make it look good)
You don't want to eat most of the food thats been prepped for photography. Ice cream (the real stuff anyway) is usually alright.
I'll think of some more and post them.
I heard that McDonald's burgers are photographed raw so that they look bigger (something to do with false advertising), and then painted brown.
Smells like an urban myth to me. Confirmation, anyone?
Most meat cooked for photography is only cooked on the outside. If I remember right, a quick sear i a skillet and then use a heat gun or blowtorch to get the right color on the outside. For grill marks, heat up a curling iron or one of those electric charcoal starters and press onto the surface where you want a mark.
A friend who does food photography says grill lines on burgers, etc. are most often painted on with used motor oil.
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