The art of transforming food into an object of desire.
“One thinks, dreams, and acts according to what one drinks and eats.” Those are the words of F.T. Marinetti from his 1930 Manifesto of Futurist Cuisine. And yet, in front of a billboard for a new yogurt or a TV spot for ice cream, Marinetti might say today “One drinks and eats according to what one dreams.”
In other words, according to what advertising makes us dream.
Because when it comes to today’s food industry and consumer habits, how we present food plays a huge role in what we eat. Not only does it influence purchasing decisions, but it can even affect appetite. And if that’s now possible, it’s thanks in part to the art of transforming dishes and ingredients into pure objects of desire.
That is the art of food styling.
An art that involves preparing and presenting food for photography, media and advertising.
The representation of food in art is certainly nothing new.
Food has been portrayed since prehistoric times in cave paintings, and in Ancient Rome, in mosaics of banquet scenes.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Fruit baskets, sandwiches and wine glasses have traversed styles and centuries, transitioning from still life paintings by Flemish painters to masterpieces by Morandi and Picasso, eventually transforming into Andy Warhol’s silkscreen prints of Campbell soup cans, marking the first major clash between art and advertising.
In short, as often happens, we haven’t invented anything. Or almost.
But what does a food stylist really do?
Today, many roles contribute to the success of a food campaign, but one in particular truly makes a difference: a food stylist.
As it involves food preparation, one might think a food stylist is first and foremost a cook. Since it involves images, one might have the impression they are specialist photographers. In some cases, this may be true, but that’s not the point: a food stylist is the person who can make a deflated panettone look perky and a grilled chicken breast appear irresistible.
To better understand what a food stylist actually does day-to-day, we went straight to the source.
Luisa Chiddo, Experience, Network, and Dexterity
Connecting from Dubai – where Luisa was shooting for an international brand. When asked, “How would you describe your job?” Luisa Chiddo responded confidently, “I create fake food for advertisements.“
Luisa is one of the most recognized and esteemed Italian food stylists – even Blossom has collaborated with her – and she loves to define herself as an artisan.
She learned her craft through hands-on experience, and after years of hard work, today she can recreate an Indian dish with inedible ingredients for a photo shoot, or bring a resin ice cream to life, the kind that doesn’t melt after hours of shooting and intense spotlights.
Her work is artisanal, but it goes beyond just craftsmanship.
For Luisa, a good food stylist must have a list of reliable suppliers: from trusted fruit vendors able to find three different types of cherries in February to producers of special materials. But they must also be highly efficient: “I started in the USA with one of the best food stylists in the world. We were an all-female team and she made us work like military battalions. That’s how I learned organization,” says Luisa, who adds, “Being organized allows you to take more and better shots.”
In addition to creating attractive and beautiful images, an organized set saves customers time and post-production costs.
While Luisa remains a food stylist on every set, the skills she brings to the table are always different. Despite the breadth of knowledge required, specialization remains a fundamental characteristic in the industry. “There’s only one person in Italy who can make tuna fish look good. Everyone knows it!” says Luisa. “On the other hand, I excel at shooting ice cream. But even in this field, there are very few of us in Italy.”
Francesca Versolatto, Home Economist
Amongst the few Italian food stylists specializing in ice cream, Francesca Versolatto has an international curriculum and an extraordinary talent for concise explanations. To explain what a food stylist does, Francesca chooses an analogy: “It’s a bit like a make-up artist. Except instead of models, we work with food and beverages. The process is similar: casting, make-up, final touches, and then it’s time to photograph. In other words, product selection, composition and creation, adjustments, and shooting.”
Continuing with the parallel, Francesca manages to explain the value of her work with enviable simplicity: “Doing a campaign for a food product without a food stylist is like doing a campaign for cosmetic products with models who haven’t brushed their hair and aren’t wearing makeup. Would you do that?”
That said, food styling doesn’t necessarily mean producing images where the product looks unnatural or fake.
On the contrary, Francesca reveals that the current trend is towards a more natural presentation of food, where even post-production is “lighter” without compromising the image’s appeal.
The current trend
is moving towards
increasingly natural
images
that evoke
a sense
of sustainability.
Samuela Conti. Beyond Advertising, Inside the Scroll.
In today’s world, food communication isn’t limited to advertising. Just think about the countless edible photographs we see every day in our social media feeds, TV shows, books and magazines.
Samuela Conti, a food stylist, food photographer and content creator knows all about this. Her work ranges from editorial assignments to creating reels for social networks. Her approach is different and complementary to traditional food styling, which originated in advertising.
Samuela tells us that her goal remains to make food desirable, but nowadays, the biggest challenge is finding her own unique style and recognition.
Professionals working in the field of digital communication have to compete with an abundance of food images.
“My greatest satisfaction came when someone I didn’t know recognized one of my photos by its style, set, props and lighting,” says Samuela proudly. But in addition to set design and photography, as a digital content creator, Samuela also does a lot of prep. How do her collaborations work? “Often, products are sent to me. I do a series of test recipes, and once I find the ideal one, I start visualizing the set and choosing the props. Then I begin shooting. For a reel, I usually need at least half a day of shooting.”
