Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera [Hardcover]

Delores Custer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0470080191 | ISBN-13: 978-0470080191 | Edition: 1

Book annotation not available for this title.
Title: Food Styling
Author: Custer, Delores
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Publication Date: 2010/05/03
Number of Pages: 398
Binding Type: HARDCOVER
Library of Congress: 2009011991

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Based on her 30 years of experience in food styling for advertising, magazines, books, and films, Delores Custer presents the definitive lifelong reference on food styling-complete with lists of handy tools and vital equipment, recipes for artificial foods, and guidelines for running a successful food styling business.

Full of ingenious advice on styling in any media and packed with full-color photographs, Food Styling reveals every trick of the trade, from making a beverage appear to sweat to producing those perfect grill marks on meat without a grill. Filled with resources and organized in a simple problem-and-solution format, this is an ideal resource for both experienced foods styling pros and first-timers alike.

• This is the only book of its kind on the market, shedding light on the art and craft of food styling
• More than 300 full-color photos reveal the process of styling and the spectacular results, teaching and inspiring anyone interested in food and how it is presented in media
• The book features a timeline of 60 years of food styling, a glossary of important terms, and a listing of vital styling resources
• The only book the aspiring or professional food stylist will ever need, this exceptionally thorough resource covers challenges from flawless fried chicken to fluffy, cloudlike cake frostings-and everything in between

Whether you're looking to break into the food styling business or just touch up on the latest and most effective techniques, Food Styling is the ultimate guide to creating stunning culinary visuals.

Styling Techniques from Food Styling

Styling Eggs

Styling Drinks

Styling Cookies

From the Inside Flap

Behind every mouthwatering image of food is a dedicated food stylist whose job it is to consider, plan, and perfect every detail from the curve of an apple stem to the fan of a shrimp tail.In Food Styling, master stylist Delores Custer presents the definitive reference in the field—complete with detailed information on essential tools and useful equipment, step-by-step guidance on achieving the perfect shot, and a wealth of tried-and-true techniques for everything from voluminous frostings to mile-high sandwiches. Based on her thirty years of experience styling for advertising, magazines, books, television, and film, Custer shares her expert guidance on how to achieve stunning visual perfection for all media.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470080191
• ISBN-13: 978-0470080191
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 1.3 x 11.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #75 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Professional Cooking > Professional

More About the Author

Delores Custer has been a freelance food stylist and culinary educator since 1978. Today she styles for magazines and cookbook publishers, and in print advertising, public relations, television, and feature films. She has taught courses in Professional Food Styling, Recipe Writing, and Food Demonstration Techniques for Television at New York University, The Culinary Institute of America, The Institute of Culinary Education, and culinary schools around the world. Her food clients include Kraft Foods, General Mills, Unilever, Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra, Nestlé, Häagen-Dazs®, Red Lobster, Subway, Cuisinart, Bacardi, and Budweiser. Her website is delorescuster.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential and Comprehensive - Why This Book is one of the BEST Investments you will make! April 28, 2010

By javajunki TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Whether you are a veteran chef, photographer etc or novice 'wanna be', this is an essential "must have" for your collection. At nearly 400 pages, this is a comprehensive undertaking that doesn't compromise quality or clarity. Here is why this is a "MUST HAVE" for anyone remotely interested in the culinary arts, food styling, photography or related trends.

1. Comprehensive. As mentioned, this is nearly 400 pages packed FULL of information. There is a balanced blend of photographs and text without one dominating the other. Instead, each enhances the other with ample detail/discussion and pertinent photos. Tone is conversational yet complete providing veteran and novice readers sufficient information to achieve desired results.

2. Beautiful Big Book. Not only is the book 400 pages but it's a large book. This is the hard cover with a clear dust jacket...complete with a "peel away" safety sheeting! Organized for ease of use, no detail is missed. Lovely Headings are bold/brightly colored for quick reference, ample charts/other make for simple comparison, excellent resource/glossary and index section. It is obvious a great deal of care went into the creation of this resource!

3. Content. Of course, any food styling book wouldn't be worth much without superb content and this is where Custer really excels. Tips and excellent information abound...from basic tidbits to in-depth discussion that can only come from years of experience, it's obvious the author is an expert in every sense of the word. I am absolutely smitten by the level of detail - combined with clarity - provided throughout. Chapter highlights include:
-Food Styling Overview
-The Medium is Everything
-Your Food Styling Teammates
-You Got the Job...Now What?
-Prepping the Assignment
-At the Shoot
-About Photography
-The Basics of Propping
-The Basics of Tv & Film Production Work
-The Food Stylists Tools of the Trade
-Working with the Food
-The Business of Food Styling
-Beyond Food Styling
-Tips for Chefs, Caterers, and Others who want to Style their Food
-Reviewing the Last Fifty/sixty years of Food styling and photography

However, within each of the above chapter are numerous sub=sections, tips, pertinent photographs, charts and much more. For example, a seemingly "mundane" topic related to the tools of the trade, we get a quick peak into the kit and set tray. We see actual examples of a simple kit set-up, the set tray, a listed photograph of each individual tool plus tips of the trade that make all the difference in a day to day setting. For example, how do you know which type of rice to cook and when? Find out on page 145!

How do you make a panini look enticing...rather than that big flat floppy thing you create in your own kitchen? Find out on page 207!

What is available when and how do you locate out of season fruits/vegies? Find out on pages 171-173!

This is just a very short sample of the incredible amount of information contained in this book. It is NOT fluff or filler...rather page after page of great information!

For those that are comparing this to the other available options, this wins hands down.

I also own Food Styling for Photographers: A Guide to Creating Your Own Appetizing Art by Linda Bellingham and Jean Ann Bybee...an excellent resource but not nearly as comprehensive or detailed as this book.

Digital Food Photography by Lou Manna is another book I own/use but it tends to focus much more on the basics of digital photography. Many of the techniques and tricks/tips are duplicates from the comprehensive book "Food Styling" by Delores Custer.

Without a doubt, this is an absolute "must have" that will be used repeatedly. A perfect companion for anyone wanting to enter the field of food styling. It assumes nothing yet provides depth and details to inspire and inform even veteran styling professionals.

Exceptional!

42 of 49 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Well done, but not for what I wanted November 8, 2010

By curious cook

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a nice book, full of good information, if you want to break into the food styling biz. But it is really focused on the business, and not on the particulars of plating for an attractive photo, which is what I wanted if for, in order to plate food at home, to photograph for my cooking blog. Food that could actually be eaten after being photographed. If you are interested in the differences between food shot for advertising, and food shot for magazines, this is your book. If you are after plating tips for attractive presentation and natural looking photos, this is not the book for you.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was written for me May 2, 2010

By Walter K. Ezell

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

OK, I'm sure many others will love this book as much as I do, but if Delores Custer had studied my business and written a book just for me, she couldn't have done more.

It is massive, thorough and comprehensive, yes. But so beautiful, well-organized and entertaining, you'll want to jump right in.

I am constantly striving to improve performance as a food photographer for the menus of independent restaurants. I may have to purchase a second copy, so other food photographers and designers at Menu Works can pass it around. Because this copy will not leave my side for many years to come.

For me, the heart of the book, comprising more than 150 pages, is chapter 11, "Working with the food: Overcoming Challenges."

Food styling is detail work, and this section deals with specific food items in extraordinary detail. Cakes for instance. How to adjust baking temperature to achieve a dome or a flatter top. How to cut a perfect wedge. How to match the slice to the plate size. How to mount the slice on the plate for easy adjustment. How to frost the two-layer slice after it's cut. (A surprising trick here.) How to patch unwanted bubbles in the surface of the cake. (Warning, you won't be eating the cake after you do this.) Mixes versus scratch. How many ounces of batter Custer uses per layer. 9-inch versus 8-inch pans.

The author brings this level of detail to soup, pies, beverages, salads, etc., etc.

There are other books out there. But to learn more about styling food for the camera, this is the book you'll want to keep close at hand.