There is an overwhelming consensus that a sequel is often not as notable as the original. After finishing "More Food Styling for Photographers and Stylists", I'm very pleased to say that this is not the case for this book!
From the start, the reader can tell that the authors have taken feedback from their first book, "Food Styling for Photographers" (published in 2008 by Focal Press) to heart. They have expanded on the information they offer in this continuation of their guide to "creating your own appetizing art", and while they do make occasional reference to information from their first book, one would not have to own that title to understand what is going on in the current project.
I applaud the authors for their humble attitudes when writing this book. Often, when reading a "how-to" book, I feel that the author has a "I KNOW IT ALL" attitude about the subject. While the authors of "More Food Styling..." are definitely confident and well-versed in their genre of photography, they often make notes of where what they tried did not work, and how they altered it to make it better. This openness not only helps the novice reader to relate, but to feel more comfortable about making their own mistakes. In fact, they encourage you to experiment with multiple attempts for the same idea, because you never know what you might stumble upon that will be much BETTER than your first success.
While I am a self-proclaimed foodie, and food styling intrigues me to no end, the first go around in "Food Styling for Photographers" left me with some questions. What did the set look like? What did the photographer see, and what kind of lighting and equipment were they using? Fortunately, others felt the same, and armed with this feedback, "More Food Styling..." offers pulled-back photos of the set, photo rig, and lighting used. Further, photographer Jean Ann Bybee describes in some detail how she set up the scene, and even why some decisions on lighting or set were made. This information is invaluable to me as a photographer, and I feel it has actually made this sequel superior to the first book!
And for the styling side of things (after all, this book IS about styling for photography, not just the photography), Linda Bellingham has included full equipment lists for each of the projects they walk the reader through. Again, very valuable information for the novice that may not know what they may need to make these things happen.
The how-to's in the book are enlightening. They give valuable information on how to make a food styled shoot happen, but also give you interesting insights into what styling food actually consists of. Who knew that those delicious tacos probably have styrofoam inside keeping all of the ingredients from smooshing into an unappealing pile? While laws are in place to keep the consumer safe from blatant falsification of food products, the methods of styling food are amazing and eye-brow lifting. And it explains why my attempts to-date have looked less than appealing. Armed with this new knowledge, I know that I'll be able to whip up much more appetizing looking photographs!
Chapter 1 of this volume covers important information on building your portfolio. This is for photographer and stylist alike, and has some very useful information! Having an updated portfolio, and shooting consistently to keep it fresh and interesting is vital to either profession. And if you're not out shooting for a client on a regular basis, then set up your own test shoots to create fun and lively images!
Chapter 2 is all about beer and cocktails. It definitely gives some fantastic tips on how to make drinks look fantastic, and how to save them when they start going flat!
Chapter 3 was a pleasant surprise for me, covering how to make packaged food images look better than what you would be shooting directly out of the box...yet keeping it within consistent guidelines of what the packaged food is actually made from!
Chapter 4 talks about photographing soups, both clear and opaque. Again, superior styling comes from thinking outside of the box, and not just dumping a can of brand name soup into a bowl.
Chapter 5 spices things up with tacos! As I said before, there is styrofoam involved, but without it, those tacos would just fall flat!
I like the title for the first section of Chapter 6. "Hot Dogs! And You Thought They Were Easy!" I think it really sums up the chapter, as there are many little details that the novice stylist or photographer would never have thought of to make Oscar Meyer proud!
Chapter 7 covers breakfast, but not just one type. There are recommendations for pancake styling, cereal, and even smoothies. And echoing the importance of staying up to date with your portfolio, the authors once again talk about the necessity of being on top of current trends in the food and diet marketplace. Smoothies are rapidly becoming a HUGE market, and you should have one or more in your work.
The montage is not reserved for 80's and action flicks. In fact, when working with clients to show off their wares, you just might have a montage on your hands, and you need to know the best way to present it! Chapter 8 covers the stuff you should keep in mind, and how to make it look the best way you can.
Chapter 9 is fairly short and covers an unique method of presenting ceviche (a popular seafood dish). It talks about how to shoot food with different serving methods in mind, such as placing it in a martini glass!
Chapter 10 exposes some tricks of the trade, including pours and drips. Both are amazing visually, and the information the authors offer up is invaluable.
Chapter 11 takes the show on the road, talking about food photo shoots on location. Not only does Linda describe in good detail about the ups and downs of such an undertaking, but there are photos showing prep stations and photo sets. These are all invaluable, especially to a novice. Her real-life examples show how much work actually goes into what may seem like a walk in the park (sometimes literally), but can actually be frustrating. A note in this chapter sums up a lot of the important suggestions from this book. "If you are organized and ready for not only the shots planned, but also other things that may be required, you will have a good chance for a successful location shoot." And from information in the other chapters, planning ahead and good organization, and preparing for the un-planned, will put you leaps and bounds ahead of where you probably are today.
The appendix has some really good information for the photographers reading the book. It might not as useful for those who are only stylists, but it might be an interesting read for them as well! There is a good amount of information detailing Jean Ann Bybee's post-production set up, as well as the laptop she uses for tethered shooting. The authors talk about useful post-production editing software, including Photoshop and the Nik line of software. And for those of you who don't make use of a grey card, you may want to think again and make it a part of your shooting workflow. It will make things easier for you in the long run, saving you costly time from major edits to your photos that don't quite live up to their color.
The book ends with a very good point. "...when all is completed, if the team if still smiling you have the satisfaction of a job well done." And that is what we're all aiming for, right?
I would highly recommend "More Food Styling for Photographers and Stylists" to those who are interested in the genre of photography. Even for those who have dipped their toes in said culinary waters, or are beyond the novice level, I feel there are some good and juicy bits between these covers that will expand on what you already know.
