Food Photography 101 - GOMC · 2019-08-27 · raphy style, props, food styling and the food product...

46 August 2006 • The Manufacturing Confectioner

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During BobSkalkowski’s careerhe has producedimages for a widevariety of clients.Food photographyhas always been alarge part of hisportfolio.

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When you’re trying to sell something youoften need a good hook. In our visuallyoverstimulated world that can be a chal-lenge, but it’s a necessity when it comes tomarketing a product. If you watch peoplein a coffee shop, at the doctor’s office orwaiting for a train, and they are browsingthrough a magazine or newspaper, theyusually just page through whatever theyhave in hand. As they do, most pages justget a glance, but when they see an inter-esting graphic or photograph that they canrelate to, they will linger to perhaps readsome of the copy.Whether they continue toexamine the ad or article depends on thecopy, but they may not have even given ita second look if it were not for the photo-

graph to draw their attention. Such is thepower and the importance of a good image.

Of course,everyone else is trying to get theattention of those same viewers and all of theirfriends and family members. We are bom-barded with images everywhere, from free-standing inserts (f s i s), which are sometimescalled “blow-ins”because of the way they areinserted into a magazine, to TV images thatinterrupt our favorite shows where a grandmais touting the wonderful advantages of somenew cooking oil.All in all, the competition canbe fierce and only the best food photographythat can relate to a certain target audiencedraws the most attention.

A TYPICAL FOOD PHOTOGRAPHOf course, there is nothing like a typicalfood photograph, but there are a numberof similar basics in every one. The process,as with most successful ventures, starts withcareful planning. A client may have a foodproduct that, after much experimentationand review by focus groups, is refined so it’sappealing and tastes good. But to whom?Who is most likely to purchase the productand how will he or she use it? A food itemor confectionery that appeals to a child maynot appeal to an adult for a number of obvi-ous reasons.This must be taken into accountwhen planning the look of the image. Inother words, the photograph must attractits intended target audience (Figure 1).

Issues about the target audience, photog-raphy style, props, food styling and the foodproduct itself are brought to the table duringthe very important preproduction meeting,which should be considered a prerequisite.

Food Photography 101Digital photography has changed how images are captured, butthe basics remain the same: a great product, a talented phototeam and a creative concept.

Bob SkalkowskiBob Skalkowski Photography

Figure 1

Targeting the AudienceFood items appealing to children

Food items appealing to adults