Monday, June 14, 2010

Boy, does that sandwich look yummy!


Our mouths may water every time we see a scrumptious color food photo in a cookbook or hear the raucous tunes of a TV commercial touting the most delectable meal ever. Where do all the wonderful cooks who turn out those lovely dishes come from? My food never looks that good!

If you read Food Styling: the Art of Preparing Food for the Camera, you'll learn that the delicious-looking food needs a bit of help to look so tasty. Yep--it's not the cook but the food stylist who gussies up and tweaks those tidbits to the utmost.

Career food stylists have their own tips and tricks, many of which are passed on in full color in this unique vocational guidebook. Do you know that it can be hard to burn proper, attractive grill marks on meat? That margarine is preferred to butter in photo shoots because it melts more slowly and photographs more attractively? That you can brush thinned-out soy sauce on toast to even out the browning? (A caveat: some of the tips make the food photograph wonderfully, but also make it inedible.)

If you're just planning to take some casual snaps of a family picnic for Flickr posting, you probably won't need most of the tips in this book. But you can learn a lot about making food gorgeous for those special times. And discover some cooking techniques, too.

Whether you're searching for a new career, want to get some photography ideas, or just think about food, Food Styling: the Art of Preparing Food for the Camera will pique your interest. And it's available now at The Urbana Free Library. Want to take this new book home? Place a hold or give us a call at 217-367-4405.

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