Food Styling: Behind The Scenes At A Food Photo Shoot

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by Kirk Hawkins
Bio | Email | Follow: @kirkhawkins

Story Created: Nov 23, 2012 at 12:16 AM EDT

Story Updated: Nov 23, 2012 at 2:56 AM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--Chris Valanne is a food stylist. The star of her photo shoot is a new Bojangles sandwich. After some work to the bun, she adjusts the chicken filet before she places the tomato. A syringe with water and glycerine gives it a juicy look. Everything is then levelled out with a piece of paper towel. Valanne uses a squeeze dropper to get the mayonnaise looking just right. And later a paint brush to apply a few finishing touches.

"Since I'm only working on a visual sphere, I have to make  sure everything is perfect and right up front because that's the only thing to grab the customer," Valanne said.

When she shoots a thanksgiving turkey, she says the turkey isn't really cooked. When she shoots a pie, she fills it with mashed potatoes instead of fruit. Chris has been a food stylist for 23 years.
"It's just kinda thinking about food and how it looks in a different way," Valanne said.

Working alongside an assistant, she is a member of an army. The objective: to make food look good for the camera so you order it on the menu. "It's fast food and you want it fast, you don't want it to look just so...it's gonna be wrapped up tight," Valanne said.

Valanne said she only uses real food. The meats are sometimes raw or undercooked. She sais she works with the fast food. At fine dining restaurants, Chris says the chefs are the most difficult to work with because she says she usually has to alter their art.

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