We have started to do more food styling recently and really enjoy the shoots that include it. Our first foray into food photography was with restaurants like Poachers Pocket and The Parson's Nose but more recently we've worked with Enrich & Endure and Just Live A Little.
Crispy chicken skins, liver parfait, candied walnuts & muscat grapes at Portland, London. Photo: TACA
I think the quality of food styling has a much greater importance as social media has grown in popularity and businesses rely on it as their sole advertising outlet. It doesn't matter if you produce the most delicious food on the planet, if you post badly-taken photos it will have a negative rather than positive affect on your footfall.
One of my favourite examples of social media used to fantastic effect is Established Coffee. When the photos look that good it can't help but have a positive effect on the bottom line. The photos there are taken by Abby Mayes and styled by the kitchen team. Consistency is also key. They post regularly. Every Friday the weekend specials are uploaded, with an assembly montage of each special uploaded to their Instagram story as well. These little simple extras are what make them social media stars!
Sweet Special, 13th April 2017 : Spelt and Raisin Pancakes with Infinity Farm Honey, Lemon Balm Mascarpone, Macerated Strawberries and Toasted Almonds. Photo: Established Coffee
The easiest way to ensure your photos match the quality of your brand is to assign the styling and processing of them to one specific person / team of people or if no one has the skills within your organisation invest in a photography course. One half of TACA, Simon, has run photography courses in association with Seedhead Arts for several years. Having introduced a food styling week with Lorna to the latest one in March we hope to collaborate on a course that would specifically focus on food styling. If you're interested in learning more please get in touch. Alternatively, we can meet to have a chat about what we could provide in terms of styling or documentation for your current menu. We look forward to hearing from you!
Pistachio and pine nut cake by Lorna for Enrich and Endure. Photo: TACA