Food Styling for Photographers

BREAKFAST FOR THE CAMERA

A South-of-the-Border Version of Sunny-Side-Up

It’s not hard to make eggs sunny-side-up for photogra-

phy. For some reason, lots of people are intimidated by

making them for the camera. I’m guessing it is because

they have been frustrated by eff orts to make them at

home. Since sunny-side-up eggs can be used in numer-

ous photographic presentations and for meals other

than breakfast, it’s a good trick to have up your sleeve.

And, if you follow the techniques discussed next, these

beauties will hold for an hour or more.

Making Eggs Sunny-Side-Up

Having the right tools for this job is an absolute neces-

sity. You will need a fl at, non-stick griddle. Make certain

there are no scratches or blemishes in the fi nish. You

will also need a turner or spatula with a beveled, straight

front edge, also without blemishes or imperfections.

But, most importantly, you’ll need to follow these tech-

niques to be successful.

Use extra large fresh eggs. In this application, it helps to

have the eggs chilled and straight from the refrigerator

because the cold temperature helps maintain a tighter

radius when the egg is poured onto the griddle. Preheat a

large griddle to 250ºF. Even though you’re using a non-

stick surface griddle, brush a light coating of vegetable oil

PHOTOGRAPHER’S COMMENT—Notes on the Breakfast Set

This environmental shot needed to feel like the real deal: a beautiful

sunny morning. We put fake pink fl owers outside in the bushes and

I balanced the natural light with my strobes set on very low power.

The H3D gave me the perfect ratio choices in camera settings. You

must be sure not to overfi ll the set and keep detail within the shot.