Food Styling for Photographers

CHAPTER SEVEN

Prepping the Bird

Once you have the poultry at the studio, give each bird
a quick rinse in cool running water. Remove any pin-
feathers remaining in the skin, rinse the cavities, and
pat the birds dry with paper towels. Next, fold two solid
white paper towels together into a triangular shape to
duplicate the shape of the cavity opening where the
neck was removed. Place the paper towel shape into
the cavity opening to camoufl age the opening with the

smooth surface of the paper towel arrangement. Pull

excess skin in the neck area over the paper towels at the

opening so that the skin wraps around to the back of

the bird. Flip the bird over as you are completing this

procedure to give you access to the back of the carcass.

Using T-pins, secure the stretched skin to the back of

the carcass. Th e next step is to stuff the other end of the

bird with crumpled heavy-duty aluminum foil. Th e foil

helps to support the shape of the bird and holds the