Food Styling for Photographers

PASTA AND SAUCES

Almost every month food magazines feature a pasta

shot. Pasta is a versatile, healthy, trendy food that can

look stunning when prepared for the camera. To a stylist,

pasta is akin to a blank canvas for an artist. Adding

other ingredients for color and texture allows the stylist

to use pasta as the medium to build a presentation with

depth, color, and interest for the camera. By following

some basic guidelines, you too can learn to make beauti-

ful pasta dishes for photography that will make the

viewer’s mouth water.

Before you start to plan a pasta shot, it is helpful to look

at examples of printed photography featuring pasta. Find

samples to use as go-bys that contain a few of the ele-

ments you want to achieve in your fi nal shot. Notice

lighting, setting, textures in the set, as well as the pasta

itself. Make notes about what you like in each shot. Once

you have a list of desirable elements, you will have the

basic criteria to begin planning your shot.

One of the things that makes pasta shots so beautiful is

the depth created within the pasta arrangement. Long

fl at pastas, such as fettuccini and pappardelle, make

graceful swirls and swoops when you employ good pasta

techniques to create pockets of depth. Some of these

pockets are nice to keep as they are, whereas in others

you might choose to place diff erent ingredients or sauce.

Garnishes give yet another layer of interest to a pasta

dish. I occasionally add fresh snipped herbs or a sprinkle

of gremolata garnish on pasta after it is built and right

before fi nal photography.

Because pasta is not an extremely perishable food, the

pasta prep can take place early on the day of photography.

Once the pasta is prepped and safely stored, you can prep

the sauce and other ingredients before assembling the

hero dish.

Perfect Pasta for the Camera

First you’ll want to look at the uncooked pasta as it comes

from the manufacturer’s packaging. Remove any obvi-

ously broken or cracked pieces. Follow directions on the

pasta packaging for recommended water volume for

cooking. Use a large kettle or stockpot to heat the water.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable

or olive oil to the water before dropping the pasta into the boiling

water. The oil helps prevent the pasta pieces from sticking together.

After you add the pasta to the water, give the pot a gentle stir with

a long-handled wooden spoon. Use a wooden spoon because the

edges of a metal spoon might damage the pasta.

Your goal is to keep the water at a low boil during the

entire cooking process. Because adding the pasta to the

water will cool down the temperature of the water, start