Food stylist, or food stylist, has become a profession that has greatly enhanced and improved work in several industries. Until recently, it would not even have occurred to us that a stylist could be referred to not only in the context of fashion but also food! And yet...

The food stylist is a profession that came to Poland from the USA and was immediately received with enthusiasm. Admittedly, it has only been around for a short time and has yet to spread its wings in Poland. However, there are a growing number of courses, both on-site and online, which teach food styling. This makes it especially creative, artistic industries or food manufacturers can create much more effective marketing and promotions. In addition, those with a sense of style and a flair for beauty have another outlet for their creativity and imagination. Since the advent of the food stylist, a photograph in a newspaper, an online advertisement or a street billboard does not look the same.

The cook thinks of products with taste. A stylist with shape, colour and texture.

What does a food stylist do?

Some of you have probably already heard of this profession, perhaps even had the opportunity to work with a food stylist. Some may not have known until now that such an occupation exists at all. No wonder, it is in fact a relatively young profession in Poland. First of all, the main job of a food stylist is to make sure that food looks appetising, interesting and creative, that it attracts and tempts. However, the stylist's work very often begins in the shop. The stylist's eye has to select the best, prettiest-looking products that will form a coherent composition. Later, he or she creates the right compositions from these.

Where does the stylist profession prove itself?

• Television advertising
• Internet advertising
• Street billboard
• Photo for newspaper/book
• Visualisation of a dish for the menu

Proper, attractive arrangement of food has proven to be quite an art! At first glance, when we see a photograph in a newspaper or book, we do not realise how difficult it is to arrange and arrange the entire frame. In any food advertisement, the food on the plate, the whole table or even in the fridge is not random. Every food photo is very carefully thought out, the right composition of the whole frame, the right colours for the size of the products - all this has to be matched and arranged accordingly. The main product or dish must be emphasised with accessories, decorations, props.

It is also worth remembering that, just as in the styling of clothes, in the styling of food, there is a particular fashion at a particular time!

Food stylist's work pattern is simple:

1. The stylist is given precise guidelines on what to achieve
2. Buys products and props in the right style, colour, texture.
3. properly prepares all products for work.
4. He arranges the space according to the principles of frame composition and his artistic sense.

Stylists' secrets

Everyone admires the colourful, ripe, shiny fruit and vegetables in pictures, packaging, adverts or films. Large portions of tasty ice cream, velvety chocolate or perfectly made burgers. But have you ever wondered, for example, what the secret is to making ice cream and frozen food look as appetising in a photograph as they do straight out of the freezer? After all, working on a film or photo set often means working long hours among lamps that emit heat. Regardless of the conditions, the stylist must make the ice cream look like ice cream throughout the shoot, the foam on the beer like the foam on the beer, the chilled bottle of drink like the chilled bottle of drink.

In a food stylist's suitcase you will find many strange things. Often, these are everyday items that are a food stylist's salvation when arranging food for photographs and making sure it looks the same for hours on end. It used to be very common for real food to simply be replaced by artificial food. However, over time, the aesthetic sensibility and knowledge of viewers has increased considerably. We can now easily recognise an artificial apple from a real one, which is why stylists have moved away from this practice. There are, however, mixtures and chemical products that are confusingly similar to, for example, ice cream, but are not affected by heat. This is why internet advertising or in any another project This is replaced by real ice cream. The same goes for the foam in beer. The real one disappears after a few minutes. This is why it is impossible to shoot a commercial or take a good photo of a beer with natural foam.

But let the specifics and other secrets of the stylists remain secrets. Remember that we eat first and foremost with our eyes! That is why it is worth appreciating the effort, effort and passion that stylists put in to make the appearance of food an attractive and appetising reflection of reality.