Turn Culinary Training into Food Styling
May 4, 2007
by Kate Robb
Culinary Institutes Columnist
For many of us, it isn't surprising to hear that foods pictured in ads are not quite what they seem. White glue instead of milk in cereal? Motor oil instead of maple syrup? Mashed potato ice cream? In the hands of a professional food stylist, any dish can stand up to hours on standby, or live under the heat of lights and cameras.
Culinary Training Puts the Best Food Forward
Food stylists work in a small field that combines culinary arts training and photography. According to the Virginia Dept. of Education, "Stylists prepare food for television commercials and shows, films, theater productions, and photographs in magazines, books, and on the Internet."
A Bridge between Career Skills
Though food stylists need to be skilled in both photography and culinary arts, most people come to the field with a background in culinary training because it requires such specific knowledge of food, recipes, and presentation. A stylist will either generalize by working with a wide variety of foods, or work only with a particular type of food, like vegetarian dishes or Chinese cuisine.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Food styling is a very competitive field. Most stylists operate on freelance contracts, so their ability to succeed depends on creativity, culinary skill, and business acumen. You also need to be able to work comfortably under pressure, and work well in a team.
Your culinary training can take you down many different career paths; food styling is just one example of a fast-paced, interesting and unexpected career.
Source
Virginia Dept. of Education
About the Author
Kate Robb is a freelance writer and university professor.
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