This one often the most asked question when I plan any shoot for my clients. Food styling is definitely one of the most important aspect of food photography. It is impossible to take good photos from a bad looking food.
There are a few scenarios to consider for food styling.
Establish restaurant
If you are an established fine dining restaurant with good experience on food styling, it would be the best for the foods to be styled by you or your chefs. This is because you have probably developed your signature food presentation and the photos would be representing your uniqueness. It is best to preserve this as during a photo shoot.
The case may not be true for traditional Asian based restaurants. As Asian foods traditionally do not emphasize on styling, it would be great to have a food stylist.
New restaurant
Many new restaurants do not have experience in food styling especially when someone is new to the food industry. I would definitely recommended a food stylist if the budget is there. You can establish the style for your food by following the recommendation by the food stylist. Food styling for restaurants should not be overly done as client’s expectation on the food served will be higher.
Fast Foods & Ice Creams
Fast foods especially those with buns can be quite a headache to shoot. Engaging a proper food stylist for these subject will let your photographer concentrate on photography. It is almost impossible to get a solid ice cream without a food stylist. If you mind melty looking ice creams, do consider getting a food stylist to make one.
Food recipe
A food stylist should be recommended if you are shooting for cookbooks or recipe. This will enable the best presentation for the foods.