According to the Wall Street Journal, consumers prefer to look at food images that aren’t perfect.
Recent trends in magazine spreads, advertising and recipe listings give food a handmade look that is a far cry from the perfectly manicured images of the past.
“Right now, people like messy,” says Alison Attenborough, a New York-based food stylist who specializes in editorial work for clients, including Food & Wine magazine, New York magazine and cookbook publisher Clarkson Potter. “People are interested in small butchers, artisan producers, farmer’s markets—a more handmade look.” – Wall Street Journal
At S&B, we’ve noticed this trend growing in popularity over the past few years and have incorporated it into our work. The two photos below were from a June Dairy Month brochure we produced for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board several years ago. Notice the heavy use of props, and how the food looks manicured and very stylized.
The photo below was taken for this year’s June Dairy Month brochure. It is much brighter and very minimal in terms of props. We even left crumbs in the shot to give it that “just out of the oven” appeal.
Have you seen a change in the way your food is styled in marketing photography? Do you like this trend, or think it doesn’t show off the food to its best advantage?
