The Tweezer Times
Archive for the 'Business Sense in Focus' Category
By Greg Bertolini
(For a better formatted version of this post, visit http://www.theinvisiblestylist.com/. I apologize for the technical glitches I’ve had this past year and until today. We’re launching new blog software with the new version of Foodesigns.com, due out late February.)
With Steve Jobs’ announcement of the new Apple ipad, we could be on the verge of a new way of conducting business…
“…the times, they are a-changing.” –Bob Dylan
By Lisa Golden Schroeder
As we enter a new decade we’re all trying to figure out what we’re up to. The world economy is in recalibration mode–I keep thinking about my ovens, which need temperature adjustment periodically. And that’s how I’m viewing the current state of unrest–who do we market to? How do we keep our revenue flowing? Do we change the way we do business–charge less, do more, stay the course?
I’m firmly in the camp of an optimist. What have we got to lose, trying to stay inspired and hopeful that those possible job estimates will come through, or the phone will start ringing more often? BUT we can’t be complacent. We have to be ready to grab new opportunities, keep open minds, be willing to do things that feel a little uncomfortable. I’m in the process of revamping the entire look and focus of Foodesigns and The Tweezer Times. This publication truly will be a blog (I felt very uncomfortable with that tag for a long time) in the coming months. But my goal is not to just share daily ramblings of what I do, but to continue sharing a wide variety of viewpoints from colleagues who live and work all over the world.
So if you’d like to be featured as a Tweezer Times creative mind, drop me a note through the contact page at Foodesigns.com.
By Violeta Dimitrova Salama
Reprinted courtesy of “Chefs Corner Magazine”, the publication of the Egyptian Chefs Association
We all have experienced that brief moment of confusion when strolling down the over-packed isles of Spinneys or Carrefour; hundreds of products, all wrapped in eye catching packaging, all demanding our attention. How in the world we are supposed to chose among the multitude of brands at our disposal? We are saved by a vision, a vision we may not even be conscious of, a remnant of an advertisement seen once upon a time. A perfect shot of a fine specimen can stir appetites. When that shot is of a food product, it can also evoke strong cravings that make sales roar. But what makes a perfect shot is not the quality of the ingredients themselves, or the skill of the chef, or even the photographer. Look closer behind the scenes and you won’t find a chef. You’ll find a food stylist. The world of a food stylist is an exciting, diverse and challenging place. It is where food is enhanced and made up just like a glamour model before a shoot. It is a world where passion for food meets attention to detail, where paint brushes assist cooking knives all in the name of that one perfect shot, which will grace large billboards and glossy magazines.In Egypt the profession of food styling is not yet well known. Meet Maha Baraka, Hoda El Sherif and Magy Habib, three stylish women who are the only food stylists in Egypt. They bring their love of food and their passion for art to their work.A typical workday for them consists of making food ready to have its picture taken. This requires that they gather relevant information from many different sources, the photographer, producer, the client, the agency and so on. Then, they organize the job, deciding on amounts of food needed and equipment required. “You have to be not only an expert in the culinary industry but an art creator as well” is the unanimous statement given by all three food stylists, since food does not always behave in front of the camera, especially under the hot studio lights.Working in TV commercials is different from working for magazine shots. When shooting for a TV commercial the food stylist works closely with the director and art director, transmitting their visions—through her food creations—into film. “Things happen to food on film,” shares Hoda El Sherif about her workday. “The shot is of a bite being taken out of a hamburger, so we may need hundred perfectly identical hamburgers ready, or the hungry crew can devour some of the enticing cookies prepared for the shooting, so we always need an extra supply.” Days can start as early as 6am and last into the night, not to mention the hours spent prior to the shoot at home, practicing techniques and improvising with new products. While the food stylist is usually the only responsible person for the food for most commercial shoots, ads of large banquet tables overflowing with foods require the assistance of a chef to help with preparations.In hotels, however, it is usually the Executive Chef who does the food styling. The hotels like to showcase their abilities to create eye-catching cornucopias of delicacies, which are then used to promote the signature restaurants of the hotels. A talented chef is not only a culinary expert but an artist as well; as a result, he will hardly ever allow an outside interference when fashioning a plate. It is also the practice of most Cairo’s leading hotels to put the imagination of their own Chef to use when shooting a promotional advert, therefore omitting the work of a food stylist.Some magazines offer their readers recipes provided by hotel chefs. In that case, it is always the chef who prepares the food in his kitchen while the food stylist, employed or assigned by the magazine, assists with her knowledge of what makes food look good on a picture. It is imperative for Magy Habib, who specializes in magazines shots, to have control over colors and textures; after all, in a photo shoot, looks are more important than taste. “However, one needs to keep things real and believable. I want that ’soul food with a gloss’ look”, explains Magy. “As this will convince readers that despite looking so beautiful, the recipes provided are achievable and can be easily done at home.”Since a perfectly cooked meal can easily loose its star appeal and turn into a wilted mess under the heat of bright lighting, it is up to the stylist to employ certain tricks to make the food “shine.” For instance, they may substitute heavy cream for milk, or use mashed potatoes instead of ice cream. Meat needs to be undercooked to look perky and juicy in a photo. And as for that sublime looking glaze, a bit of Soya sauce carefully brushed on its surface can make the mouths of viewers water. Drops of glycerin sparkle on a salad, simulating morning dew, and Johnson’s baby oil stands in for cooking oil inside the frying pan.”Take a bite from a delicious pizza and watch that yummy mozzarella cheese which lazily lingers from the slice to your lips. And then imagine just how many chewing gums it took to create that perfect stretch of melted heaven…,” teases Maha Baraka with a charming smile on her lips. From a school classroom the stylist borrows white erasers, which then are carefully snipped into pieces and placed on top of a Greek salad, representing scrumptious morsels of Feta cheese.”It is all about the tricks, and you can never know enough tricks,” declares Maha. “Every job is different, every product as demanding as the next one, and a good stylist is in a never ending pursuit for new ideas. A walk to the drugstore can be as rewarding as a visit to the grocery, since on one of its many shelves lays that perfect bottle of velvety hair conditioner, its consistency reminiscent of melting butter.”"Just like an artist who possesses a well stocked tool box, the food stylist has her own magic box,” quips Hoda El Sherif when asked about the tools of her incredible trade. Inside, one can find multitude of equipments, some belonging to the kitchen, others to the art studio and some even borrowed from the world of dentistry. A unique mixture of Q- tips, spatulas, tweezers and food colors among other surprising bits, are the indispensable tools of every successful food stylist.Maha, Hoda, and Magy are the first generation of food stylists in Egypt. They are pioneers in their field trying to carve a niche for themselves. The road they are following is full of opportunities, however they do encounter few obstacles along the way. Since food styling is a new concept in Egypt, there is still a lack of awareness among the local food industry that experts who specialize in “food make-up” do exist. This lack of knowledge is definitely a hindrance for the stylists who need larger exposure to promote their craft. Also many prominent Egyptian food giants still prefer to do their shoots abroad. Partly, because the quality of food ingredients available in Europe is believed to be better, and partly because the studio facilities there are second to none. Regardless of how little is known about the profession here, food styling has been around for decades, thus granting food stylists a solid foundation for learning their craft.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________Violeta Dimitrova lives and works in Egypt, but is originally from Bulgaria. She’s lived in the Middle East for nearly 20 years. She has a hospitality degree from a school in Switzerland.She has always loved food and spends a great deal of time reading about, studying and trying different foods. She was a flight attendant for three years, giving her a unique opportunity to sample flavors around the world.Violeta recently returned to Cairo, Egypt, where she was raised. She currently works for the Egyptian Chef Association, a member of WACS. She writes articles that focus on food and the culinary industry for their member publication. While researching this article on food styling, she discovered that in Cairo, a city of 20 million people, there are only three food stylists.
By Lisa Golden Schroeder
I’ve been in the business of working as a consultant for corporate food giants, small entrepreneurial food companies, publishers, and any number of other non-food related businesses for 21 years. For much of that time I’ve been available as a freelance food stylist, working in a metropolitan area that knows food photography. Over the years, the studios that shoot any amount of food hired stylists and assistants with a simple phone call. The level of trust was high—it was assumed that the freelancer would show up prepared to do the job, the studio would pay in a timely fashion, and that the client would be happy. Rarely was any formal agreement signed beforehand, unless a corporate giant required a work-for-hire or confidentiality release. But lately, with business less certain and tightened budgets, I’m finding it’s getting more important to spell out what I will provide for any given job. I recently was hired for two different jobs—and both changed midstream with unspoken expectations that I would absorb and respond to the changes with no complaint (or additional charge). But maybe it’s because I’ve been around long enough that I’ve begun to feel less flexible (and a little crabby). I’m beginning to think that it is good policy to have a standard letter of agreement ready to fax or e-mail to a studio or agency that spells out my day or hourly rate, overtime, and cancellation policies for EVERY job. Once a client has confirmed a booking with me, the letter goes out. It may not be necessary to have it signed (unless you’re nervous about getting paid), but at least the studio or hiring agent has been notified of my most current rates and what services they cover—and what I expect if anything above and beyond is necessary.
I’m hearing from many stylists that job “holds” are increasing, with lots of last minute cancellations. I think that because jobs have become more uncertain and clients are waiting for budget approvals or multiple bids to come in, many studios want to be ready when jobs are inked (confirmed). So to ensure they have a stylist they’ll put more than one on hold for sometimes as long as a week or more. And they figure as long as the job is penciled (not confirmed), they won’t be held responsible for cancellation fees if the job falls through. But I think it’s important for both studios and stylists to be firm about the length of time they will remain on hold—and state that up front when the first call comes in.
I guess what I’m thinking is that clients need to know and understand that those of us that execute their projects are just as professional as they are. And deserve the same respect they expect. We won’t turn on a dime for them if we aren’t given good, timely information to get a job done well—or work under unrealistic time frames. Because every time we do, we set the bar higher for the next time, doing a disservice to ourselves and to the rest of our colleagues.
Image © 2008, Mette Nielsen/Lisa Golden Schroeder
Reprinted from Score Expert Questions (www.score.org)
© 2008, Phil Bode/Lisa Golden Schroeder
A nationally recognized expert on entrepreneurship, Barry Moltz has founded and run small businesses for the past 15 years, experiencing both great success and great failure along the way. His latest book, BOUNCE!: Failure, Resiliency, and Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success, offers entrepreneurs a new perspective on the concept of failure, and how recognizing and even embracing it can set the stage for bigger successes.
Q: How can entrepreneurs change their mindset about failure and develop their own “bounce”?
A: Forget about having “no fear,” or asserting that, “failure is not an option.” Actually, it is a very real option, and often happens. It’s okay to be afraid, and it’s okay to fail. Not everything works. Learn from failure and bounce to the next action and success. It’s about resilience.
Q: And if that action turns into failure, then what?
A: Grieve over failures if you have to, but don’t get demoralized. Being able to recover quickly and move to a new place where success is again possible is what matters. I use the analogy of a baseball team. Your opponent can beat you only once per game, whether it’s by 1 run or 15. But the next day, everything’s even and you have a new chance to succeed.
Q: Your book also advises against following one model or type of success? Why?
A: People want to find the easy, magical steps to success. In reality, success isn’t always a straight line, but a series of ups and downs. There are some great success stories out there, but they rarely apply to anyone else because those individuals have unique experiences and access to certain resources that may not apply to you. If you attempt to follow those same steps, you’re likely to be disappointed.
Q: What are some ways to create your own measurement systems for success and failure?
A: You should look for other things that are important to you—what I call “money-plus goals.” What is it that makes you want to do something to make money and have fun? Are you building customer loyalty? Are you learning things that will be helpful down the road? The key is to establish these systems from the outset so that you know what to work for, and how to recognize success when it arrives.
Q: You use the steps of preparing the business plan to illustrate your point that good process trumps good outcome. Does that mean business plans have no value?
A: Not at all. Business plans are valuable planning tools. But the process of creating them is even more valuable because it forces you to ask questions and search for information. You shouldn’t stop once you have the document, however, because business conditions are continually changing, and what you projected may be not be accurate in a matter of months or even weeks. Instead, you need to continue asking questions.
Q: How can a mentor such as SCORE help with resiliency and rebounding from failure?
A: Other people have traveled this path. Mentors like SCORE can help you assess a situation and figure out the best direction to take. Whenever you find people who can help you in this way, you will have better chance of success.
Q: What can you say about the value of mentoring?
A: Having a mentor–someone who has been there and done it successfully–is absolutely invaluable. No one can, or should, do it alone. Even elite athletes have mentors and coaches. And, in my opinion, every entrepreneur should become best friends with SCORE.
Get advice from a SCORE business mentor today.
By Jeff Hage
When you opened your own photography studio, you probably didn’t plan on becoming a bookkeeper, janitor, manager, or sales and marketing expert. Yet, to make a business successful you often need to perform all of those tasks and more. You learn to be resourceful, asking the advice of friends and using trial and error to learn what works, and what doesn’t.
Keeping in touch with a long list of clients takes time and energy. It’s great to have a rep that can do the sales and marketing for you. Since I don’t have a rep, I’m always looking for new ways to reach clients more effectively and efficiently. What do you do when the marketing department is YOU, and the budget is tight? Reaching clients by mass mailings can be expensive, impersonal and the results are hard to track. Ads in resource books can be costly, and with the Internet they are falling out of fashion. E-mail can be an effective way to reach people, but again, it can seem impersonal if you send a simple message to a long list of people. Personalizing a message for each client can be time consuming.
There is a way to keep in contact with clients while researching what they like — and showing off your latest work —all at the same time. It just takes a bit of thought, some extra time when you’re shooting and tracking your results with a spreadsheet. It’s as easy as sending an email.
The next time you’re shooting, after you get the “client’s shot,” do a second version. Change the style: the light, some props or whatever you think will make a shot different enough from the original to prompt discussion. Or go from a high key scenario to a low-key one, use a shallow depth of field instead of a wide one, or change the viewing angle. Make sure the second shot is up to your standards and it’s a style you’re willing to use in the future.
Once you have the two shots to compare, you’re ready for clients to help you with your marketing. Send out an e-mail with the two shots and ask clients which they like best and why. Be sure to use the blind addressing so that the addressee doesn’t know others are getting the same e-mail. That will make them feel like you’re seeking their guidance.
A new business approach: the client as the target audience
When clients respond to the e-mail, sharing their thoughts and opinions of the new style, they are giving you valuable information. Information you can use to target your next marketing message toward their preferences. If you craft your messages well, you can have your clients answer all sorts of questions and even help solve a few problems. By creating a spreadsheet, you can track the e-mails sent and the responses received. The information in your spreadsheet allows you to tailor your marketing to be more effective, more targeted. The spreadsheet will also help you track who you contact, when, and how much work they assign you.
With a little extra effort you can collect the research needed to segment your marketing efforts while connecting with clients — and showing off your work. It also shows clients you value and appreciate their opinions.
Jeff Hage is an award-winning commercial photographer specializing in Food, product, and location shooting and has been in the business since 1986. Operating his own studio until 1996, he is now one of the owners of Green Frog Photo in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Green Frog has an extensive client list, from blue-chip companies to ad agencies. Jeff attended the Center for Creative Studies College of Art and Design.
By Barb Freda, Food Editor, Florida Table (www.floridatable.com)
Last March 2007, my dream job presented itself. After more than 10 years as a freelance writer, a fellow writer pointed me in the direction of a well-established publishing company. This company had just issued a test magazine to the local market, a magazine about the regional food scene, taking a look at food, chefs, restaurants, markets, trends, etc. The first issue went out without a single food person involved on the editing side, and errors made it into print. But it became a hit anyway, and the publishers decided to proceed with it as a quarterly magazine.
I chatted on the phone with the editor. She and I hit it off, but I remained wary. I asked her to send me a copy of the magazine, which she promised to overnight. When I opened the packet the next day, a glossy, beautifully photographed, full-color magazine was in my hands. I already wanted the job.
I did some research on editing jobs, decided what I needed to make and how to pitch myself. I met my boss and the publishers, who didn’t flinch at my asking price, the fact that I wanted to be a consultant, not an employee and the fact that I only wanted to work half-time. I was hired on the spot. When I was introduced around the office, I found out that someone had been hired before me.
She had lasted one day. I began to get a little nervous.
When I signed on, I was told I would be responsible for editing one section of the book (as magazines are called in the industry) and for reviewing recipes before they went into print, ferreting out errors. Of course for some things, that also meant testing recipes and tweaking them to make for the best presentations, etc.
For our first big photo shoot of pumpkin recipes, we used a stylist who came recommended. I was worried, because I knew our sensibilities were not in synch. But the shoot went professionally and smoothly: we learned about “pre-pro” and petty cash for food (I certainly had been expecting her to expense the food, but not asking for money ahead of time). We were surprised when the bill came with a kit rental fee and mileage for the two days of the shoot. No, she hadn’t used a contract, and although we all let her know we were new as clients, she hadn’t done much to explain how it would all go.
When the second shoot came up, the art director and photographer asked if I could just do the styling myself. I said yes.
I am confident in my culinary skills. I went to culinary school and worked for nearly 10 years in professional kitchens. I worked well with the photographer and the art director, and though we were all neophytes in this arena, the art director knew what she wanted, and I felt confident I could give her what she needed in the food.
Since then we’ve had four or five shoots with no major mishaps, and we’ve done some tough stuff that I had to figure out on my own: ice cream, sorbet and roast chicken (although by the time the roast chicken came up, I was in Lisa’s online class* and pestered her with questions). Because of my former career as a chef and a caterer, I already had a basic stylist’s kit, and I knew how to pack and transport food and how to work at difficult locations (I catered events in the middle of fields with propane-fueled ovens).
Because this is a food magazine, I am adamant that the food we shoot NOT be doctored. In fact, on that first shoot, the one shot that got doctored didn’t make it into the magazine–it looked so fake that I couldn’t approve it for print. Lucky for us, the trend in food photography is toward the natural, so a bit of melting on that ice cream and some uneven crumb in a cake? Looks great.
So my perfect job became even more perfect because I am getting invaluable experience I never expected to get. And I welcome it.
As food editor now, I look at every recipe with a critical food AND artistic eye. I find myself wondering how it will photograph. What can I do to the written recipe to make sure the end result is even prettier? I am developing a lot of the recipes myself, too, so I find I can really determine how a piece will look by the recipes I decide to develop. Of course, I am also thinking of how we will shoot the food as I’m doing all this, too.
I also study, STUDY food photography I see in the big guns–Martha, Saveur, Delicious, Real Simple, Gourmet, Bon Appétit. If I see something new as a garnish, I want to use it. When we did our chicken shoot, I lost sleep because I thought it wasn’t pretty enough. Of course, when I got back to the office and saw the photos? I was wrong. They aren’t perfect, but they are great. And I’m not looking for perfection, just excellence.
*Barb is referring to Editor Lisa Golden Schroeder’s Food Styling 101 class, an online course offered through www.photostylingworkshops.com.
In September, long-time food stylist Carolyn Schirmacher dropped me a note. Carolyn is based in Portland, Oregon but also works in Seattle and other cities along the west coast of the United States. Her note made me laugh, as she wanted to share a very fun experience she had just had with Oregon Public Television. She related that they approached her about doing a segment for a show called “Art Beat” that profiles artists in their studios. They discovered her through one of those strange jobs we sometimes agree to, that required her to create a Caesar Salad that had a miniature Caesar (as in the Roman emperor) action figure frolicking among the greens! So food styling became an “alternative” profession that intrigued them…allowing Carolyn to simulate a photo shoot for the program, using two of her favorite clients that are part of the “eat local” movement: the Edible Portland publication and USA Pears. She did a fantastic job of describing what the job of styling is all about, with the teamwork and collaboration that is essential for a successful shoot. During the show you see her process of “roasting” game hens, a more involved process than I use–but it underscores there’s no one way to do anything in this biz! Click here to view the video of Carolyn unveiling the world of food photography…and many thanks to her for being such an articulate and professional spokesperson for stylists everywhere.
______________________________________________________________________________
Carolyn Schirmacher has practiced the art and craft of food styling for over 30 years. She loves collaborating with others that share her passion and uses the creative process as a means to uncovering the potential in every project. Living in Portland, Oregon since 1980 has allowed her to attract and maintain an eclectic client base. She is often relied upon to provide a production plan, conceptual development, photo art direction, product styling, props and lifestyle/ set styling. She has developed a niche with local studios and production companies as a resource for producing and creating special effects involving elusive materials involving fluids, fire, and organic materials. Her resume includes TV commercials, infomercials, cooking shows, packaging, editorial, catalogue work, and PR. A select list of clients include Coca Cola, Finlandia Vodka, Kellogg’s, Kroger’s, Western Family, Norm Thompson, Front Gate, Figaro’s Pizza, Western Family Foods, Trident Seafood, USA Pears, Corning Ware, Nike, Nixon Watches and LG Electronics. Carolyn can be reached at: carolynschirmacher@mac.com
In June 2007, over 200 food photography professionals gathered at Boston University. The International Conference on Food Styling & Photography: A World View of Business, Techniques, and Design was a year in planning–offering a place for our colleagues to learn and share.
As we’ve been winding down the aftermath of the wonderful food photography conference in Boston last weekend, I’ve barely had time to answer e-mail, much less tell you more about it. And now I’m going to pass you to a wonderful food photography blog, written by a young French ex-patriate called Béatrice Peltre. She lives and works now in Boston, and is friends with Lara Ferroni, another terrific photographer/blogger we’ve profiled here recently. They both came to the BU gathering, and she posted a really good run-down of the weekend. Please take a look (see the link below), then I will be posting more in-depth pieces on individual sessions.
If I forgot to mention it, food stylist/writer John Carafoli (who wrote the first book on food styling) and I were the program co-chairs for the BU event. So we had an indulgently wonderful time choosing the speakers we wanted to hear, from food chemist Harold McGee (who’s been working with the avant garde chefs of Europe and deconstructing “molecular gastronomy”), the editorial/photo team at Gourmet magazine (we’ve decided that Maggie Ruggerio is the most perfect kitchen mate for a tough location shoot–she’s funny, irreverant, and a really great stylist), and an intriguing panel of stylists and a photographer from Greece, Australia, and Mexico. And we were overwhelmed, and gratified, by the number of attendees who came in from all over the world…ranging from Canada to South Africa, Argentina to Ireland. I think we had just about every continent represented in the just over 200 attendee crowd. John and I believe that viral marketing, truly word-of-mouth, was the answer to getting the conference announcement out so quickly. And many thanks, too, to food photography lovers and bloggers like Lara and Béa for talking about the conference for months ahead of time.
Here is the link to www.latartinegourmande.com…look for Béa’s June 9 posting. And know that this coming week will bring much more content here, from past technique and profile articles to new articles by presenters and attendees in Boston. Put June 2009 on your calendar as the pending time frame for the next International Conference on Food Styling & Photography!