Let's Talk About Ads

Smile for the camera

It's always so exciting when you feel like you've been let in on a secret. "Welcome to this exclusive party," these secrets seem to say. This feeling of elitism is exactly what befell me a few days ago when I watched food stylists and photographers hard at work.

I never realized how much work goes into taking pictures for print ads. The photo shoot took the entire day for just one chocolate bar and shots of the packaging. The day started off with the two food stylists Michelle and Julie carefully cleaning up the chocolate. I've would've imagined that only surgeons were capable of such careful precision, but the way Michelle handled her knives made me think that she was handling the most vital of organs.

The photo process was just as interesting. I was probably the only person there who hadn't seen the process before, so I was able to watch everyone do their things the entire day without getting bored. I've wanted to learn photography for some time now, but I've just been too busy/lazy to read up on the process. Thus, watching a professional at work was incredibly thrilling, to say the least.

I can't help but wonder if food photography for ads borders on being a sham. It's almost like some sort of trickery is involved. The actual foods never look as good as the photos in the ads or the packaging. But then again, no one would've bought fast food if they thought it looked the way it does in reality.

I'm very grateful for the opportunity to watch that photo shoot. It reinforces my decision to be glad that I never got into being a creative. My life would've been wraught with tedium, and while some people enjoy being creative even if it means going back to the drawing board multiple times, I do not have that kind of patience.

posted by Sarah @ 1:00 AM