Our appetites have changed over the years and forget about is this clearly reflected than in food photography. The rise of organic Dubai Food photography, real food coupled with an emphasis on healthier diets throughout the last decade has seen a significant change in how food is presented through photography.
No more are we quite as tempted by way of a plate of perfect looking, vividly coloured food rested neatly on a table. Nowadays, food photographers attempted to capture society's ever-changing tastes by 'keeping it real' - put simply - messy is in. Think of a slice of chocolate cake with icing oozing off the side, or perhaps a succulent steak with pepper sauce splashed almost carelessly about the plate. Today, this is one way we want to see our food presented. This messy way of food photography is now the favoured style for most in the foodstuff business.
If you look via a recent cookbook or check out some recipe websites, then the chances are you're prone to see this rather modern design of food photography, and it's not only about being messy. Food photographers are prone to use natural light instead of artificial studio lights and less props to help keep the shot looking clean, simple and giving more focus to the food. Food photographers will even often use different effects such as for example extreme close ups and unusual angles to help make the food appear more visually appealing.
However another design of food photography has emerged in recent years. Described playfully as 'food porn', the foodstuff photographer will style the foodstuff in a provocative almost sensuous manner to have the customer's appetite truly whetted. Often this food styling can be used to shoot exotic or rather indulgent dishes - usually packed saturated in calories. This style pays to when marketing unhealthy food as it can certainly be promoted as an indulgent treat, rather than attempting to pretend to the ever-discerning public that it offers any nutritional value. The word food porn was coined by feminist writer Rosalind Coward back in 1984 and has become one of many buzz words for foodies everywhere.
Of course, the styles of messy food photography and food porn haven't quite reached junk food restaurants. Pictures of perfect hamburgers and long straight fries still appear to adorn the menus and its advertisements. Most people aren't likely to visit your average junk food restaurant for a natural, natural meal - so messy food photography is deemed never as relevant in this environment.
Whatever is next for Dubai Food photography, the thing that may never change is its overall aim to sell to customers - and this takes real skill. The foodstuff photographer needs to visually convey not only the attractive appearance of the foodstuff, but in addition its aromas, taste and texture. This is not easy if you think about you can't actually touch, sample or smell the foodstuff from a photograph. However, if the image successfully captures each one of these elements, then this makes the foodstuff far more appetising to customers, subsequently increasing their propensity to purchase - and that could only be best for the foodstuff industry.
The author, Neil Adams, is Managing Director of Powerhouse, a UK creative commercial photography company based in Leeds Dubai Food photography. Powerhouse offers a selection of photography services, including food photography.
