What is Considered in Special Meal Photo Shoots?

 

Although the taste of the food is important in today's gastronomy trends, the appearance of the food is of great importance in terms of visuals. We come across different food pictures in newspapers and magazines, in visual TV broadcasts or in special brochures for restaurant promotions. In fact, most of these pictures are labor pictures taken for promotional purposes and do not reflect the truth. The aim here is to achieve the desired success in line with the purpose of the relevant image.

 

So , what are the messages that menu designers , menu engineers, restaurant managers and popular a la carte kitchen chefs want to convey with such pictures? Does having a beautiful food image lead to real success in restaurant promotions? Will the restaurant operators who say why my business is bad improve their business with a great visual?

 

In the best restaurants of the high city, especially in fine dining and avant-garde restaurant concept types , there are pictures of food the size of a partridge egg on 32 cm plates. Is there a certain standard for Special Meal Photo food presentations? What features are sought in products used in food pictures? Is there a limit to the types of products that make up the meal? Is the chef's experience sufficient in food visuals? How to understand the knowledge of the kitchen chef in the food pictures?

 

How true is it that the food to be photographed should be like an edible flower garden around or above it? How much does the reality of eating a single bite standing on uncooked beans or dried lentils on the dinner plate reflect the most successful restaurants ? Or do some visual food pictures standing on a reworked stone or shovel achieve the purpose of the work? As I said, these pictures are food presentations prepared by food stylists with different methods, since they are purely for show and advertisement purposes .

 

A food image prepared in line here can sometimes constitute a very serious importance and gastromessages in  related restaurant promotions ...

 

We can also evaluate this in this way. When a canary bird sings, we don't understand what it means, but we listen because it sounds good. Cooking is an art, and displaying it is an art. Of course, not everyone will like the resulting work. Not everyone needs to like it. Today , the reactions received in the images prepared for a permanent restaurant sometimes serve their purpose. Again, it is possible to come across such food pictures on the websites, promotional brochures or social networks of some of the most successful chefs. 

 

I do not want to comment on such food pictures and I would like to leave the comment to you and give some examples about special presentation food pictures prepared for show;

 

* Different decorations and decor types that stand out more than the food itself on the main course plate,

* Chocolate in a woman's shoe and a scoop of ice cream standing on it

* Egg-sized food made of special mixtures served on a marble milk, and a live bird in a nest made of straw next to it,

* Food varieties prepared in the form of male and female reproductive organs,

* Cookies and candies with cut finger and nail shapes,

* A dessert made in the shape of a toilet bowl and a human figure made of chocolate sitting on it…

* Especially in special food presentations in steak restaurants , excessive use of carbon dioxide ice and artificial flames that sometimes even cause a fire in the restaurant,

* Stuffed meatballs on the dinner plate, around which uncooked beans are sprinkled,

* Dried lentils and castor beans of different colors scattered around a grilled shrimp on the same dinner plate,

 

Such food presentations can only be made with the aim of attracting attention, raising awareness or emphasizing any subject. Although it is desired to create an emphasis on personal thoughts and creativity in special food presentations, I think that general reputation and ethical respect should be taken into account. Here, another detail goes into the subject and brings to mind the question of what respect and ethical rules should be taken into account. The world is not just about Turkish Culinary Culture. Since there are 194 countries in the world, something that is very wrong for us may be a habit that is very normal for others.

 

What matters is your purpose and the community you want to appeal to. The tool you want to use in line with your goal. Working properly and presenting the vehicle you want to use (ie the type of food and food products) in the most accurate way. Now, first of all, I would like to give examples about the features and special presentation techniques in special food presentations, taking into account the Turkish cuisine. It is difficult for me to explain everything in detail here, but my colleagues and other related professional groups who have spent at least 3-4 years as a chef in the culinary profession will understand me…

 

What are the most important presentation techniques to be considered in traditional Turkish cuisine, Fusion cuisine , Modern Turkish cuisine ?

 

The kitchen is an identity. Food, on the other hand, is the main headings, values ​​and other features in the identity. What should a food presentation reflect and what should not? In my purpose in this article, I will only remind you of some issues in a negative or positive way, and I will remind you of the balances that can be a source of doing the right thing for those who work on this subject. I will ask the questions that need to be asked in this field so that the study owners can find their own answers...

 

The food identity, which I have emphasized in the 2022 world restaurant trends that I have written before, is taken into account in professional dimensions, together with its name, tells the cuisine it belongs to. In order to better introduce the geography it belongs to and Turkish cuisine in the world, I will write about the issues that we should pay attention to in our food presentations in the form of questions and answers, and some of them in an explanatory way. 

 

Those who really devote themselves to the following items and read them will definitely find the real answers…

 

* Could it be the identity information of the actually used products that they call new food trends in gastronomy ?

* Were you influenced by new culinary trends while preparing the food presentation?

* What is the element that creates the fusion in the food presentation?

* What are the themes that should be reflected in a food image?

* How many themes should be brought together for a food image that can raise awareness?

* How can a meal be appropriate for the times? 

* How does a dish become modern?

* In gastronomic culture, should a food picture reflect the cuisine it belongs to?

* For starters, why is my restaurant failing questions How real should a food image be?

* How does a dish reflect the concept of a restaurant?

* Are the sauces used in the meal included in the meal or in separate containers?

* What should be the characteristics of contemporary food?

* What should be considered for food pictures to be published in the magazine?

 

* How many interactions are taken into account when preparing the fusion dish?

* What is the measure of preparing a dinner plate?

* How many objects should be in a food picture that will attract attention?

* What is the main theme in the images of the most different vegan dishes?

* In today's conditions, how should modern Turkish cuisine food presentations reflect the past? 

* When preparing your best food pictures, do you consider the criteria for where they will be published?

* What do you think the special food presentation you have prepared should reflect?

* Is there a handbook for the best food presentations?

* What do innovative Turkish cuisine chefs actually mean when they say Modern Turkish cuisine in their special food presentations? 

* Does the name of the fusion dish remind you of fusion sources?

* Who do you want to gain the likes of your food image?

* Inedible products were used on the plates of special food presentations?

* What is the subject of fusion food presentation?

* Can the gastronomic culture actually be your own culinary culture?

* Does a good chef's food presentations reflect his own concept?

* Is there a list of products to combine for food presentations in gastronomy trends?

* Can the understanding of modern Turkish cuisine cause the original recipes to change?

* Are the complementary products of the meal (side dish) suitable for the subject in terms of healthy nutrition?

 

* To what extent or how much should the developing gastronomy standards change the shape of the food?

* How important is reality in special food presentations?

* What should a meal from Turkish cuisine reflect in today's conditions?

* Do special food presentations have anything to do with honesty?

* Is it possible to prepare a food image that everyone can enjoy?

* What do you think should be at the forefront of a special food presentation?

* Can a person be satisfied with a tiny meal on a huge plate?

* How can a deep-rooted sense of cuisine and taste be reflected in the image?

* Do food images have anything to do with the most successful menu engineering ?

* Who prepares the product list for a special dish to be created?

* Do you think the food presentation suits your identity?

* Does the specified name of the dish match the identity of the dish?

* Does the most important interaction in a special fusion dish have a connection with the name of the dish?

* Is the visual on the back of the food presentation from the identity information of the food?

* Are the complementary elements of the meal important enough to guide the fusion composition?

* How important is the food image background for street tastes?

* Does the dinner plate have suitable features according to the physical shape of the fusion food?

* What should the understanding of modern Turkish cuisine reflect in 2022 world gastronomy trends in special food pictures?

 

* Does the weight of the food reflect the reality?

* How much of the dinner plate should be left empty in special food presentations?

* Does the cooking technique used in the preparation of the dish exist in the alleged culinary culture?

* What is your target audience in your special food presentations?

* So what does modern Turkish cuisine mean? 

* Is there an object that stands out more than the food, which is the subject in the food presentation that is photographed?

* How did you put the complementary materials you put next to the meal in culinary science ?

* Is the background of the food image plain?

* Are the meals in the restaurant brochures served to their guests in the same way?

* Is there a difference between a food picture that will appear on the social network or in the newspaper?

* Which audience should be considered in food presentation visuals?

* Are the ingredients used in the food available in the specified geography?

* What should be considered in the pictures to be published on the social network?

* Does the modernity of the food reflect on its 'style' or its taste?

* What do the objects used in the presentation remind you of? 

* Does the presentation of the food have features from your restaurant concept?

* Does the dinner plate on which the presentation is made have a connection with the source cultures?

* What culture do the motifs for the small opening on the dinner plate remind you of?

* How many objects are striking in the food image?

* Is the shape of the plate suitable for the mission you want to tell?

 

 

* Is the size of the plate suitable with the weight of the meal?

* How much was the culinary culture to be emphasized in the main subject of the meal before the grand opening in your restaurant ?

* Are there any issues to be considered for special food presentations to be published in the website news?

* Is the plate you will serve the food suitable for the physical characteristics of the food?

* How accurate is it to put inedible products on the dinner plate and show it as a meal?

 

I think the above questions will help to find answers about the issues that should be considered in a special meal presentation. At the same time, they will be able to add more details to the shots by remembering the subjects that they never thought of, or maybe they will remove some details. It is absolutely important to prepare a success-oriented presentation for special food pictures. 

 

But what are the most important issues or issues to be considered here? In order to be aware of what we do and why, it is useful to answer the following questions in order to determine our main goals...

 

* Are your food pictures fit for purpose?

* What will you promote with related images?

* Who are you trying to reach?

* Why are you doing this work?

* What are your expectations from the Promotion of the food image?

* For whom are you doing it?

* Who are you doing it for?

* Do you want to increase your guest portfolio?

* Where will it be published?

* Would you like to introduce your special dish itself?

* Want to promote your restaurant?

* Want to introduce your Chef?

 

Example for Your Purpose:

 

Should the chef holding the food be in the foreground in the food image, or should the food be in the foreground or the restaurant's logo? Although this is a matter entirely related to your purpose, only you can give the answer. The presentation details that need to be prepared should be prepared completely in line with your answer. 

 

In conclusion, I would like to give a short information about your fusion dishes.

 

Fusion cuisine does not belong to any country or geography. For example, a dish consisting of Russian caviar, Malatya apricot and French Permessan cheese is a fusion dish. Fusion cuisine is an anonymous cuisine with its own unique features. Anatolian geography, where life began in the world and civilizations existed and disappeared, is the perfect place for fusion flavors. Today, where successful Turkish cuisine chefs lead innovations, fusion flavors are developed with classical, modern and molecular methods.

 

The most important feature of fusion cuisine in refined cuisines is the old or new flavors that emerge from the accumulation and combination of products grown in different geographies. Here, not only the combination of the products, but also the preparation stages of the product and the cooking techniques are among the effective reasons for the formation of fusion flavors. Although some of these flavors are already existing dishes, they are discovered by successful and researcher chefs in international cuisines, and are recorded in our kitchens in the world of gastronomy.

 

Fusion cuisine-themed dishes are easier to create by our innovative and creative chefs as new flavors never before. At the same time, more natural images can be captured in such dishes. Fusion food has a story. A dish with a story always wins. These food stories are one of the most important elements that should be included in special food presentations. A perfect food image, a taste from civilizations and the story of labor are the strongest supporters of the subject you want to bring to the agenda.

 

Ahmet Ozdemir

Coord. Executive Chef 

International Restaurant and Cuisine Consultant

Ottoman and Turkish Cuisine World Volunteer Ambassador