Food photography in the 1980s shifted from mere illustration to lifestyle, reflected by society when many had a higher disposable income. THere was a trend os very heavily dressed lifestyle shots.
Presentation Matters !!
Twenty five years ago magazines and cookbooks focused on the ambience and lifestyle, rather than just the single food product.
In the 1980s, everything in the frame was glossy and in focus. November 1989 the first food magazine in the UK was launched, BBC Good Food magazine, which published a number of recipes from multiple cookery TV programmes. This is significant as before the launch of this magazine there had never been any magazine dedicated to food alone. The picture content was rather minimal however the magazine was filled with glossy food advertisements in order to fund the magazine through its first issue.
After the first few issues in 1990, funded by bigger budgets, the magazine expanded its picture content. The cover always had a white background, with the food shot in a studio, showing a single dish, sometimes with a side or a decorative plate.
After the magazine had been running for five years coloured backgrounds started getting used rather than a plain white background. Also with not only one dish but the use of multiple dishes were shown on the front cover.
The emphasis on 'lifestyle' seemed to be key to food photography at this time. the importance of food and prop stylists was part of the significant transition into better faulty images, where sets were dressed beautifully to accompany the dishes.
The studio flash had been invented in the early 1970s, it was expensive to use the flash to light food, particularly on an editorial budget.
Food stylists and their handiwork is crucial to food photography as an art form. Using substitutes to achieve an aesthetically 'perfect' image, some people say, can be misleading to a consumer but the aim was always to strive for aesthetic perfection and not reality.
The time and effort put into food photography to make the food last long enough for the photographer to capture the best possible light and setting. As food wilts, cracks, melts, and changes colour so food stylists have to work to each element's particular life span.
This visual consistency in arrangement that forces us to liken such food images to still life paintings ini the 17th and 18th Century.
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