739 shares 30 View comments Playing with food: Marilinda Hodgdon has been a food stylist since 1978, using her artistic eye to make food look as appealing as possible A woman whose job it is to make food camera-ready has revealed the techniques behind her most mouth-watering ads.Marilinda Hodgdon, who got her degree in ceramics and metal sculpting, has been a food stylist since 1978, using her artistic eye to make everything from ice cream to pasta look as appealing as possible.She told ABC News that the biggest challenge of her job is not just rendering food picture-perfect, but accomplishing that while also maintaining its authenticity to the real-life product.'If it's,Nike Air Max 90 Blue uk, say, Burger King, or a fast food chain, everything must be according to a standard,' she explained. 'I have to slice a tomato exactly to their specification; I have to use their meat and their rolls and their cheese and their condiments... It has to be representative of what the real thing is.'A big part of her job is attention to detail, and Ms Hodgdon is a perfectionist when it comes to getting the photo exactly right.She claims, for example, that she has sifted through hundreds of sesame seed buns before to find the perfect one for a hamburger shot. Perfectionist: She claims that she has sifted through hundreds of sesame seed buns before to find the perfect one for a hamburger shot (pictured: a Burger King ad by Ms Hodgdon) The former sculptor,Nike Air Max 90 Womens Dark Grey Pink, who ran a home renovation company before becoming a food stylist, says her unconventional background gave her the skills necessary to excel in the field.Her knowledge of ceramics and sculpture, for instance,Air Max 90 Boots uk, gave her 'a great sense of color and design and texture and drama' which she was able to translate into food styling. More... From a Frozen-themed sandwich to ghost-shaped snacks for Halloween: 'Lunchbox Dad' creates edible masterpieces for his children to pack for school I'll have a Monster Mac please: Website lifts the lid on secret orders at your favorite fast food chains... including Starbucks' Liquid Cocaine and Burger King's SUICIDE burger Much like a make-up artist, she carries a tool bag to each job, complete with brushes, Q-tips and spray-cans filled with olive oil to prep her food before it gets in front of the camera.There are some widely-used tricks of the food styling trade - like adding water to beverages before photographing them so that light will filter through and add sparkle. Tools of the trade: Much like a make-up artist,Nike Air Max 2014 Black Orange, she carries a bag of brushes, Q-tips and spray-cans filled with olive oil to prep her food (pictured: a Cool Whip ad) For the most part, however, Ms Hodgdon tries to avoid these somewhat deceptive tricks, using her own creative techniques instead.She says, for example, that a mark of a truly talented stylist in her field is being able to create a picture-perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream, which tends to melt quickly in a spotlight.Indeed, while many stylists use mounds of Crisco bound together with corn syrup to simulate ice cream, she sticks to the real stuff, painstakingly creating a new scoop for every single camera take.Some of Ms Hodgdon's work includes commercials for Friendly's, Applebees, Dunkin' Donuts and TGI Friday's as well as print ads for Publix and Cool Whip. Keen eye: The stylist, who has done ads for many food chains, says her knowledge of ceramics and sculpture gave her 'a great sense of color and design and texture and drama' which she brings to food styling No faking: Many stylists use mounds of Crisco bound with corn syrup to look like ice cream, but Ms Hodgdon sticks to the real stuff, painstakingly creating a new scoop for every single take She's also coming out with a book detailing her life as a food stylist, with food shots styled by her and shot by photographer David Bishop.Food styling has long been an important part of advertising and film, but the rules and regulations that stand today came about after an incident in 1970.That year, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation of the Campbell Soup Company and discovered that they were photographing bowls of soup with glass marbles inside to make the liquid look chunkier. Professional: She is one of the most in-demand people in an industry where the best stylists get paid up to six figures annually (pictured: a deviled egg styled by Ms Hodgdon) Life story: Ms Hodgdon is soon coming out with a book about her time as a food stylist, with photos taken by David Bishop (pictured: a shot of baked arctic char form the book) Since then, Ms Hodgdon and her fellow food stylists have had to follow a strict set of advertising guidelines.But that doesn't mean she doesn't get creative when it comes to getting the right food photos When, for example, a director asked her to style meatballs so that they'd bounce when they landed on sandwich bread, Ms Hodgdon was quick on her feet.Since meatballs are
739 shares 30 View comments Playing with food: Marilinda Hodgdon has been a food stylist since 1978, using her artistic eye to make food look as appealing as possible A woman whose job it is to make food camera-ready has revealed the techniques behind her most mouth-watering ads.Marilinda Hodgdon, who got her degree in ceramics and metal sculpting, has been a food stylist since 1978, using her artistic eye to make everything from ice cream to pasta look as appealing as possible.She told ABC News that the biggest challenge of her job is not just rendering food picture-perfect, but accomplishing that while also maintaining its authenticity to the real-life product.'If it's,Nike Air Max 90 Blue uk, say, Burger King, or a fast food chain, everything must be according to a standard,' she explained. 'I have to slice a tomato exactly to their specification; I have to use their meat and their rolls and their cheese and their condiments... It has to be representative of what the real thing is.'A big part of her job is attention to detail, and Ms Hodgdon is a perfectionist when it comes to getting the photo exactly right.She claims, for example, that she has sifted through hundreds of sesame seed buns before to find the perfect one for a hamburger shot. Perfectionist: She claims that she has sifted through hundreds of sesame seed buns before to find the perfect one for a hamburger shot (pictured: a Burger King ad by Ms Hodgdon) The former sculptor,Nike Air Max 90 Womens Dark Grey Pink, who ran a home renovation company before becoming a food stylist, says her unconventional background gave her the skills necessary to excel in the field.Her knowledge of ceramics and sculpture, for instance,Air Max 90 Boots uk, gave her 'a great sense of color and design and texture and drama' which she was able to translate into food styling. More... From a Frozen-themed sandwich to ghost-shaped snacks for Halloween: 'Lunchbox Dad' creates edible masterpieces for his children to pack for school I'll have a Monster Mac please: Website lifts the lid on secret orders at your favorite fast food chains... including Starbucks' Liquid Cocaine and Burger King's SUICIDE burger Much like a make-up artist, she carries a tool bag to each job, complete with brushes, Q-tips and spray-cans filled with olive oil to prep her food before it gets in front of the camera.There are some widely-used tricks of the food styling trade - like adding water to beverages before photographing them so that light will filter through and add sparkle. Tools of the trade: Much like a make-up artist,Nike Air Max 2014 Black Orange, she carries a bag of brushes, Q-tips and spray-cans filled with olive oil to prep her food (pictured: a Cool Whip ad) For the most part, however, Ms Hodgdon tries to avoid these somewhat deceptive tricks, using her own creative techniques instead.She says, for example, that a mark of a truly talented stylist in her field is being able to create a picture-perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream, which tends to melt quickly in a spotlight.Indeed, while many stylists use mounds of Crisco bound together with corn syrup to simulate ice cream, she sticks to the real stuff, painstakingly creating a new scoop for every single camera take.Some of Ms Hodgdon's work includes commercials for Friendly's, Applebees, Dunkin' Donuts and TGI Friday's as well as print ads for Publix and Cool Whip. Keen eye: The stylist, who has done ads for many food chains, says her knowledge of ceramics and sculpture gave her 'a great sense of color and design and texture and drama' which she brings to food styling No faking: Many stylists use mounds of Crisco bound with corn syrup to look like ice cream, but Ms Hodgdon sticks to the real stuff, painstakingly creating a new scoop for every single take She's also coming out with a book detailing her life as a food stylist, with food shots styled by her and shot by photographer David Bishop.Food styling has long been an important part of advertising and film, but the rules and regulations that stand today came about after an incident in 1970.That year, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation of the Campbell Soup Company and discovered that they were photographing bowls of soup with glass marbles inside to make the liquid look chunkier. Professional: She is one of the most in-demand people in an industry where the best stylists get paid up to six figures annually (pictured: a deviled egg styled by Ms Hodgdon) Life story: Ms Hodgdon is soon coming out with a book about her time as a food stylist, with photos taken by David Bishop (pictured: a shot of baked arctic char form the book) Since then, Ms Hodgdon and her fellow food stylists have had to follow a strict set of advertising guidelines.But that doesn't mean she doesn't get creative when it comes to getting the right food photos When, for example, a director asked her to style meatballs so that they'd bounce when they landed on sandwich bread, Ms Hodgdon was quick on her feet.Since meatballs are