Dear Melissa,
As an aspiring food and lifestyle photographer, I’m fascinated with the behind-the-scenes of shooting a cookbook. Do they really use hairspray to make produce look shiny? How do you keep track of all the photos you’re taking? Do you get to eat the food after you photograph it? Please tell all! —Food Photographer in Training
Dear Food Photographer,
I happened to be on-set for the styling and photography of the delicious food you’ll find in The New Whole30. I spent a full day working with the photography team, food stylists, and prop stylists to bring our Whole30 recipes to life. In fact, I’ve been on-set for nearly all of my cookbook photography, and it’s always a fun and fascinating experience. Here’s what it was like behind the scenes of The New Whole30, working with the dream-team who made it happen.
Prop styling: Vanessa Vazquez
What is prop styling, and what is your styling philosophy?
Prop styling is storytelling. It is both an art and a skill, requiring creativity, an eye for detail, and a deep understanding of the essence of your props. It also demands comprehension of how everyday objects can influence perception and narrative. My styling philosophy is rooted in the belief that every object has a story to tell, and my role is to bring that story to life through careful placement and curation. In essence, I’m helping to craft a richer, more immersive narrative experience.
How did you choose the props for The New Whole30?
Each prop was selected to complement the principles of Whole30, reflecting the ease and accessibility of Whole30 cooking. I used my understanding of the brand and audience to create a cohesive look, using a distinct color palette and selection of textures and materials. The lifestyle of the Whole30 audience guided my choices, ensuring every prop and composition aligned with the brand’s core values. I also ensured this styling fit with past books, while creating a fresh new look for these vibrant recipes. In the end, I leaned towards subtlety and functionality, using textural elements and natural accents aimed to create a serene and inviting environment.
What do you remember most about working on the set of The New Whole30?
What I remember most are the laughs, the delicious recipes, and the collaborative ease we had on this shoot. The energy on set was connective. Every decision was a shared process. Knowing that this image will live in a cookbook to inspire others adds a layer of pride to your work. There is joy in seeing your creative vision come to life! These Whole30 recipes offer creative new ways to cook simple whole meals—and this is exactly how I cook at home.
Food styling: Barrett Washburne
What is your food styling philosophy?
I want the food to be beautiful, but accessible—”perfectly imperfect.” Many years ago when I was a young and eager food stylist-to-be, I was assisting a woman named Anne Disrude. She was such an incredible talent and mentor, but what always stuck with me was the day she said, “The food is going to go where it wants to…you just have to let it.” This is something I tell all of my assistants to this day. If you push something too much, it is going to look like you are trying too hard. It takes a gentle hand that knows when to stop. Let the food be the star—it knows what it wants to do!
What is a food styling myth you’d like to set straight?
The two biggest myths about my job is that everything is fake, and that the food just magically appears and I arrange it and spray stuff on it to make it pretty. All of my food is 100% edible! I HATE wasting food. I take a ton of leftovers home…and so does everyone else on set. No one goes home hungry!
You have to source the best ingredients and be an excellent cook to be a food stylist—honestly, that’s 95% of it. When the client sends me the recipes, I shop for all of the raw ingredients and get them to the studio the day before. (If it’s a cookbook, I stagger my shopping throughout the week.) I have an assistant who helps with cooking, cleanup, and sometimes shopping. It’s amazing the results you can get with a well-cooked recipe; I usually only need a spritz of water or a brush of oil to make things look fresh and perfect.
How did you decide on the styling techniques you used for The New Whole30?
When styling The New Whole30, I wanted to make sure the food looked like something you could do at home. I never want something I style in a cookbook to look too difficult or fussy—or God forbid, like a DIET BOOK. I wanted the food to look colorful, fresh, and absolutely delicious! It’s easy when the recipes are great and the client trusts you to make them shine. These Whole30 recipes were thoughtful, healthy, and so damn delicious. My partner and I were so thrilled to dig into all the leftovers every night. I really hope that the fun we had translates into the photos you see.
Photography: Ghazalle Badiozamani
What is your food photography philosophy?
I want the viewer to relate in some way to each image; to be drawn in and have an emotional reaction to each shot. The ultimate goal is to make the food look as delicious and tempting as possible, so the viewer wants to reach out and eat it right now.
My aesthetic style is focused on showcasing the beautiful realism in my subjects. I want to take truly gorgeous pictures of real food; it will be perfectly imperfect. I use lighting and composition to draw the viewer’s eye in and bring out the subject’s intrinsic beauty. You can find beauty in anything! An onion can look ethereal, a fig can be sexy—if you photograph it well. The mood or vibe of the image is also very important. One project can require a cozy and rustic vibe, while another has a bright and minimalist look, and a third can be dark and moody.
During the shoot, we print mini Polaroid-style prints to create the photo wall. Each shot is laid out by chapter to ensure balance, in terms of the camera angle, composition, color palette, food plating, etc. For Whole30 cookbooks in particular, I always make sure the dishes look plentiful and filling. We don’t want it to look like “diet food.”
How did you decide on the bright, colorful, energetic vibe for The New Whole30?
You (Melissa) inspired it! After talking with you and the publisher about this book, it was clear we needed to do something different. Since this book offers a new perspective on the Whole30, I wanted that represented in the photography as well. You gave us guidance on how you wanted this book to feel, and I ran with that as inspiration. The previous books were all very pretty, but the photography style was more safe and commercially driven. This time, you gave us a lot more creative freedom, and we did not hold back!
What do you remember most about working on the set of The New Whole30?
What I remember most is how much fun we had working together and creating something beautiful. It’s such a joy when we get to work with people that collaborate so well together, and everyone’s talents are utilized and showcased. My team is full of extremely talented artists.
Also, these Whole30 recipes were delicious! We all ate like kings during the shoot! The leftovers from each shot are usually bagged up and taken home, but some dishes don’t even make it home. (The Crispy Potato Stacks and Veggie-Stuffed Prosciutto Snack Rolls did not make it to the end of the day.) The sauces were also a hit. The Olive-Walnut Vinaigrette in the salmon dish was so delicious, I could eat it on anything! And the Apple-Coconut Raita for the Tandoori-Spiced Fish was unbelievable. I’ve done the Whole30 several times, and I continue to be impressed with the amount of mouth-watering recipes you come up with each time.
Appreciation for the whole team
This gorgeous Whole30 cookbook and the mouth-watering photos of our Whole30 recipes would not be possible without the support of the whole team, including Brett Regot, who stepped in with food styling for the last half of the shoot. A huge thank you to the other assistants and creatives on-set, including EJ Muniz, Chris Smith, Brett Statman, Paul Wang, Yoora Kim, and Evan McWeeny.
You’ve seen behind the scenes of The New Whole30, now get your copy wherever books are sold, including in-store at Target starting on October 1! Learn more and order the book in the US, Canada, and internationally here.
Photo credit (all): Ghazalle Badiozamani
