Photographing food is a tricky business. Foods always looks it's best when immediately freshly prepared. So food stylists incorporate lots of very clever tricks to keep food looking great whilst the photographer works.

This article covers some great tricks food stylists use:

• Wood Blocks & Wedges
  A large assortment of blocks and wedges in multiple thicknesses are a must. These are used to change the height or angle of items. You can by clear plastic wedges from hardware stores, or simply get a miter saw and make your own. Wedges and blocks are good to have in sets of 3 or more all the same size so you can adjust things much like you would a tripod.
   
• Bestine
  This is a solvent & a thinner. If there is a sticky little label that you want to remove cleanly and quickly use Bestine. Works best on glass. Be very careful on plastic or painted surfaces as Bestine can potentially melt through.
   
• Lipstick
  Great for red foods and deserts where you really want to make those red berries stand out.
   
• Vegetable Oil & Brush
  When photographing hot food, like something straight off the grill, after a period of time it will loose it's luster, when this occurs there are a few tricks, but the easiest is to just lightly brush with vegetable oil. 
   
• Glycerin 
  When mixed with water it is used in the same way as vegetable oil. Generally used more for cooler foods like deserts and salads etc. It can be applied by a brush, in an atomizer or as large droplets by a medical syringe. 
   
• Dulling Spray
  Get yourself a few atomizers and fill them up with various liquids that can be used as a dulling spray. Dulling spray is also clear liquid that can be used to dull the shine on objects. Quite often when paragraphing foods especially shiny deserts, and shiny stainless steel items, you need to dull down the shine. 
   
• Water Atomizer
  Its an age-old look, the water droplets on the can of soft drink on a hot summers day. This is sometimes achieved by an atomizer simply filled with water. Alternatively you can spray a dulling spray to give a frosted look, and then flick on some fake crushed ice.
   
• Non-Stain Putty
  Putty is used to hold items in place or items together. For example you have the picture all perfectly set up, you have those salad tongs placed perfectly but your food stylist is playing with the lettuce leaves. A little bit of putty will hold those salad tongs in place just where you want it, avoiding them being bumped, or slipping into the bowl etc. A very handy item 
   
• Plastic Ice Cubes
  These can be purchased from special effects stores. They come in lots of different shapes and sizes and are a must when photographing drinks and beverages, real ice obviously melts rapidly under lighting. Fake ice cubes look the real thing all day long.
   
• Fake Crushed Ice 
  This comes in powder form and looks a bit like those water saving granules used in gardens. When you add water it expands and becomes a clear and slushy just like crushed ice. It can be tricky to use, so practice with it, as your studio space can get messy quickly if you are not careful. When photographing cocktails for example this product is used instead of actual crushed ice! and for packaging, bottles and cans the best application is to flick it across surface in a random way.
   
• Fake Crystal Ice - This is the same product as fake crushed ice, however it is larger in size. You can use this for drinks or in a cooler for example. They take longer to become fully hydrated so be patient, and don't make large amounts as you will certainly have excess. 
   
• Lemon Juice
  If you are photographing fresh fruit or vegetables that are sliced or cut, mix a little lemon juice in water and soak the fruit quickly, this will slow down oxidation and discoloring and the food should stay its natural color longer. You can also buy a product called 'fruit fresh' from many super markets that is in powder form and will do the same trick by shaking a little of it over the item.
   
• Glue
  Get a very sticky emulsion type glue that is clear. Its great for making various food items stick together or stay in exactly the right place. In some cases some food stylists will also make sauces mixed with glue, to create a thick creamy effect or drip effect that wont move and will remain shiny for hours!

If you are interested in a career that envolves food photography see the article: Career Guide: Food Photography.