Creating Media Images

I found myself thinking, once again, about the notion of truth in photography and how, although we have been speaking a lot about the body in relation to truth, the puck does not stop at perfectly manicured toes of the photo-shopped lingerie model. Almost all images we see in a day ( and we see sooo many these days ) have been meticulously planned, positioned, propped up, and pimped out ( and likely photoshoppped) to grab the viewer's attention, to hopefully stand out from that sea of images marketers know we are exposed to. Heck, these days even people photographing what's for lunch will carefully arrange the elements of their meal to create an interesting composition, will place the plate in the area with great natural light (no matter how removed from the eating area - dessert on the bathroom counter anyone?), and then enhance the image with a filter so that their image has their friends oohing and ahhing with jealousy and crossing their fingers for an invite to their next dinner party.

Taco Tuesdays! (2014) Photo by Katrina Smith

I've done it. You've probably done it too.

Honestly, I don't think that the average home cook who stages their food photos is hurting anyone with their nicely styled dinner plates; but what about all those advertisements that entice us to buy things? What about billboards, commercials and print ads that have us craving specific brands and products as a result of viewing their beautiful product images? What is the truth behind those images?

Truth: Consumer protection laws in North America general state that if you are advertising a food product you must use real food in any advertising campaigns.

Reality: Using real food does not mean that it has been prepared the way it would be prepared in reality or that stylists/photographers have used only the food products that would be used in real life.

For instance most meat products are still raw inside when photographed, having only been seared briefly with grill marks applied with a metal skewer. Bubbles in soda have been augmented with Alkaseltzer tablets, and fruit has been painted with lipstick, liquid deodorant, or sprayed with glycerin to create the perfect ready-to-eat finish.

McDonald's Big Mac Ad, (2009) Re-photographed by Cfinke
Retreived from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cfinke/3932454671/

Let's be honest here, I understand why companies, especially fast food companies, feel the need to stage their photos. I have never eaten at a fast food restaurant and had a meal that I really wanted to photograph. The burgers are tiny, the toppings are usually messy, the buns are squished, the fries are cold and the soda is flat.  If their photos looked the way the meals actually look when they are plopped down on your tray, people would probably not be craving Big Macs half as much.

Although this type of bent-truth advertising may seem less problematic then images which promote unhealthy and unrealistic bodies, the issues are closely related. In the same way that young people's opinions of beauty and health are influenced by media, so is their sense of what is good to put in their bodies, what is the "in thing" to eat or drink. Often the two are actually paired together into a kind of media sandwich that positions the "perfect body" with the picture perfect foods. All aspects of the scene become glamorized.

I think discussing product images and advertising truths is an important conversation to have with our students and would also offer a host of options for creating engaging media works ( which as a strand of the MEQ curriculum I often hear colleages and peers struggling with).  The MEQ has also laid out a policy for encouraging healthy eating and active living in schools, so with this type of activity you have the potential to check off a couple of important boxes.

Some lesson ideas could include:

Stock image, (n.d.) Retrieved from: http://pixabay.com/en/fruit-orange-lime-apple-pumpkin-15238/

~ Have students create their own photo ad campaigns that glorify healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. All those beautiful colours and shapes make for amazing photos.  Discuss compositional techniques like radial, symmetrical and asymmetrical balance, repetition, texture etc... or use the activity to practice colour theory.  Encourage students to use light boxes, spot lights, spray bottles etc... and see who can make the most appetizing image.

Bami Haeng (2010) Photo by: Takeaway.
Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bami_haeng.jpg

~ Have students work with peers in cooking / home ec. class to create picture perfect images of the recipes their peers are cooking ( using only the student cooked food, altering only composition, plating, and lighting - no motor oil syrup please!). Create a cook book, menu or recipe cards with the results.To encourage more interesting photos, discuss depth of field, selective focus, and shooting from different angles.

Fast Food Ads vs. Reality Spoiler, via @zyote (2012). Jonathan Dickens
Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/schwa23/6771623693/

 ~ Have students create images which utilize all those staging tricks and then re-create those same images with the actual food products. Create posters which show both images and include textual elements which will inform viewers about the reality of food advertisements.

So many possibilities!

http://content.photojojo.com/tips/food-photography-tips/

http://www.pinterest.com/nrlondon/photography-fruits-food/

Going the Healthy Route at School, Ministere de Education, Loisirs, et Sports.
http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/en/current-initiatives/going-the-healthy-route-at-school/

Ministere de Education, Loisirs, et Sports. Visual Arts Program Guide: Creates Media Images p. 18  - 24
http://www1.mels.gouv.qc.ca/sections/programmeFormation/secondaire2/medias/en/8c_QEP_ArtPlast.pdf