Cover Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
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We ask three of the country’s best—Sharlene Tan Aspe, Chichi Tullao Garcia, and Bel Alvarez—to share their stories and what it takes to be (a good) one
A good food story or cookbook has written content that should engage the reader. But, before that even happens, it is the striking images of food that are meant to grab the reader’s attention, captivating the beholder to pique their interest enough and hopefully get the message across. Food stylists are given the task of working with the photographer in producing food photos that are appetising, for sure, but also thought-provoking and memorable.
How does one even become a food stylist? There seems to be no direct path, something we have gathered from three ladies who made prolific careers out of making food look good. It helps to be already in a food-adjacent industry, points out Sharlene Tan Aspe. “During my time in Summit Media, I got assigned to work on a lot of food articles for different magazines, which involved developing recipes and shooting the food required for the articles,” she says. “I stayed as part of the team for a little over a year, and during that time, I was working on most of the recipe pages and the monthly cover stories, which involved a lot of recipe development and food styling. It was a colleague, my food editor during that time, Pam Lim-Cinco (of Risa Chocolates), who actually urged me to look into doing food styling full time as a career.”
More from Tatler: How to be a food writer
Above Photo courtesy of Sharlene Aspe
Above Photo courtesy of Sharlene Aspe
Photo courtesy of Sharlene Aspe
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Chichi Tullao Garcia, who counts the Philippines’ top restaurants among her many clients, professes how her deep love for food has not only gotten her through some dark times, but also led to her career shift. “Growing up, my mum’s passion for baking and cooking, together with her collection of cookbooks exposed me to the culinary arts. I would marvel at the beautiful photographs, and dream of one day producing a book with my favourite recipes. I began a food blog after a life-threatening episode to decompress, relieve stress, and pursue a creative outlet. My audience liked my photos well enough for them to ask me to do basic food photography and styling for their businesses. As I was focused on my career in banking and finance, I could only take these projects on during weekends. As my clientele grew, I needed to seriously evaluate whether a career change was necessary.” After a trip to New York, where she interned for a top food stylist, she came to the realisation that she really enjoyed it, which prompted her to resign from her job at the bank.
See also: Chef and restaurateur Jen Gerodias has turned Casa Luisa into a full-service restaurant
Above Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
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Above Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
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For Bel Alvarez, it was an empty nest that catapulted her to begin a career at age forty, teaming up with husband Ocs Alvarez, who is a commercial photographer. “I was happily a housewife bringing up our children. Then they grew up. So I started managing Ocs’s bookings and his business in general. When our children were in college and driving themselves to their classes and training and tournaments (they are all athletes), I had nothing much to do. So Ocs asked me if I wanted to be a stylist. Anyway, I knew how a shoot flows and the protocols. The choices were makeup, fashion, and food. I tried food on one of his shoots, and I loved it!”
Above Photo courtesy of Bel Alvarez
Photo courtesy of Bel Alvarez
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Success at food styling is not ensured just because one is passionate about food, photography, or both. There are certain, precise qualities, very specific requirements and a highly explicit skillset that help one excel at a job. Attention to detail surely helps, according to Aspe. “Being super OC (obsessive-compulsive) about things really comes in handy in this job. Unless it’s intentional to make it look messy, a smudge of dirt on the plate, an uneven drip of ketchup on the edge of a burger bun or a piece of vegetable leaf sticking out of the plate will not go unnoticed,” she expounds. Garcia says that being able to think quickly on your feet is also an asset: “The ability to problem-solve is an essential quality I believe I have, as no assignment will ever be straightforward.” And, like for most creatives, having a good eye surely helps. “Food styling is like solving a puzzle,” explains Alvarez. “You find ways to put together parts and turn them into a beautiful output. I would also say, and this is true for all kinds of stylists, that it is important to know the basics of aesthetics.”
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Above Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Above Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
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Perhaps because aesthetics are always changing and evolving with the times, so are the demands on food styling. Technology as well has improved over time, so post-production used to be “more complicated” according to Alvarez. However “you [still] make sure your food looks good in the photos even without post-prod,” she says. Both Aspe and Garcia agree that the trend is more geared towards “authenticity and realism.” Aspe recalls: “I remember how looking for that perfect shaped bun was crucial to burger shoots so I had to order my buns from a bakery, have them picked up by car by my driver with my own plastic trays and containers. Meat and vegetable cuts needed to be perfect and equal and sauces with an oily film were not preferred. Ice had to be fake so that they kept their perfect square shape. These days, some clients still request for this, but others have become more forgiving and have accepted creases and melts and unevenness to be part of the natural look. Clients like to make content more relatable to consumers by not making things look too polished.”
Read more: Learn all about the iconic Chinese food favourite, East Ocean Palace
Above Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
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To those who want to get into food styling, these seasoned experts stress the value of constant education and self-improvement. “Invest in yourself,” prods Garcia. “Take short courses to expose yourself to the theoretical aspect of styling. Listen to professionals, open your eyes to the realities of this industry. Travel—immerse yourself in different cultures and global trends, and visit new places to open your eyes to the new and unique. And of course, eat to be inspired.” Aspe firmly believes that experience is still the best teacher. “Start by styling and taking photos of your own food to see how food behaves. What I like about food styling is it’s not a one-way street. Each food stylist can achieve the same result using their own technique. The only way to discover your own technique is to try it out.” And if there is anything that Alvarez learned in her 20 years in the business, it’s that you just have to dive right in. She says: “If you like everything in and around a shoot and preparing food, go for it!”
Above Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Above Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
Photo courtesy of Chichi Tullao Garcia
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
