“Don’t worry about the money”: Grandpa Marino 1975

I’m proud to share these Oneida Foodservice catalog cover shots which I was part of… I did the food styling for the shots.

It’s so much fun working with creatively designed plates. Oneida does not sell food, they sell table-top items, cookware, etc… So, determining what should be presented on each tabletop item for the photo is a challenge, and the most fun part about the job.

Preparing the old time recipes that are still as good as anything served today (if not better), with a new plating technique, is my favorite attack on the challenge.

Knowing how to prepare the food is one thing. Styling the food for a photo or video takes a whole other set of other skills, tools and preparation. I’m also only a cog in the wheel to the success of the final shot. The art director being organized and decisive is a must, while the prop stylist has to be at the top of their game, and an excellent team player. The food photographer / videographer must have the abilities to figure out the best lighting techniques, etc… to bring it all together, making the shot a real hero!

I look at and study other chef’s work everyday, to get inspired. I’ve done this for years. Yes, I do dream, test and cook my own ideas, but it’s always good to see what other chefs in the industry are accomplishing.

Working as a food stylist is so much fun and very challenging. Because it’s a creative- artistic job, everyone involved can have different opinions. My opinion matters, but the client is buying the work, so they have to be happy with the final product. They have the final say… we are reaching their goals not ours.

I never forget what Grandpa Marino used to tell me, when I was a kid. I worked for him at the shoe shop repairing shoes. He would say… “Don’t ever worry about the money”, just do your best, do a good job… your payment is the customer’s smile. If you can make the customer smile, the money will come.