What do you do with all the food after the shoot is over?

There’s almost always food left over after any food photography shoot.  We usually buy way more than we know we will need, because we never know exactly how much we’ll need and if we don’t have enough, or the right quality of food, then the shoot suffers.  We choose not to be penny wise and pound foolish, so we almost end up with extra food at the end of the shoot.  I call that food “shootie bootie”.

The client, since they’re ultimately paying for it, get their choice of the food.  Then, the food stylist usually divides the rest up among the food photography crew.  If there is a lot of food left over, we usually take it to a local homeless shelter.  I like to send stuff to the Light of Life Mission, on the North Side of Pittsburgh.  I know, first hand, that they do some amazing work over there and that the food will go to a good cause.