Faking It uncovers the glue, instant mash and unsavoury secrets of food photography

Date
15 March 2016

Photography is rarely an honest medium, particularly in the delectable yet deceitful world of food photography. To make things look delicious, photographers and art directors have many a trick up their sleeves, and set designer and art director Sandy Suffield has decided to fling open the doors and reveal the tricks of the trade. In the series Faking It, she worked with photographer Dan Matthews and food stylist Jack Sargeson to create a body of work that manages to both subvert and comply with the nuances of high-end food shots.

We see how the “ice cream” is in fact made out of instant mash potato and champagne made out of water, soy sauce and Alka-Seltzer. Behind the apparent glamour lies glue, clever lighting and talcum powder; proving in a beautiful and playful way that things are very rarely as they seem. “Faking It was an idea I had prompted by how food styling used to have to factor in the heat from lights (this is obviously no longer a problem) – so it forced food stylists into making ice cream from instant mashed potato and milk from PVA glue,” Sandy explains.

Sandy has previously worked at Pentagram and Apple, and has been creative director at Wolff Olins for the last three years.

Above

Sandy Suffield, Dan Matthews and Jack Sargeson: Faking It

Above

Sandy Suffield, Dan Matthews and Jack Sargeson: Faking It

Above

Sandy Suffield, Dan Matthews and Jack Sargeson: Faking It

Above

Sandy Suffield, Dan Matthews and Jack Sargeson: Faking It

Above

Sandy Suffield, Dan Matthews and Jack Sargeson: Faking It

Share Article

About the Author

Emily Gosling

Emily joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in the summer of 2014 after four years at Design Week. She is particularly interested in graphic design, branding and music. After working It's Nice That as both Online Editor and Deputy Editor, Emily left the company in 2016.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.