Graphic Design :: Cococello

OK, I’m a magazine addict and as you can see in the photos below, we have a lot of magazines in the house.

In the living room (excuse the ugly basket):
Mags in a basket

In my office:
Magazines on Shelf
Yellow Mag

The reason why I bring up magazines is that we invited our good friends over for dinner the other night and food photography came up so I couldn’t help but think about the conversation while attempting to weed out some magazines. I didn’t get very far (so hard) because I kept getting stuck inside the pages of one of my favorite food magazines.

I can’t speak for our friends or my husband, but I think Gourmet is a must-have. The recipes are accessible and the photography is spectacular. It’s useful. It’s classy. It’s down-to-earth. It feels real and it seems to take more risks, especially with the photography. It’s definitely a visceral experience. So, here are my favorite covers this year (so far) because this is a quick way to share how I relate to the images:

Gourmet Magazine
FEB07. It’s a perfect winter cover. The rich neutral colors and wonderful combination of textures makes it feel so elegantly comfortable. You can feel the warmth and almost smell the soufflé. The twine is such a nice touch.

Gourmet Magazine
MAY07. I enjoy the composition and selective focus of this image. The depth makes it intriguing and the decision to show more than just the food gives it a sweet suggestion of place. Given that is a late spring issue, this image tempts with the anticipation of summer.

Gourmet Magazine
AUG07. Mmmm… burgers! The size and presence is just mouth-watering. If I could, I would pluck it off the page and take a huge bite. Nice buns!

So, some photos of food are put together by a team of people: the photographer, stylists, models, art directors, etc. Others are less of a production and involve just the food and the photographer. Either way, there is artistry involved and Gourmet seems to make every effort to find some serious talent to make their magazine stand out from the crowd.

Here are some of my favorite photographers who make food look so good: