This week’s annual Food Issue had the editors here ruminating on all things edible, and those of us in the photo department have probably looked at more photos of yogurt, peppers, devilled eggs, and snail nests than is healthy.
Magazine images of food often elevate a humble egg, loaf of bread, or salad to something that appears not merely edible but downright delectable. “Hero shot” is an actual term in food photography.
Food can also serve as the perfect prop, and few photographers have used it to better effect in this regard than Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, the team behind a staff favorite, Toiletpaper magazine. In their images, food functions as a subversive, suggestive prop—a toad wedged between a burger bun, a mountain of ice cream adorned with cigarette buds. These pictures may not make you salivate, but they will certainly make you think twice.
