Ice Cream 3

This entry isn't pretty, but it shows the "secrets" behind the best ice cream photography. The image on the left shows the huge reflector on the regular strobe head and the big fill card. The middle shows the foil covered dry ice scoop under the layer of ice cream and the image on the right shows RJ Rowley as he grinds up the dry ice in preparation of the dry ice scoop.
The TEAM:
This day the studio held a designer from the agency, RJ the food stylist and me.
The FOODSTYLIST:
RJ Rowley styles ice cream in the same way that Nir Adar does. Like this: Put dry ice into a meat grinder. Grind it up and let it fall into a bowl. Next line an ice cream scoop with foil. The next part is tricky because dry ice is dangerous and can cause burns so heavy work gloves are called for. Begin to fill the lined scoop with the dry ice until it is brimming over the top in a gentle mound. Now fold the foil over the dry ice, turn it over, put it on the floor and stomp on it. What you should be left with is a compacted half foil covered ball of dry ice. Put the half ball on the saucer and ready the ice cream. Lock down a 1/2 gallon ice cream container and cut it in half. Use a flat scoop and pull across the ice cream so that it gives you a layer of great looking ice cream and lay it across the foil ball. Finally arrange bits of ice cream in a beard around the ball, and you have your first ice cream scoop! Now do it 50-60 more times, and you'll have a day of ice cream styling. I really haven't gone into detail here, but this is a good overview of what a stylist goes through on an ice cream shoot.
The LIGHTING:
You can see in the picture above my ice cream setup. I shoot on a tiny table so that I can get in close with the camera lights and fill cards. The light and fill card is just as it has been for the former two entries.