Confessions of a Food Stylist: Poop Freeze and Other Tricks of the Trade

Picture this: You've slaved all day over the stove making the perfect (and pricey!) beef tenderloin, potatoes gratin and asparagus. You carry it over to the table piping hot. But instead of sitting down and gorging yourself on deliciousness, you grab your camera, tripod and lamp and begin shooting photos. The photo shoot could take an hour. Maybe even longer.

And by the time you get that perfect shot, you're ready to pass out from hunger -- and the meal has gone cold. Your dinner guests are looking at you like you're crazy and privately wishing they never agreed to come. But none of that matters, because you have a photo fit for a website or magazine.