They're very straightforward about it, I like that.

Wish I could say the same about the ingredients though

I'm shocked. They'll be telling us next that celebrities use make-up, stylists and PS to enhance their appearance. I don't think so!

Thanks for the link.

I'm a little suspicious of their reasoning as to why the bun is bigger in the shoot than what you get when you buy. I've gotten sandwiches in containers where the bun was bigger and plumper, so I don't think it's the steam making the difference. When they show them side by side, the bottom part of the studio bun looks fatter than the bought one. Almost like they used two tops? But granted, studios get the best of the batch when it comes to food photography.

I'm a little suspicious of their reasoning as to why the bun is bigger in the shoot than what you get when you buy. I've gotten sandwiches in containers where the bun was bigger and plumper, so I don't think it's the steam making the difference. When they show them side by side, the bottom part of the studio bun looks fatter than the bought one. Almost like they used two tops? But granted, studios get the best of the batch when it comes to food photography.

Although they say they are using the same buns, patties, etc they didn't say they used them in the same way or in the same quantity. Yes, using two buns, sliced so as to have a really thick top half and an equally thick bottom, is common practice in food photography. They didn't say that there were several cocktail sticks, out of camera view, inside the burger holding the components in place either ... but I'll bet that there were.

Nice video, thanks!

But until Photoshop can remove gmo's, and massive amounts of saturated fat from the real product, I think I will stay away from the golden arches.

I'll bet you money that the meat patty is brushed with either corn syrup or some kind of thick oil. I've been shooting food for a food company for months now.... There's now way on earth that burger is totally edible, or at the very least, exactly the same as what your sold. I hate eating anything with corn syrup... but it's the best food glaze around for things like meat, even does a great job faking sprayed water drops on things like garnishes. Once it's on, it'll keep a moist wet look for.... days.

I'll bet you money that the meat patty is brushed with either corn syrup or some kind of thick oil. I've been shooting food for a food company for months now.... There's now way on earth that burger is totally edible, or at the very least, exactly the same as what your sold. I hate eating anything with corn syrup... but it's the best food glaze around for things like meat, even does a great job faking sprayed water drops on things like garnishes. Once it's on, it'll keep a moist wet look for.... days.

notice also the dark background in the mcdonalds photos to give a better prominance to the burger.
the yellow of the cheese carefully saturated...

actually i cooked a burger yesterday and it looked very good and juicy but it only lasted a few minutes, i'm not surprised they use sprayed oil or syrups to keep the meat looking fresh out of a grill.

by the way, are mcdonalds patties grilled on a pan or just defrosted and microwaved ?

^^^^^
How about the healing brush then?   

Glue for milk is really old school and really fake looking. Use white tempera paint and cut it with a little bit of water. The consistency is way more correct and you can get better looking milf like froth.

It's a nice behind the scenes video - thanks. Wouldn't persuade me to eat their food though

Exactly.

If you are shooting food in the US it must be real and nothing fake the Law requires it.

And i have never seen a Quarter Pounder that looked as big as the one in the video except for maybe some thirty years ago.

Today when you get a burger of any kind from Micky D's you get a miniature patty with a huge bun usually twice the size of the patty and i ask why it isn't considered false advertising after all it isn't what you see on TV so it is false advertising of a product that they don't really have or serve.

A hamburger is a hamburger, whether you cook it at home or it comes from a restaurant or McDonald's. There sure is a bunch of big chain hate. What I mean is, if you eat meat at home or you got to a restaurant or Mickey D's. It's still a piece of fried ground COW! I know the ooh and aahs about free range chicken are out there too. Hey guess what, a chicken is a chicken! Mickey D's probably double inspects the meat and it's watched closer than what we buy at a grocery store, because chain places have deep pockets and if someone gets sick, they get their butts sued. Your corner butcher doesn't have the same litigation risks.

Now about that burger looking bigger. I don't know if people were paying attention, but they didn't cook it, they just seared the edges. Less shrinkage. The toothpicks trick was a good one too. I loved the way they sculpted the catchup and mustard using plastic syringes. Selected the best parts from stock supplies and didn't wrap it in paper, didn't pat it down. Yes, it's going to be taller and fluffier.

BUT it's the real ingredients, just handled with care, not some fraud.

Learned something about dressing and shooting. Good educational video.

Here's one of mine. It's originally Burger King, Whopper Junior and a double cheese burger, assembled into a generic triple cheese burger (no name of course) for SS. Mostly one of those, "I'm bored, maybe I can shoot a burger and eat it..." things. I got the plate at Goodwill, small to make the food big. (49 cents) Now I need to re-shoot with better lettuce and properly placed catchup and mustard.  I honestly don't like the lettuce squares that are like green hash. I'll probably buy a side salad at McDonald's for the trimmings. Square lettuce sucks.

Triple burger with lettuce and cheese.  http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/111418/98392703/stock-photo-triple-cheeseburger-with-lettuce-tomato-pickle-on-sesame-bun-isolated-on-white-98392703.jpg

Food is food.

There are all kinds of scare tactics out there and they always change every day month and year.

One day eggs cause cancer next it is bacon another day it is red meat then they change it to pork and so on and so on.

You could go outside and be killed in a car, bus, train, or plane accident in a matter of minutes and yet everyone worries about what a little fast food will do to them.

Did i ever tell you about a friend i worked with who was a health nut?  I always told him he could be killed in a car accident and to eat the good stuff while he could so one day on his vacation on the way back he was tired so he let his Wife drive while he slept and guess what? Yep she fell asleep at 75mph and ran into the back and under a tractor trailer.

Then there is the man and wife who bought a brand new car and pulled out of the dealership to get slammed by another car seriously wounding and hospitalizing both of them.

So why worry about a little fast food?

Man i can eat the whole cow and not gain a pound while someone else could look at the cow and gain ten pounds, it is all about our bodies and how different they are from person to person.

My aunt has been smoking since she was in her teens and she is now almost 100 years old and about ten years ago the Doctor told her she needed to quit smoking because those things were going to kill her so she quit and she is still alive and doing fine other then having Alzheimer's, she has no cancer at all yet someone else who had been smoking for a few years will get cancer! Go figure.

So go out and get a big fat juicy slobbery heart attack on a bun and enjoy it while you can because one day you wont be able to and there's a place called Whataburger that has some killer burgers btw.

Then, why do they have soda machines removed from schools? Replace candy machines with fruit machines. Candy and soda pop has become contraband? 

Why do they want to complain and regulate what a fast food restaurant serves? Now in New York they want to regulate how big of a cup of soft drink the quick marts, theaters and places can sell.

My point is, education and self responsibility. Not legal barriers, bans and stupid regulations.

You have absolutely no understanding how fantastically clever marketing, over several decades, by major fast food chains has totally changed the expectations and portion size of their customers. It's not an accident that people eat twice as much as they did 40 years ago in such places. They have been progressively incentivised to do so by 'better' offers, etc.

BBC2 are currently running a series called "THe Men Who Made Fat" which provides some of the detail;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k0fs0

Well if you want the truth, getting older, my metabolism changed and I went from a "eat anything" little 165 pound piggy, to larger and now that I'm on some medications, I've passed into Whale fame (and I don't mean in casino terminology) I eat less, drink diet soda, walk, went low fat, and watch my weight. So far I've watched it go up 20 - 30 pounds. LOL

I blame forks and spoons mostly. Without those, I wouldn't be eating so much. 

That and all my clothes shrunk in the closet over the Winter. Man, it's tough getting old around here.

I have to tie my hands behind my back at this stage or sit on them. No more food rants. (until next time it comes around) And guess what, I shop at Walmart and buy gasoline from BP. I'm just so evil! (donate to animal shelters, do charity volunteer work and support mission work to South America) But I confess, I eat chicken sandwiches and salads from the evil empire of McDonald's. So I'm just a horrid human being.

I've been working with meat recently. There is no way that burger, even if it's just seared lightly, will remain juicy looking. Give it a few minutes and all that nice looking juicy shine is dried up. Something has to be added. Most likely oil, corn syrup, or glycerin.

What law says they have to use real food? Lot's of cereal companies would be guilty of breaking it...

I've been working with meat recently. There is no way that burger, even if it's just seared lightly, will remain juicy looking. Give it a few minutes and all that nice looking juicy shine is dried up. Something has to be added. Most likely oil, corn syrup, or glycerin.

What law says they have to use real food? Lot's of cereal companies would be guilty of breaking it...

The truth in advertising laws in the US at least state that the item being sold must be real. So if you are doing a hamburger the meat must be real.

Carls Jr. is much better tasting.....BY FAR

The double cheeseburger, Mcnuggets and fries are the best things that Micky D's  has.

Chick Fillet has the best Chicken sandwich.

Subway doesn't know what a Sub is!

7-11 makes a decent pizza for the price.

Quote from: cardmaverick on June 29, 2012, 02:45

I've been working with meat recently. There is no way that burger, even if it's just seared lightly, will remain juicy looking. Give it a few minutes and all that nice looking juicy shine is dried up. Something has to be added. Most likely oil, corn syrup, or glycerin.

What law says they have to use real food? Lot's of cereal companies would be guilty of breaking it...

The truth in advertising laws in the US at least state that the item being sold must be real. So if you are doing a hamburger the meat must be real.

Brings up some other past deceptions, not food. I thought amusing might be sporting goods products, marketed with the sponsors logo and name, when it was really some other company. Bowling balls were one until the PBA said the ball had to show the actual markings.

Everyone points out Photoshopping stand-in bodies onto famous heads. Movie posters and ads, they do this.

Look at the cracker packages or cereal boxes. "Product shown larger than actual size"

And my personal favorite, when a 16 oz box became a 15 oz box and is now a 14 oz box, and the box is the same size, but there's a label "settling may occur" or something about machinery packing, contents may not fill package. Yeah right, what it means is same box, we just give you less for the same price. Liquid laundry detergent is diluted with water so you get a gallon, but could have had the same soap in a quart bottle. Adding that water costs extra?

Oh and last of all. Low salt food, costs more than standard canned foods. Tell me if I have this right, it costs extra to NOT put something in, that's an additive, and not natural? Give me a break!

Light spaghetti, that's a new one. Just buy Vermicelli instead of that fat macaroni pasta and it cooks better, tastes better and it's what they really eat in Italy. (ask my relatives)

Hey, microwave popcorn. Three varieties of the same brand. Natural, Light Butter and Extra Butter. Guess what? The natural has more fat and calories than the light butter. It's all about marketing, kind of like "Organic" foods which are also unregulated and often have been grown with all kinds of things. What a crock, designed to fool the public into paying more for something that's supposed to be healthier and "natural". Oh and charging 30% more for that label. Free Trade is another lie label that's unregulated and means nothing. Or at least not what we are told it's supposed to mean.

Back to the subject, I went to Mickey D's the other night. Ordered two side salads. I could have bought a bag salad (oh that's right there's a hate campaign for bag salads too) and dropped the dressing in the fridge, just plain oil, nothing else. Nice $2 snack. Salads are one of the highest profit items at McDonald's. Not burger or fries or deep fried grease products (in natural, not animal fat BTW) but salads. 

I may try to place two salads in a bowl and shoot it as a salad. Thanks for the ideas. Shooting fast food is fun and delicious? I won't claim it's making me rich. I also have been working on the portable lighting setup for shooting in restaurants. Getting better. Problem is, when I get done spending $200 on a way to shoot a grilled cheese at the hotel, I'll never make back the investment. There's no end to enjoyment and challenges however. So it's all worth it.


Filet of Fish Sandwich (real from a chain, only thing missing is the white paper wrapper and the golden arches logo) AKA Fish sandwich with tartar sauce on small plate

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=97768967

I was kind of disappointed that the bun had a dimple in it. I suppose I need to splurge and buy two or photoshop out the place where someone grabbed the "fishburger"? (battered fish patty made mostly from Alaskan pollock and/or hoki) I could also dress the cheese better. Since I don't work for the big Mc and I'm not directly marketing something, I can pretty much do anything I want and it's not deceptive advertising. Just mentioning, you can shoot fast food and have fun and eat it too?

Quote from: RacePhoto on July 02, 2012, 01:55

Quote from: ruxpriencdiam on June 29, 2012, 08:51

Quote from: cardmaverick on June 29, 2012, 02:45

I've been working with meat recently. There is no way that burger, even if it's just seared lightly, will remain juicy looking. Give it a few minutes and all that nice looking juicy shine is dried up. Something has to be added. Most likely oil, corn syrup, or glycerin.

What law says they have to use real food? Lot's of cereal companies would be guilty of breaking it...

The truth in advertising laws in the US at least state that the item being sold must be real. So if you are doing a hamburger the meat must be real.

Brings up some other past deceptions, not food. I thought amusing might be sporting goods products, marketed with the sponsors logo and name, when it was really some other company. Bowling balls were one until the PBA said the ball had to show the actual markings.

Everyone points out Photoshopping stand-in bodies onto famous heads. Movie posters and ads, they do this.

Look at the cracker packages or cereal boxes. "Product shown larger than actual size"

And my personal favorite, when a 16 oz box became a 15 oz box and is now a 14 oz box, and the box is the same size, but there's a label "settling may occur" or something about machinery packing, contents may not fill package. Yeah right, what it means is same box, we just give you less for the same price. Liquid laundry detergent is diluted with water so you get a gallon, but could have had the same soap in a quart bottle. Adding that water costs extra?

Oh and last of all. Low salt food, costs more than standard canned foods. Tell me if I have this right, it costs extra to NOT put something in, that's an additive, and not natural? Give me a break!

A bunch of this crap started when the Economy tanked!

It was a way for the product to make the company money while basically ripping off the consumer.

Pringles are now in two sizes because someone caught on to it!

The regular size is $1.50 and the other one they were trying to pass of is $1.00 but has less in it.

And did you know that Light spaghetti is the same as low salt that you are talking about! They charge you more because it says "Light" but read the box and you will find out it is the same as the other stuff the only thing difference is they tell you to cook it 5 minutes longer!

Makes it expand more so you are full faster and have ate less then the other spaghetti which would do the same thing if you cooked it longer.

Oh the things the sly companies will do to fatten their wallet.

I hate the provocative title on the article/vide (and this thread). There were just about 10 seconds of "Photoshop" in the video.

You have absolutely no understanding how fantastically clever marketing, over several decades, by major fast food chains has totally changed the expectations and portion size of their customers.

I was on a trip to USA recently, and it was interesting to see that all the drinks were much larger in the US compared to Europe. A "Small" drink (coke, coffee...) was as big as a "medium" or "large" in Europe.

Still, I think it's every person's own responsibility to understand what and how much they are eating. I'm not a supporter of bans and regulations here. Children should be protected tho.

Btw, I liked Shake Shack burgers http://www.shakeshack.com/food-and-drink/

Quote from: ruxpriencdiam on June 30, 2012, 08:48

The double cheeseburger, Mcnuggets and fries are the best things that Micky D's  has.

Chick Fillet has the best Chicken sandwich.

Subway doesn't know what a Sub is!

7-11 makes a decent pizza for the price.

I happen to like subway as they dont stack up  their meats ridiculously high and have a lot of veggies in it. Thats a sensible sub to me. Im sure u prefer more meat.

We have too many overweight people with poor food choices that is causing our health care costs to sky rocket. Just goes to show that the average american doesn't have the best control of their diet. Part of that has to be based on marketing and big business.

As for your earlier post on the food police telling people what to eat or not. I think its messed up we have a profit based system which is encouraging companies to sell drinks with 100+ grams of sugar for pennies more. More sad is that the average consumer stays ignorant to this fact as long as their craving is fed.

They should post these signs http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm thats 186grams of sugar in a double big gulp! 744 calories. You still wont burn off those calories if you ran fast non stop for 45 mins.

Problem with Subway is and was that when they came out they were bragging about being like NY subs which they were so far away from it was a joke!

They had no idea how to make subs and cut the bread wrong and put the mayo or mustard on the top of all the fixings just before they wrapped it up and it was pathetic!

I asked a guy working there once to slice the bread open like a hotdog bun and then put the mayo on first and he had no idea how to cut the bread i had to show him how it was done!

And i lived in NY for many years and know how subs are done and if i am paying for a sub it better be worth it and the ones at subway arent  sorry.

In NY they slice the bread then put on the mayo, mustard, oils and whatever then they hold the bread under the slicer and slice the meat right into the bun and ask if you want more then add the veggies of your choice to top it off and it usually weighs in around 2-3lbs all for the same price subway wants for a salad in bread as i would call it.

Grab a big fat order of fresh MickyD's fries and an Ice Cream cone or a shake on a summer day.

Omnomnomnomnomnomnom

With Pete & a few others on this.  People don't get fat because of the type of food they eat, they get fat because of the amount they eat.    Quite partial to the occasional McD

Yeah, that too. Some people just overeat and then make bad choices on top of that. But both matter. I just had two McChickens and two side salads from McDonald's. I stay away from burgers, even though I have nothing against a nice juicy red steak. Best pizza after the pepperoni is a California which is artichokes and veggies and no meat. I used to have Chinese at least twice a week and leftovers for lunch. I believe that was a healthful choice.

It's not an all or none, and some days I eat this, some days I eat that.  Normally I don't eat breakfast at all, maybe a breakfast bar and an apple or orange or banana.

Mostly I resent someone trying to legislate and ban things, instead of education and teach self reliance.  Sure there are people who don't eat right and will be overweight. There are also people who have eating disorders, anorexia and the like. Are we going to hold them down and force them to eat?

So why remove foods from overweight people? Why ban foods from menus or schools? Are people such morons that they can't decide what to eat, on their own? Kind of invasive and presumptuous, to try to regulate others food choices or lives. I think people need to spend more time on their own matters and issues and less telling others what to do and how to live.

Quote from: RacePhoto on July 04, 2012, 22:41

So why remove foods from overweight people? Why ban foods from menus or schools? Are people such morons that they can't decide what to eat, on their own? Kind of invasive and presumptuous, to try to regulate others food choices or lives. I think people need to spend more time on their own matters and issues and less telling others what to do and how to live.

Someone once literally grabbed my arm to stop me from stepping out in front of a vehicle. I'm glad he didn't mind his own business.

On the other hand, when school meal menus go totally healthy, a lot of the pupils vote with their feet and go to Greggs or McDonalds, so it's not as simple as removing unhealthy foods from the menu in school canteens.

True.

We used to go to the Pizza Parlor or to the seven eleven. There were no MickyD's nearby and even in a car it would have taken the whole lunchtime to get there and back and you would have had to feed your face like a pig on the way back.

The 7-11 was to buy gum and squirt guns to resell back at School and make money but the Pizza Parlor was for the Pizza.

Quote from: RacePhoto on July 04, 2012, 22:41

So why remove foods from overweight people? Why ban foods from menus or schools? Are people such morons that they can't decide what to eat, on their own? Kind of invasive and presumptuous, to try to regulate others food choices or lives. I think people need to spend more time on their own matters and issues and less telling others what to do and how to live.

There are some overweight people who are morons, but mostly I think that people are busy working and doing things, they just don't take time to cook anymore. Take a single mom who has to work, for example. She gets up and gets the kids to school. Goes to work. Has to do the job of 3 people now because the cheap-a$$ company laid off 1/3 of the workforce. Barely has time for lunch, and can't afford much else because the same cheapa$$ company also lowered her pay to close to minimum wage, so goes across the street to McDs. Gets off work, stops for food on way home because she's too tired from work. The kids end up eating the same garbage she does, because it's easier.

I don't want you to think I am making excuses for people, because I believe that if someone really wants to do something, they will find a way. I'm just saying that given a choice, a lot of people take the easy way out. So the kids end up learning the bad eating habits. And I totally believe that there is so much sugar in fast food, that it might as well have crack in it, because you almost get hooked on it the same way.

HAhahah!  ROFLOL

Absolutely true especially about the "Cheapa$$ Boss".

They want you to work 12 hours a day for little or nothing to make them rich while they go out and play golf or do something else all the while joking and laughing with the other "Cheapa$$ Boss's" while you bust your a$$ for them.

Cooking is out of the picture for working families anymore.

Corporate America you gotta love it.

I don't want you to think I am making excuses for people, because I believe that if someone really wants to do something, they will find a way. I'm just saying that given a choice, a lot of people take the easy way out. So the kids end up learning the bad eating habits.

I agree, I thought there would be much more Photoshopping going on. I think there was, I just don't think they showed it.

Double +1 (or is that +2?)

People are lazy, people don't care, people don't understand that they could cook healthful food at home, for less!

You just reminded me of Culvers, which has some dandy salads by the way. My favorite was the avocado chicken salad with walnuts. Haven't had a burger there in years, but I have had chocolate custard on a hot night. Meanwhile...  They ask about soda and say what size. Very funny, because they have free refills. So lets see, do I want a small or large, when all I have to do is get off my lazy butt and got refill it? LOL And yes, I drink Diet Coke, often order food and don't buy any beverage, I have water and soda in the cooler. I think Burger King has free refills and I know that BW3 does. Heck the soda from a gun costs them about 19c for a 12oz drink. (may have gone up) It's one of the biggest profit items for theaters and places that serve food.

Talk about Scottish, I'm not but somewhere there's a stubborn Belgium line in our family, that's just as frugal. (aka cheap for the rest of the world) I find free ice for my cooler that lasts two days, so I don't have to buy that. Keep in mind I work outside at the races at least 60 days a year. Cooler full of ice and a water jug are essentials for life and lunch.

Yeah, somehow the whole start to this isn't about photoshop, it's about picking perfect examples from real products, dressing it and making it look good. What would someone expect? Take a stale one off the line, smash it down, show wilted lettuce, take a bad snapshot and then use that in advertising. Of course McDonald's and ever other business that sells things to the public, are going to make their product look as good as possible.

Nothing revealing here, except these people do a great job. Interesting video. I still love the syringes for the condiments. Why didn't I think of that? Perfect every time. And yes I eat the food I shoot, so no monkey business with Elmers, clear lacquer or glycerine.

Quote from: RacePhoto on July 05, 2012, 13:37

Talk about Scottish, I'm not but somewhere there's a stubborn Belgium line in our family, that's just as frugal. (aka cheap for the rest of the world) I find free ice for my cooler that lasts two days, so I don't have to buy that. Keep in mind I work outside at the races at least 60 days a year. Cooler full of ice and a water jug are essentials for life and lunch.

Don't think you can blame your Belgian forebears: I doubt very much that they need ice or coolers any more than we do. 

No el;electricity at the old place up North, a real IceBox with the metal lining. But yes I understand. LOL

Watching China Syndrome. Oh My God, talk about bad fashion in the 70s! Hanoi Jane is the top of the worst list, but the double-knit suits are horrid.