How-To

Describe the shark attack. I was out with friends at a surf spot. The shark attacked me from underneath, latched onto my legs, and started swinging back and forth. I stuck my right hand in its mouth—with my left hand, I punched it in the head. It let go, sunk back underwater, and disappeared. I looked over my shoulder and saw my leg completely sliced off—a surgeon couldn’t have done a better job. When I came to, it was a day later. But as soon as I got the stitches and staples taken out of my other leg—I almost lost that leg, too—I was back surfing.

Jeff Kauck has been photographing food for magazines, cookbooks and advertising clients for more than twenty years. He has a strong fine art background with classical training in watercolors, which has helped define his style. Here he shares some tips for getting the best possible food photos whether you're shooting with natural light, artificial light, or even Instagram.What is the prep process like for the typical food shot?