[Explanation] Hot pot, skewers, barbecue, Sichuan cuisine...Zhang Yong's career is envied by many people, and he takes food as his company every day.

Zhang Yong is a photographer who specializes in food photography. In the past ten years, he has taken “fixed makeup photos” for more than 200 well-known catering companies in Chongqing.

However, the real situation of his work is not as relaxed and “delicious” as everyone imagined.

　　On October 15th, in a bullfrog hot pot restaurant next to Chongqing Hongyadong Scenic Area, Zhang Yong and his assistant were busy taking product promotional photos for customers.

In his eyes, bullfrog hot pot is very delicious, but how to make customers feel delicious and appetite through a photo requires a bit of work.

　　The client prepared fresh bullfrogs, fresh ingredients and various spices for Zhang Yong.

However, the shooting process was not so smooth. Zhang Yong discovered that the bullfrog crooked his arms and legs after getting out of the pot, and he couldn't show muscles.

He cooked 13 bullfrogs, and finally selected only 3 frogs with complete shapes and full muscles for shooting.

　　[Concurrent] Food photographer Zhang Yong

　　We have killed 13 frogs today, and we selected 3 out of 13 frogs, which can basically meet our shooting needs and effects.

Then why are these three of us okay, because we think its entire shape, such a shape looks more coordinated, and then its muscles look complete, we can see the feeling of a complete garlic clove on the calf.

　　[Explanation] Returning to the essence is an important experience of Zhang Yong's photography of food.

He introduced that in the past, most of the food photography was "high-end", but now more and more menus have abandoned the glamorous "high-level sense" and try to be in line with the real state.

Therefore, in Zhang Yong's work, we see the true state of food.

For example, when he was shooting hot pot, he used to put butter, chili, pepper, ginger, garlic, spices and other hot pot bottoms in a pot and displayed them in a primitive manner, and then matched the neatly arranged hairy belly, duck intestines, waist slices, etc. The dishes present the essential state of the food and its production process to the eyes of the diners.

　　[Concurrent] Food photographer Zhang Yong

　　Because we now call the catering return, what is the essence of catering, in my cognition, in fact, I think it is a return to the value of our ingredients, or our cooking craftsmanship, or our acceptance of it. In all aspects, we pass its points to my customers’ customers from different angles.

　　[Commentary] Zhang Yong said that Chinese food culture is extensive and profound, and food photography is more difficult than other photography.

In order to shoot a good meal, one must read a lot of food books, understand the culture behind the food, and learn the process of making food.

　　[Concurrent] Food photographer Zhang Yong

　　In fact, photography technology is a very, very basic thing for us, it is only one of our means.

We need to understand more about the object being photographed, one of its characteristics, and one of its selling points.

Then we must understand and understand this ingredient, so that we can restore its original temperament.

　　[Explanation] Zhang Yong said that as a food photographer, his goal is to magnify the appeal of food through the lens, so that customers will have an appetite when they see the photos of the dishes.

　　[Concurrent] Food photographer Zhang Yong

　　What I hope the customer can see most is that at a glance, he can see the reason for buying this dish and why I want to eat this dish.

So just like the frog we took today, we have the taste of pickled peppers, and when I saw this frog, it was very tender and smooth, that's how it felt.

　　Reporting from Chongqing by reporter Xiao Jiangchuan

Editor in charge: [Liu Xian]