How We Prepare a Shoot

What exactly goes into developing a recipe, and what kind of preparation is involved? What does a photo production look like at Kitchen Stories? In our new series, together with our kitchen manufacturer next125, we’ll answer these questions and more with exclusive behind the scenes insights of our productions. So join us on a tour of our office and get to know how we work to create the content you love in our various shoot kitchens!

The second article in this series will focus on the work our editors do before a shoot to prepare the shoot kitchen for the day ahead. This not only involves taking a strategic approach but also getting all of the important utensils and props ready. We simultaneously shoot across four different kitchens here at Kitchen Stories, and no two shoots are prepared in exactly the same way.

Today, we’re talking with Lisa, who is in the process of preparing a shoot in our “Mustard” kitchen—named because of the vibrant mustard-yellow cabinets. She’s going to take us behind the scenes with her, let’s see what she has to say!

Watch our second behind-the-scenes video with Lisa!

Hey Lisa, nice to meet you!

Lisa has been a food editor at Kitchen Stories for three years. Working with us as an editor primarily involves writing articles and recipes. Editors are involved in our shoot processes from the start of each and every project. They brainstorm campaign and recipe ideas, and work with our chefs to test and adjust recipes as needed. Then, once everything is perfect, a photo or video shoot is scheduled. Lisa ultimately makes sure that everything runs smoothly on set during the shoot, that the quality and tone of the content are on point, and that the chefs know what they have to do next.

We met Lisa in our “Mustard” kitchen, a shoot kitchen that stands out due to its striking, mustard-yellow cabinets. Its smart design offers Lisa a wide range of styling options. The kitchen’s varied and well-designed functions assist us in our preparations, making the process smooth and quick.

Preparations in a shoot kitchen

One of the first steps taken on set is to prepare the ingredients and present them in the show kitchen using suitable props. The choice of props is not taken lightly, but luckily we can lean on our prop shelf — a dream for every fan of beautiful plates, bowls, glasses, and more. For this shoot, Lisa picks those best suited to the ingredients, making sure that everything is in visual harmony.

The next step involves setting up the kitchen from the camera’s perspective. Everything that will be visible in the shot needs to be rearranged accordingly. Different props, such as photos, plants, and books, are added to create a comfortable, lived-in atmosphere. The “Mustard” kitchen is particularly well suited for this, as the sliding door shelf offers additional storage and shelf space for styling. This way, the kitchen sort of helps Lisa when she is preparing the shoot. The sideboard also offers additional storage space and is often used by the entire team during shoots for storing laptops, bottles of water, and extra ingredients.

The practical design is, of course, also very important for the chef. Empty dishes used to hold chopped ingredients need to be close by and plenty of utensils should be within reach, as well as a clean dish towel and oven mitts. Lisa is essentially the chef’s right hand, to make sure everything is in place before, during, and after the shoot and help make the chef’s job easier. The practical design is, of course, also very important for the chef. Empty dishes used to hold chopped ingredients need to be close by and plenty of utensils should be within reach, as well as a clean dish towel and oven mitts. Lisa is essentially the chef’s right hand, to make sure everything is in place before, during, and after the shoot and help make the chef’s job easier.

The details matter

Preparing the set before every shoot is as much a part of an editor’s job at Kitchen Stories as developing content and writing articles. This process requires a lot of attention to detail and an eye for detail. We get inspiration from the kitchen, the recipe, and the topic of the campaign.

We’ll let Lisa get going with her shoot and head over to the “Pepper” kitchen, where we’ll find Hanna, who is in the middle of shooting a photo recipe. She’ll show us why the “Pepper” kitchen is one of her favorite places to shoot. Stay tuned for the next video and article in our exclusive behind-the-scenes series with our partner and kitchen manufacturer, next125.