Pablo Baracat: ‘A photo must induce in people a connection between what they see and what they want’

In these times, it is important to claim the added value that a good professional photographer brings. And the way Pablo Baracat works could well serve as an example for photographers and pastry chefs around the world. Far from settling for just charging for taking photos, Baracat goes further and engages with professionals in search of constant improvement. His drive is one of the reasons why newly acclaimed pastry chefs such as Luciano García, Gustavo Sáez, Matías Risé and Belu Melamed are emerging in the Southern Cone of Latin America. He himself tells us in a special section in so good #24 about his relationship with professionals, about his working methods and the most common mistakes in photography.

Discover so good #24

As a photographer, you have not always been specialized in gastronomy.

No, but all my life I have been a gastronomy lover. That is why, halfway through my studies years ago, I was also trained as a sommelier. Back then I did not see food photos that dazzled me. Maybe that is why I did not take the gastronomic visual direction in the beginning and my photographs were first oriented towards fashion. In fact, I still love to flick through the Vogue Italia magazine, for example, and be amazed with the productions that can be found there.

How did you switch from fashion to gastronomy?

One day I came across some photos by Francesco Tonelli, chef and food photographer. And I said to myself: something different and incredible can be done. There I began my journey towards food photography. And I do not regret it. I learned a lot and have met amazing people from different parts of the world, with many of whom I still have a friendly relationship.

One day I came across some photos by Francesco Tonelli, chef and food photographer. And I said to myself: something different and incredible can be done. 

And how about pastry?

It was a curiosity that arose exactly 6 years ago. So Good.. magazine came into my hands for the first time and I was dazzled by the quality of the photographs inside. I will never forget that woooow moment. This is how my interest in high-level pastry was born. To begin with, it is beautiful on its own, and on top of that the pastry chefs strive to make it more and more beautiful and tempting. In addition, they are products worth photographing because they dazzle our senses. So, I started my search for the ideal pastry chef to start this wonderful journey and then met Luciano García, from whom I learned a lot about the world of pastry.

To what extent do you plan a food photo shoot?

It all depends on the chef’s agenda, which is busy per se due to the amount of work they have in their day to day. Without a doubt, the best sessions are those that are planned ahead of time, having the chef send me sketches of what he is going to do. With this I can imagine the background and elements to be used. We then exchange opinions until we find a proposal which both of us are happy with. After that, the technical part of photography comes: what kind of light to use, lighting set and photographic equipment. The longer time is spent on the planning, the better the photograph –  and that is a fact.

It is important to highlight that a photographer has the task and the possibility of refining the beauty of the works. It is not about taking a nice photo of something, but rather enhancing the expression of what has been created.

Don’t you give a lot of room for improvisation?

Sure. On the day of the photo shoot, before starting, the chef presents me with all the products. Together we finish defining which ones are going to be photographed, the decoration to be made…

Many sessions came out amazing thanks to the creative spontaneity that arises the very second you see the finished piece. That is when the ideas settle, and my creativity is born spontaneously.

What is the most important in a food photo shoot?

The most important thing is that, when observed, the photograph generates the feeling and the desire to want to eat that product, and that it induces in people a connection between what they see and what they want.

And which are the most common mistakes?

I could mention a lot! I am extremely demanding. Those with whom I have worked have experienced it, and I know that because of this they have a love & hate relationship with me. The most common mistakes are usually caused by the lighting set and also by the lack of care when handling the products, which is later noticed when viewing the photos.

Which criteria should prevail in a photo session, yours as a photographer or those of the pastry chef? And what ends up happening in practice?

This is an excellent question and it is something that I have changed over the years. We photographers have a built-in sense of art, we are the ones who are going to portray works of art and we know how to do it. But sometimes we sin of the proud and we condition the chef on how to arrange or how to decorate a product. And that is where the identity of the pastry chef begins to be lost and fades out. It is key in this sense that we, as photographers, can capture that identity and build a creation, along with the professional, which enhances all the works of art that the pastry chef makes.

It is key in this sense that we, as photographers, can capture that identity and build a creation, along with the professional, which enhances all the works of art that the pastry chef makes.

It is clear that you do not just take the photos and give them to the pastry chef, but you also have a proactive attitude. You even bridge the gap between professionals and magazines like ours. What advantages do you see in that?

It is an attitude which leads to improvement for both the photographer and the pastry chef. Also, it enhances the professional development of both. The idea of being able to show the resulting work in professional media drives you to offer increasingly incredible jobs. It is like participating in contests: it makes you grow, since you are facing the extra challenge of putting yourself in front of the eyes of expert people who evaluate your work.

You are photographing works by Gustavo Sáez, Luciano García, Matías Risé and Belu Melamed, among others – professionals who are not only the protagonists of this edition of So Good, but also represent the updating and potential of patisserie in the Southern Cone. How do you see the present of pastry there?

I think that there are more and more professionals eager to raise their level and that they are not satisfied with basic training that allows them to make classic products only. Now we see how they strive to continue training in the latest trends, either in the best schools or alongside the greatest figures in the sector. Now we see pastry chefs who have made their way to be on the magazines, who are well-known in the media and have even become influencers. That drives other professionals to want to follow the same path, which seems fantastic to me.

The idea of being able to show the resulting work in professional media drives you to offer increasingly incredible jobs. 

What trends do you think will prevail?

It is very difficult to talk about the future right now. Once the pandemic passes, nothing will be the same in gastronomy. In fact, there are already professionals who are thinking about transforming their proposals, tending towards simplicity and moving away from complexity. What is clear to me is that creativity will be essential for success in the future.

What would you say to a gastronomy professional who does not see the need to invest in a photographer?

That they are missing being able to show the beauty of their works in the best way. It is important to highlight that a photographer has the task and the possibility of refining the beauty of the works. It is not about taking a nice photo of something, but rather enhancing the expression of what has been created.

It is important to highlight that a photographer has the task and the possibility of refining the beauty of the works. It is not about taking a nice photo of something, but rather enhancing the expression of what has been created.

Curiously enough, there is more intrusiveness despite the fact that social networks are giving great importance to the image.

This is a major subject and a problem that all of us photographers must face nowadays. We all have cameras on our mobiles and by posting our photos on the networks we get many likes. That gives you the early or false belief that the photos posted are good, and therefore there are some who believe that they do not need professional photographers. But people do not only like the photograph but also what emerges from it.

In addition, this visual era in which we live is leading the young generation to become interested in the art of photography, which results in them buying a professional camera. Then that relative or acquaintance who happens to take very nice photos shows up, and the chefs and pastry chefs hand over the work to them. These photos may be very beautiful, and better than those taken with their mobile phones, but they do not realize that they are missing the opportunity to show their professionalism with details that only a trained eye can catch. These are the details which really make the difference.

Discover the “Magic Cone” chefs in sogood #24 with Luciano García, Gustavo Sáez, Matías Risé and Belén Melamed