Since the beginning of the year, the new Studio Hackenberg in Hamburg has been running at full speed. A significant part of that momentum comes from the ongoing productions for McDonald’s, created together with Scholz & Friends. From burgers, wraps and fries to drinks, ice cream and non-food items, the resulting imagery can currently be seen across billboards, campaigns and numerous other media.

What ultimately needs to look effortless, casual and, above all, appetizing is actually the result of highly precise processes. For Calle Hackenberg, food photography doesn’t begin with the camera and lighting. Food styling, set, post-production and client coordination all have to work seamlessly together – and sometimes it is the breadcrumbs next to a sandwich or the traces of butter left on a knife that transform a perfect product shot into a credible and appetizing food image.

The new studio has long since become more than simply a place to shoot. Production, an extensive archive of props... more