How to Use Fake Ice Cubes for Food Photography
So you’re taking photos of drinks for your food blog and you want to make sure everything looks as realistic as possible. You know fake ice cubes for photography are a thing, but what exactly are they? What purpose do they serve in photographing drinks? And where can you find them? In this post, we will answer these questions and more so that you can make the fake work for you!
What are fake ice cubes?
Fake ice cubes look like real ice cubes but are made from acrylic, resin, silicone or another manmade material. When photographing cold drinks for a food blog, fake ice cubes allow you to take the best photos without constantly battling the problems of melting ice.
Why would you want to use fake ice cubes for photography?
For anyone who has worked with beverage photography, they will all tell you that ice cubes are a real pain to shoot. First of all, unless you have a professional-grade ice maker (which will set you back quite a few pounds) you’re most likely stuck with those ugly half-moon “cubes” or irregular shape cubes from your fridge – clearly, these will not work for beverage photography.
In food photography, real ice cubes are a real pain to shoot. They are not the easiest thing to use for beverage photography and if you want great pictures of drinks like cocktails or iced tea then fake ice is the way forward.
They also avoid the need to buy really expensive ice-making machines while also getting around the problem of those slightly ugly-looking creations that come from most ice cube moulds!
The other issue is the clarity of the ice. Real ice tends to get opaque and this spoils the look of the drink. You can make real ice cubes that are clear but there’s a lot of messing around to do it.
Finally, by using fake ice cubes, you remove the problem of condensation forming on the glass or cup which can spoil your shot.
Finding the best fake ice cubes
As with most things, not all artificial ice cubes are created equally. The best fake ice cubes for photography will be a bit more expensive and are usually made from high-quality acrylic materials. Plexiglass fake ice is another good option.
Avoid plastic ice cubes at all costs unless you simply want something that looks vaguely ice shaped to hide away in the background of a photo. These definitely don’t look realistic enough to be at the front and centre of your drinks photography.
The other thing to check is that the ice cubes float. You need cubes that sit at the top of the drink in a natural way. Some acrylic ice cubes aren’t the best at this but silicone ones usually float. Some glass ice cubes will also float, depending on how they were made.
Trengove Ice Cubes – best fake ice cubes for photography
Can you make your own fake ice cubes?
There are ways to make your own fake ice cubes, with an example here.
The main downside with this is that these might not look at high quality as some of the ones you can buy simply because they can work with better materials.
But if you are a keen DIY fan or crafter, then it could be worth trying. Plus you can sand them and make them just the size or shape you want.
You can also see how to make fake ice crystals which is usually done with a special mixture and water to create the look of ice without the melting point. The only downside is that your drink may not be so great to drink after photographing if you use them!
Making the most of fake ice cubes
Fake ice cubes are one of the many food photography props that can help to get those stunning photos we see on food blogs. It helps to cut out the natural issues of melting ice and condensation to create stylish-looking cold drink photographs and buy you time to get the shot just right.
