The Beauty of Imperfection: A Food Stylist’s Guide to Science, Teamwork, and Giving Back
This article was generated by AI using the transcript and show notes. I hope you enjoy!
Every so often in the creative world, you encounter an artist whose technical skill is matched only by their generosity of spirit. They are masters of their craft, yet their primary focus is on teamwork, mentorship, and lifting up those around them. In a recent, joy-filled episode of the Style to Set podcast, host Callie Blount got so lost in conversation with her longtime friend and colleague D'Mytrek Brown that she completely forgot to record a formal intro. It’s a testament to the easy camaraderie and deep respect between two seasoned food stylists.
D'Mytrek Brown is a force in the world of food styling. With a background as a lifetime chef and restaurateur, he brings a level of scientific precision and unflappable positivity to every set he’s on. His journey is a masterclass in passion, perseverance, and the profound belief that the best creative work happens when knowledge is shared freely and imperfections are celebrated. From harrowing tales of keys dropped down elevator shafts to the intricate science of freezing an octopus in motion, D'Mytrek pulls back the curtain on what it truly takes to be a top-tier food stylist.
The Chef's Foundation: A Lifetime with Food
To understand what makes D'Mytrek such an exceptional stylist, you have to go back to his roots. His passion for food began at the tender age of nine, when he decided he wanted to be a chef. “I kind of been stuck on stupid ever since,” he jokes, noting he’s only had two or three jobs outside the restaurant industry his entire life. He grew up in the industry, working as a chef and restaurateur from age 15 up until his mid-40s.
This lifelong immersion gave him what he calls a "leg up" on the competition. It wasn't just about cooking; it was about understanding the fundamental science of food. He learned about the chemical processes that govern how ingredients react, the technical skills of deconstruction and breakdown, and how different elements affect everything from meats to delicate foliage. This deep knowledge allows him to anticipate how food will behave on set and how to make it last under the intense heat of photography lights.
Callie shares a story that perfectly illustrates this expertise. Years ago, while working together at a studio, a recipe for a video shoot required the deconstruction of a whole fish. Neither she nor her assistant knew how to do it. Just as they were starting to panic, D'Mytrek walked in, calmly took the fish, and filleted it with the precision of a surgeon, saving the entire shoot. It’s this foundational, hands-on knowledge that sets him apart.
The Path to Styling: A Promise to a Father
Despite building a successful and fulfilling career, D'Mytrek felt a persistent pressure from his father, who for 30 years had been asking, "When you gonna get your degree?". Though D'Mytrek was the most successful of his siblings, all of whom had degrees, he finally decided at age 45 to go to culinary school. His goal was simple: to get the degree and finally silence the question.
This decision, made to appease his father, serendipitously opened the door to a new chapter of his career. One of his professors for a Food History class was a woman named Sean Chavis, who happened to be a former editor at the legendary Time Inc. Food Studios. After she arranged a conference call with others in the industry, D'Mytrek began picking her brain, desperate to learn how it all worked.
Sean did him one better: she took him to the studio for a tour. He was like a "kid in a candy store," his eyes wide with wonder. He knew he had to find a way to get his foot in the door. Almost a year to the day later, he started as an assistant intern. "All I needed was that opportunity," he says, "and I've just been plugging away ever since".
Community Over Secrecy: A Philosophy of Giving Back
Having worked his way up, D'Mytrek made a promise to himself. He would not repeat one of the negative things he observed in the industry: the tendency for stylists to hoard their knowledge. "I will say some of us food stylists have a tendency to do...we tend to wanna latch on and not tell our secrets," he explains. He believes this comes from a fear of diluting the work pool, but his philosophy is different. "If you're good enough, what are you worried about?" he asks. "The jobs are gonna keep coming to you".
For D'Mytrek, giving back is a core tenet of his company. He is passionate about mentoring and offering internships because he wants to create exposure for an industry that many people, especially in the African American community, don't even know exists. "Once I found out...I'm gonna do something that a lot of us don't do," he resolved. "I'm gonna make sure that I let enough people know...Hey man, there's another avenue as far as food is concerned".
The Art of the Team: You're Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link
This "people first" mentality extends directly to how D'Mytrek runs his business. He is a firm believer in the power of a strong team. "You're only as strong as the team around you, or your weakest link for that matter," he states wisely. He invests his time into his crew, knowing that it will allow them to accomplish amazing things. This approach also stems from a savvy understanding of the industry: "Never, ever denounce or deny anybody because you never know who you're gonna be working for next".
By investing in a team, he has been able to delegate the tasks he's not as strong at, like administrative work, which allows him to focus on what makes him shine. He looks for people who are hungry and ready to learn, and he gives them opportunities to find where their own strengths lie. A great team, for him, is all about anticipation—studying the script and the shot list to ensure everything is prepped and ready to go, so that on set, all he has to do is "sprinkle some fairy dust on it”.
Deconstructing the Shot: The Frozen Octopus and Other Tales of Technical Genius
D'Mytrek’s work is a stunning display of technical artistry, perhaps best exemplified by an epic shot of an octopus seemingly frozen in a block of ice. The story behind it is a masterclass in creative problem-solving. During a test shoot with photographer Ian Bagwell, D'Mytrek decided to play with an octopus he had in his freezer.
His process was incredibly intricate:
He filled a large bucket one-third of the way with water and let it freeze to create a solid base.
He then placed the octopus inside and filled the rest of the bucket with water.
Using skewers and fishing twine, he meticulously propped the tentacles up, tying them to the edges of the bucket to create the illusion that the octopus was swimming in motion when it froze.
After freezing it for a couple of days, he brought it to set, only to discover the inside of the ice block was still liquid. It started to leak, forcing them to rethink the shot on the fly. The final, stunning image was the result of that quick pivot. It’s this ability to envision an epic shot and then technically execute it—and adapt when things go wrong—that defines his work.
War Stories from the Set: Keys, Heat, and Melting Cheese
The life of a food stylist is one of high stakes and even higher stress, a fact D'Mytrek knows all too well. His very first commercial shoot, a major campaign for Sprite Cranberry, started with a near-catastrophe. After a sleepless night of meticulously repacking and preparing, he was heading out the door when he realized he’d left something behind. As he held the elevator door open, the keys to the rental van—filled with all the food and product—slipped from his hand and fell perfectly through the narrow gap into the elevator shaft.
After a moment of disbelief and a torrent of frustration, he raced to set with what little he had, got his crew started, and had a friend coordinate with the building’s maintenance crew to retrieve the keys from the bottom of the shaft. He managed to get everything to set on time, and the shoot was a success, but the memory of that heart-stopping moment remains vivid.
He’s also endured the physical challenges of the job, from shooting on a rooftop in the middle of summer for the same Sprite commercial to a Georgia Lottery shoot on a searingly hot football field. On that shoot, they had a large spread of sub sandwiches with sliced cheeses, meats, and mayonnaise sitting out all day. By the end, the American cheese had melted into "a big old glob, a yellow poop". It’s these grueling experiences that bond creative teams together for life.
The Beauty of the Imperfect
After a career dedicated to creating beautiful images of food, how does D'Mytrek define beauty? His answer is a powerful rejection of unattainable perfection. “My vision of beauty...and yours...they're all subjective,” he begins. While some people prize the perfectly shaped and perfectly placed, his approach is different. "Me personally...I celebrate imperfections".
He wants his food to look approachable and realistic. This means he embraces the happy accidents: the spills, the crumbs, the splatters. “It's gonna look good, it's gonna look great, it's gonna look perfect, but it's not gonna be perfected,” he explains. He starts with the best-looking product he can find, but he looks for the character in the food—the unique curves, shapes, and angles that make it real. It’s a philosophy that is evident in his stunning portfolio, from a dynamic shot of a Coca-Cola bottle cap flying off to a delicious banana yogurt parfait that makes you want to dive right into the photo. He is quick to add that this is a collaboration, a shared vision with the photographers and the rest of the crew. But at its core, his work is a celebration of the beautifully imperfect.
