Going to a shoot is like going on an expedition. We usually shoot at the photographer’s studio and have to bring all our kitchen gear (saucepans, knives, bowls, baking trays…) as well as all the food. I tend to buy a bit more than the recipe calls for in case something goes wrong and I need to whip up another pasta dish or cake on the spot.

The fruit and vegetables are bought on the day so they look their best. I always put the herbs in a wet tea towel in the fridge as soon as I arrive, to keep them nice and fresh. When the taxi picks me - and the 5 or 6 huge boxes - up, they always think I’m moving house! But I’m not the only one carrying a truckload. The stylist brings along all sorts of “props” for the shoot: plates, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, table tops, painted boards to use as backgrounds… sometimes even rugs, cushions, blankets or furniture.

A “shoot”, as we call it, is a team effort. Each person has a different technical role, but the best result comes from the team. For our casserole shoot (published in the July issue, see our photo album at right) Tanya, the photographer, and Marie-Hélène, our stylist, bounced back and forth with input on the angles of the shots, whether a napkin thrown carelessly on the corner of the table was working or not and so on. I often consider when I’m developing the recipes how the dish could be presented, as it’s hard for even the very best stylist to shoot 16 casseroles or pasta dishes without them all looking the same. But Marie-Hélène is very talented and always comes up with new ideas.

As the day progresses, the story suddenly comes together and takes on a life of its own. Everything is digital now, so the shots pop up in a second on Tanya’s computer screen. Before, photographers would take a polaroid and then shoot loads of photos on film to be sure to have a good photo. Now, we can check if the photos are right and save a huge amount of time and expense.

There are many myths about a food photo shoot, but here’s what really happens:

- I cook the recipe exactly as I would at home, following each step. The only difference is that I don’t toss all the ingredients together. I let Marie-Hélène do this, and then she places the food on the plate making sure you can see all the ingredients and that it looks as beautiful as possible.

- We don’t spray the food with any chemicals or hairspray. We’re much too eager to eat it to waste it away like that! Anyway, the principle is that if the food doesn’t look good enough to be shot, then that means that there is a problem with the recipe itself. But as we test all our recipes first in our test kitchen, there are no surprises on the shoot – just plenty to eat.

- We don’t throw away food. If it’s not eaten or taken home, we try to give it away to charities. Tanya is great for that because she always has tubs ready from OzHarvest, an organisation that collects food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to charities.

So there you have it – my work is not the usual day in the office!

Lucy Nunes, deputy food editor

We’ve got a few mums on our team here at Australian Table, and being also busy working women, they're so looking forward to Mother’s Day and a day off from the cooking tasks. Somehow a good cup of tea and a little laze in bed on the morning is the best gift of all.

Our May issue is packed with great ideas for Mother’s Day. There’s a helping hand for everyone to put their bit in and make Mum a great brunch, and great gift ideas for the kids to make her. As a special treat, we're making homemade bread (just be sure to use 7-8 gram sachets of yeast, and not the 75 grams we accidentally put in!).

Take a look at Channel 9’s Fresh cooking show on Friday 11^th, as chef Peter Evans and I cook French Roast Chicken for my mum, Margaret Fulton. Mum and I had a little disagreement about whether you should strain gravy or not. What do you think?

Love to hear from you, and happy Mother's Day to all the other mums out there, Suz