A picture is worth a thousand words. So it better be a good one. Whether a watercolour or a photo portrait, the image it presents conveys a message about the subject and the artist. You want the story it tells to be a good one.
The talent and technique adopted can not only do justice to the central topic, but even improve upon it. Especially with a photograph. I remember seeing a video some time ago on how a fast food chain makes its burgers look camera-ready. You might not want to eat it after (I suppose you probably shouldn’t eat it before either), but it did look delectable.
No matter what you’re selling, the promotional material for it should present the most attractive image possible. Trying to tempt a person’s palate with a poorly-staged picture of what was in reality a tantalizing cheesecake is plain silly. For menus, advertisements and recipe publications, the food on the plate should draw you in as effectively as a bake shop window. Here are some excellent examples from iPHOTOS.com :
