The Challenges of Food Photography (Pre-COVID)

There are so many different challenges when working with real food. For example, the temperature can be extremely high or very low depending on the season or region where the food is being prepared. Also, the texture and taste of certain items can change in just a few minutes. So photographers must work with all these unique food photography challenges to get the perfect shots.

Cooking food for photos takes skill, preparation, and the ability to handle a camera. Professional food photographers learn a variety of techniques to maximize their photographs. Some of these techniques include:

There are several unique food photographer uses for photographing various foods. People commonly use mashed potatoes and olive oil instead of cream and an over-the-top sauce. They also use a different camera lens than what is typically used for traditional photography. The photographer must be able to adjust the settings and lighting quickly in order to get the right look and feel for each photo.

In some instances, a photographer will use a flash to provide a more dramatic look and feel to the photograph. However, the photographer must be sure that they are using the correct settings and setting for the light. In order to ensure that there is sufficient lighting for the photograph, a number of steps must be taken. For example, the photographer may want to use a lamp for the subject to give them a larger appearance, but they do not want to overload the flash bulb.

A number of cameras exist that make it easier to take high quality images. For example, there are digital cameras that offer the same professional look and feel that a professional photographer would. A good digital camera has plenty of megapixels, as well as many options and functions. This allows the photographer to zoom in on the most important details and enhance photos even further. There are also point and shoot models available, which allow you to choose the best settings to get the best results.

As you can see, becoming a good food photographer requires more than just knowing how to shoot pictures of food. It also requires an eye for the best use of the camera, a creative mind, and a good understanding of the way that light works.

Photography techniques do vary from food to food. If you choose to specialize in food photography, you must take into consideration your own photography style. Many people prefer to focus on the food, while others prefer to focus more on the person cooking the meal. Either way, when you specialize in food photography you will have a unique opportunity to show your culinary skill. In addition, you will have the ability to showcase your culinary talent to the public in front of others.

Becoming a professional food photographer requires a lot of hard work, patience, and experience. To become a successful photographer of food, you will need to practice a lot and always keep your camera and your eyes open.

What it’s really like to be a professional food photographer

I started my journey as a professional food photographer about 13 years ago, when I embarked on a journey to Hong Kong, a city known for its awe-inspiring food.

Food photography has allowed me to travel to so many different places, experience different cultures, taste many different foods, and live a life of freedom.

My first food photography experiences were in Hong Kong at various cha chaan tengs (Hong Kong cafes) and Santana Row in my hometown of San Francisco Bay Area. 

I’ve worked with many amazing brands over the years. I’ve shot all genres of food, from very hold-in-the-wall mom-and-pop shops to fine dining, Michelin classics. I’ve worked with many restaurant empires and met many restaurants tycoons and food brands including Michael Mina, SAJJ Mediterranean, Mixt, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, Ghost Culinary, Market Hall Foods, Homegrown, DOSA, and many more.

My day-to-day is different every single day of course as I manage a creative production agency called Dish Crawl, where I wear many hats in creative, marketing, strategy, and paid advertising. I manage a small team of 9 who consist of primarily designer, account managers, creative strategists, and photographers.

I sit in front my computer for hours on end, talking to partners and clients on Slack, communicating closely with my team to make sure the job is done well, designing various collateral for clients, and taking sales calls to grow the company. I also have designed an automated outbound system using various tech tools such as Gmass and Mail Merge to ensure that we are always doing outreach to potential clients. This system helps us constantly get new clients. I am constantly refining our system so that each touchpoint with the potential prospect is a delightful and easy experience.

When I do have a photoshoot, it is often somewhere in SF or LA. I wake up, make myself some breakfast (usually some eggs, bagel and cream cheese, and fruit, maybe some orange juice). I pack my bags, usually a few cameras, a few different lenses, some food photography plates, and marble board. Once I have packed my bags, I drive to the client who is usually half and hour to an hour away. The shoot itself is usually intense - it takes anywhere between 4 hours on the short end and 12 hours on the long end. A lot of the time is spent prepping for the shoot, styling the dish, wiping down the dish, and making sure that lighting and composition are right. It also takes time to cook and prepare the dish. As a whole, it is very fun work, where I get to travel to many destinations and try experience different cultures. 

After the photoshoot is over, I go home and edit on Adobe Lightroom for many hours on end. I edit the saturation, exposure, and colors of each photo to make sure it is to the client’s liking. Once I have finished all the editing, I release the deliverables to the client via Google Photos. The client uses these photos for social media, website, advertising, and marketing collateral.

My work is very satisfying because I give my all to every photoshoot that I’ve done. I know these photos are used every where. I’ve even seen my work being used whenever I walk down the streets of SF. I sometimes pass my clients in Financial District and see my work up on the side of the restaurant or the menu.

Currently, I live in SF and LA and travel to markets where there is a thriving food scene. This year I’ve worked with more restaurants than that of any year so far. My goal in the short-term would be to completely dominate the Orange County (where I currently live - but SF restauranteurs, please feel free to reach out to me still as I can come back often), Los Angeles, and San Diego markets. I am also happy to travel to Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, I’m looking at you), where the weather is much colder, there are more animals, diversity and mutli-culturality is valued, and there still is a thriving food scene.

Food photography has been a fun journey so far and I can’t wait to meet all of you in Los Angelees, Orange County, San Diego, and beyond.

- Jer


How flying my drone changed my life

As you may know, I’ve been flying my drone and taking videos of SF Bay Area from up above. I’ve learned a lot while flying. How to not crash into objects. How to dodge birds. Most importantly though, flying my drone has given me perspective into how small we are. Every time I fly, I am reminded of how beautiful the world is and how insignificant our problems are. And while I haven’t met anyone else that flies drones, I was able to close a few real estate deals. It’s very exciting to me, and I can’t wait to share this with you.

Know your self-worth

Today, we let go of one of our clients. At Dish Crawl Co (and life at large), it's imperative to be working with people who foster a positive working environment. This client unfortunately didn't even come close to positive, so we let them go. Knowing your self-worth has never been more clear to me now, than ever. Whether you're working for a boss in your 9-5 job or working for many as a freelancer or entrepreneur, qualify your relationships constantly. It was a $12K revenue loss, but there's nothing better than the feeling that you won't take shit from anyone.

:)

Once you invest in the things that really matter, good things expontentially keep happening.

You are the CEO of your life.

Every day brings you the options of how to design your time.

Who to hire and fire from your life.

How to manage your relationships.

How to give yourself what you deserve.

The ability to follow your own vision and evangelize it to others.

Every day, you are the CEO.

Paths

This is how I look at career. There are many different paths you can take. Most (90%+) take one path. And then the other 10% take another path.

In path 1, this individual is trading away time for money. This is usually the 9-5 hustle. Everyone in this path is trading away time away for money directly, whether this is in the form of $15 dollars per hour scooping ice cream or $100 dollars per hour working in an office.

In path 2, this individual is working on his/her own vision. This is usually in the form of finding one's own passion and marketability to a large audience. The work is rewarding intrinsically, but also pays the bills, because of self-reliance and strong goal-setting. This is what everyone wants to do, but few actually carry out doing. In this path, the sky is the limit. But it's not for everyone, especially if one doesn't have the coachability or resilience to carry out his/her vision.

Time is the most valuable asset and I personally chose path 2 with no regrets.

I often question what my own billable rate is. When I'm spending time outside of my business, every hour has value, whether this is in growing relationships with people or self-improvement in hiking or the gym. These are things that you really can't place a price on it. But outside of this, when I'm at work, it's important to me that my billable rate has no ceiling.

What's your billable rate?

Grit

I may not be the most exceptional, but I've got perseverance and grit. And that's what gets you further along in life than anything.

In making friends or hiring people for my team, this is what I'm looking for most.

Without grit, well, you're just damned flaky at best.

 

Travel Plans

This year's travel plans include:

New York City, Toronto

San Diego

Vancouver

Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore

Los Angeles

I will just start with these and take it from there.

Work. Life. And Balance.

It's essential to take some time off work. It helps us regain energy and focus.

More importantly, time off work keeps us grounded in the things that are most important to us in life, lest we forget.

Working 12+ hour days is not healthy, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. At the end of the day, what we do for others matter most. To me, my relationship with my friends, family, and significant other matter most.

In my opinion, focusing on business and clients doesn't keep me warm at night. And warmth is important to me.