Photography for Small Food Brands

Pre-Workshop

Before class starts, I will send out a questionnaire to learn more about you and your goals. Each workshop will be tailored to those who enroll.

Workshop Morning

Our class will start with lighting concepts and tips, and will show you what you can do with an iPhone as your camera. We will look at examples of food and product photography and discuss lighting, composition, styling, and what mistakes to avoid. Everyone should plan to bring 2-3 of their products to the workshop, we will set up multiple shooting stations. It can be helpful to see your products as well as those from other attendees—someone else might have an issue or question that you will face in the future.

Lunch

We will take a break for lunch. You are welcome to bring your own food, or stroll down the street to one of the local lunch options in quaint Croton.

Workshop Afternoon

In the afternoon we will take it up a notch! I will have my professional setup with lights, camera, as well as some props and surfaces. We will discuss what each piece of equipment does (without getting overly technical), and review what to expect if you decide to invest in hiring a professional, or plan to invest in your own gear. We will capture at least one shot from everyone, and more if time allows.

• iPhone

• iPhone stand or tripod if you happen to have (if you don’t have a stand, don’t worry, we will discuss options around this as well as recommendations if you do want to purchase later)

• Notebook to jot down notes (you will also receive some handouts)

• 2-3 of your food products that you would most like shot

• NOT necessary: Camera*

*Lucy will have full camera/computer/lighting/modifiers set up and everyone will get to try that out. Getting more knowledge with what you can accomplish with your phone as well as what you can accomplish with a full set will help you be able to tackle anything in-between if you do have your own DSLR.

• What makes an appealing food photo

• How to utilize natural daylight and inexpensive materials to take great photos

• Basic concepts of composition and styling.

• An intro to what a professional food shoot is like, including: setting strobe lighting, shooting tethered to a computer, choosing camera angles and more

• Pro shots of some of your products

• Tips on mistakes to avoid

• Direct answers to any other questions you might have!

For those coming from NYC, Croton on Hudson is a pleasant MTA train ride. From Grand Central Station head to Croton Harmon Station (45-60 mins) and take a short taxi ride to the Beta Kitchen. For those driving, plenty of free local parking is available.

Lucy’s bio, client list, and client testimonials can be found on her website here! She has been shooting food and lifestyle for 15 years and has shot over 50 cookbooks, as well as for clients including: Starbucks, Chipotle, Applegate, Organic Girl, Triscuit, Martha Stewart Living, Food & Wine, The Food Network, Twinings, Schweid & Sons, and many more. She lived in Brooklyn for years but is now a happy local in Croton. Most of her shoots are still in the city but she also shoots and styles in her home studio.