Delectable and Profitable Food Photography

By Lou Manna with Erin Laverty
In food photography, you eat with your eyes first.  Colors, textures, contrasts and composition are key.  These elements are what go into creating mouth-watering images that jump off the page.  I’ve been a food photographer for over thirty years, and mastering the techniques to achieve these goals takes time and patience.  Here are some tips that I’ve learned over the years to help you along the way.
Of utmost importance, enjoy what you do!  Your passion will shine through in your images.
Where to start

First of all, get to know your camera.  Some people are scared off by digital technology; make it your friend, but you don’t need to get too caught up in all the bells and whistles.  Understand what your camera is capable of doing, and learn how to use it to your advantage to bring out the best in your subject.  Learn the foundations first, such as f-stops, shutter speeds, ISO’s and metering.  Keep in mind though, that your eye is still the most important element in taking a good photo, and no amount of developing technology will ever replace this.
Learn how to see in a new way.  Pre-visualize your shot – what do you want the outcome to be? 
 
Take a class or attend a seminar! 
Meet people, get involved, join professional organizations, go to conferences, workshops, etc.  Besides improving your skills, you’ll make connections in the industry, which can lead to jobs.
As an artist and an entrepreneur, try to keep a balance between the creativity and the practical side of business.  Keep good records of your expenses.  Stay organized, in both your business and with your images.  Use metatags and keywords in all of your photos. 
The best way to make money, as my father told me early on, is to keep your overhead low.  Work from home when you can, and rent a space when you have a job.  Why didn’t I listen to him?

My simple recipe for success 
Being able to make a client happy will almost certainly guarantee you return business.  It’s the combination of the quality of your work and your relationship with clients that ensures they will stick with you.  Be personable, be professional, and consistently deliver delectable images to them.  Surprise them with something different that they didn’t envision but exceeds their expectations.  There are many times a client comes in with an idea of how they want the shot to look.  I’ll take a few the way they want it, then do a few of my own.  They almost always reply with, “Wow, I didn’t know it could look that good!”
Here are some other ingredients for success:

• Don’t make excuses, do something about it!  Find creative solutions to issues you encounter. Be positive always!
• Develop an elevator pitch – be able to tell people you meet the highlights of your career in about 30 seconds.
• Always carry business cards with you!  Put photos on the back to show off your work.
• Find your own style: what makes your photography stand out from the crowd?
• Make your website stand out, and make it attractive and easy to navigate. I use liveBooks, which is a customized website designed to help me get more work and it does!!!
• Utilize PhotoShelter to increase sales of your images and archive your photos.  Even if you have great images, you won’t get far if they’re hidden away on your hard drive.  They have advanced marketing tools so I make my photos work 24 hours for me.
• Draw people to your work with a blog, and keep it updated. 

Where I see the industry/market headed
The importance of a photograph in our society is greater than ever before.  Technology has helped people who don’t know what they’re doing come up with something decent or, at least “good enough.”  There are still those clients who understand the value of a professional image in promoting their product properly in its best light, but they are becoming fewer and farther between.