An Interview with Me, Professional Photographer Lori Rice

About 3 years into food blogging, I knew that making it a full-time career was a no-go for me.

I just couldn’t make it work.

But it led me to something that I didn’t see coming. A love of food photography and styling. A passion for sharing about food, honoring my health-roots, and reflecting my affection for the culture of travel through images…of the foods we eat.

Once I made the decision to become not a blogger who took pictures, but a food photographer who also had a blog, things fell into place. Over 10 years, I made the slow and steady transition from aspiring to professional.

My friend and colleague, Jason Logsdon, sous vide expert and founder of Amazing Food Made Easy, recently launched Makin’ Bacon. It’s an essential resource for those who want to serve their fans and grow their income food blogging.

He invited me on to talk about my journey and discuss:

• how I transitioned my business

• networking as a key for growth

• photography tips

• how I figured out where to price myself when I had no idea where to start

Click to listen above. Or head over to the podcast page for Lori Rice Professional Photographer Interview!

Better Understand Your Food Photography Style in 6 Minutes

“I can help you get anything you want, but first you have to tell me what that is.”

That statement is from Marie Forleo in her book, Everything is Figureoutable. I started reading the book last year and got about halfway through before work and the holidays took command of my free reading time.

I picked it back up last night and within the first few pages, my eyes came across that statement. It’s what she tells people she is coaching and she relates it back to us knowing what we want. Choosing a goal, one goal to start with.

(Before I go on, I feel like I should say that given her reaction among her fans and followers in response to the very important Black Lives Matter movement, I almost rewrote this post. But after some reflection, I still think that quote leads to some food for thought. So I’ve left this post unedited.)

It resonated with me because often what people tell me is that they don’t know what they like about a photo that catches their attention. A driving force in creating images that reflect your brand in a way that saves you time and frustration is knowing your style.

But people tell me they don’t know how to figure out their photography style. They don’t know what it is that they want. They don’t know where to start.

Have 6 minutes to spare? I’ll show you exactly how to start in this video. We’ll break down a couple photos to help you get a better handle on your likes and dislikes so you can move forward.

Confused to Confident: Food & Product Photography Training. Join us for this 8-week, 12-module online training with personalized support every step of the way!

Are you signed up for LoriRice.com updates? I don’t want you to miss it and all the content I have planned this year with the sole purpose of helping you take better photos to support your brand and business!

Food Photography Styling Tools to Buy with $10

No time to read? Listen to the audio file of this post above!

A quick post for you today with some super simple tools that I find essential to food photography styling. 

So let’s say you have $10 to spend. These are the exact things I’d buy. They are things that I use to style food and drink photos for nearly every shoot. Often I use all four, but I always use at least one of these tools. 

Where you buy these and the type you buy will determine if you come in at $10, but it will be pretty darn close. 

If I had $10, these are the essential styling tools I would buy…

Curve Tip Tweezers

These are hands-down the best for styling. Place an herb, remove a crumb, and rearrange a lettuce leaf or garnish. The tip is small enough that it won’t disturb your whole plate. 

Tip:  Be careful around soft foods, such as adjusting potatoes or beans in a soup. The sharp end of the tweezers can stab the food and leave a mark that will show up in the photo. 

Estimated cost:  $5

Small Spray Bottle

I use this to spritz on water to get a glisten of freshness without drowning a subject. I spray fresh fruits and vegetables, leafy greens in a salad, and the tops of soups and stews to keep things looking flavorful. The bottle in the picture above came in a multi-pack on Amazon, but a good place to find an inexpensive single option is the travel toiletry section at a drugstore or Target. 

Estimated cost: $1

Q-tips

Every time I need to wipe a splash on a plate or the inside edge of a soup bowl, I fight with paper towels. It seems like I wipe something away and something else gets smeared on. The solution for me are Q-tips. The small size allows more control to wipe away exactly what you want to get rid of. 

Estimated cost: $2 (go for the generic, they work just as well)

Paint Brush

You don’t need anything fancy here. You can buy an inexpensive artist’s brush set, but for something super cheap option, that’s still effective, head to the kid’s art section of the store for a watercolor brush. I use these most often to brush on olive oil to make vegetables and meats glisten. 

Estimated cost: $2

Arranging garnishes, wiping up drops and splashes, and making things shine or glisten - these are all tools I use on a regular basis to accomplish all of these tasks. And they are by far the least expensive tools used in creating food and drink photos!

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