I advertise myself as a food and product photographer, but mostly I push the food photography. I LOVE food photography. Shooting food has special challenges and therefore special intrinsic rewards when you get those awesome images. (And the food left over from the shoot is an added bonus.) I like to think that I just do food photography and that is what I say in my elevator pitch (which I have yet to use in an elevator.)

The truth be told, I do as much or more product photography as I do food photography. As a matter of fact, the number of product photography clients is growing rapidly as a product photographer, from my neck of the woods, has moved away. Many of these shoots are simple products on a white background. These usually have to be clipped (also called silhouetted.) This means that they are cut out of the background, leaving the pure white background often found on websites and required by Amazon.

Many of my product images are from food clients that manufacture and sell food in bottles, jars or boxes. Many of those also create recipes from their products and we shoot the recipes as well. I’ve got a great team which includes a food stylist and a recipe developer.

My latest two clients are very different from things that I’ve done before. One of them produces scientific lab equipment and the other produces supplies for hotels. The scientific equipment presents its own interesting challenges. Often there are lit up displays that need to be shot with the rest of the image properly exposed. This requires the blending of two images…one of the product and one of the glowing panel. In one case, the light was ultra violet (black light) and it created a purple glow.

If you have never been to a professional photography shoot and anticipate that you will need to do one in the near future, take a look at my four part post: What to expect at a professional photo shoot and don’t forget to look at my website, send me an e-mail or give me a call.