Can you get great food photography on a budget?

May, 2016 · By admin

Like most professional services in the media industry, good photography has its price. So when people ask me if you can actually get great food photography done on a budget, they are often surprised at what my answer is as a professional photographer.  Yes, you can.

You can’t have everything…

Firstly, I need to open with the adage “good, quick, cheap – choose two”.  If you have a rush food photography job and you also expect to accomplish it on a tight budget, I would be very surprised if the quality of the end product was exceptional.  If you find a skilled and gifted photographer and they agree to produce what you need for a reduced price, don’t expect them to put other jobs aside to turn around what you need in an instant.  If you want immediate service and high quality – well, this is the area you will need to dig a little more deeply into your hip pocket.

Good food (and other specialty) photographers are booked in advance, because their skills have been developed over years and they are known within the industry. If you want a professional to squeeze an urgent job into their already busy schedule and deliver a great quality outcome, you must be prepared to pay the market rate.

So how can you get great food photography on a budget?

These are some ways I help clients who have a restricted budget get the food photography they need. Professional photos they may not otherwise be able to afford, that help sell cookbooks and book out restaurants.

One – Narrow down the Shot List

My first step when working with clients with a restricted budget is to work with them to decide what images they really need, for the end they are trying to achieve.  It is far better to have a small collection of images that are exactly fit for purpose and executed extremely well, than a huge library of very ordinary images.

The impact of a smaller shot list is less time on a shoot.  As most photographers bill by the hour, this can have a significant impact on the final bill.

Vietnamese fast food is all the rage at the moment – and why not?  It is tasty, affordable and healthy and looks great – unless it is photographed without skill.  Below is an example of the ‘before’ pictures from Goi Vietnamese, who has a number of Vietnamese ‘fast food’ outlets in high end shopping centre food courts in Perth’s northern suburbs.  Founder Candy Dao is a young entrepreneur who has tapped into her Vietnamese heritage to create a modern Australian take on authentic Vietnamese flavours.  The menu features all the classics such as Banh Mi, fresh rice paper rolls and Pho – paired with Candy’s own tasty house-made fresh dipping sauces.  If it’s lunch time and you’re hungry for a filling but nourishing meal, Goi Vietnamese is the business. However, their existing photography was less than appetising:

Because Candy was in the start up phase of her business she had a set budget for photography – but really needed some better quality photos to make her outlets stand out in the visual overload of a food court.  I worked with her to select some of their signature dishes. We then created a curated range of quality photos that showed the freshness of the ingredients consistently serve up by Goi Vietnamese – like one of my favourite light summer meals, fresh spring rolls:

And of course, the classic and versatile Vietnamese soup, Pho – which is always served with fresh condiments. Doesn’t that look better out of the Styrofoam cup?

Two – Always choose a photographer with an assistant

You might think that having more people working on your photoshoot equates to a higher bill. The opposite is true. I always use an assistant to get more shots done, in less time, to a better standard.  Most ‘first assistants’ are up and coming professional photographers in their own right and act as a second set of eyes and sounding board on a shoot. Jobs my assistants attend to include:

– Setting up lighting and reflectors and adjusting them on the go for me so I don’t have to move away from my view finder

– Preparing and changing lenses

– Viewing the images on my calibrated monitor as they are taken to pick up any problems and suggest adjustments

– Preparing/setting up the studio for a shoot

– Editing finished shots.

Having an assistant allows me to focus on getting the best shots more quickly, and generally makes shoots run more smoothly and efficiently.  If I had to undertake all the jobs of my assistant as well as being a food photographer, it would double the time I had to spend on a shoot, and a professional photographer attracts a higher rate than an assistant. The time saving of doing things more efficiently translate into cost savings which are passed onto the client.

Involving a food stylist in the professional team is another fantastic idea. I cover this in-depth in my free Ebook 7 Secrets of Mouth-watering Images which you can download for free from my home page.  Here is my favourite food stylist Ursula working with Chef Anna Gare and myself on a shoot. I’m not sure what her plans are for those scrambled eggs but I’m sure they will look delicious.

Three – Location, Location, Location

Does your food photoshoot really need to take place on the Maldives or the Bungle Bungles?  Really?  Your photographer will need to charge for travel time if it is excessive, so think about how much location is necessary to the integrity of your shoot.  Could it just as easily take place in the studio or at another outdoor location close to your photographer’s base?  Ask your photographer about this because they will have ideas and a rolodex of suitable locations in their head.

Also, does your photographer have their own studio or will they need to build the cost of studio hire into their fee?  At Craig Kinder Food Photography we have a professional air conditioned studio attached to a commercial size kitchen with refrigeration, so we have everything we need to undertake food photoshoots in-house and don’t need to charge additional studio rental.  The advantage of photographing in a studio situation is that they are usually set up to take best advantage of natural light, which really is best for showcasing food – unlike the interior of most shopping centre food courts.

Four – do you need video with that?

With the rise in the importance of video in marketing, many clients are hiring videographers as well as photographers to help in the marketing of their food.  Costs of hiring a number of different professional providers can mount up. However, if your food photographer also offers videography you may save money by getting it done at the same time and won’t need two budget line items.  We’ve recently added video to our offer due to client demand and clients are loving the fact we can offer it at the same time, reducing overall costs and effort for the two.

Final advice

When trying to get professional food photography on a budget my final advice is:

Do your homework

Familiarise yourself with the going rates for professional photography and ask yourself if you are being realistic with your budget.  Yes, you can certainly make cost savings by following the advice I give above but if you haven’t budgeted anywhere near a realistic level you may need to go back to the drawing board.

Think about ROI

Consider how much use you can get out of professional food images to give you the best return on investment. If you can use images on your website, social media, on menus and in advertising you are going to get a lot of mileage out of them.  Remember to discuss the copyright arrangements with your photographer. The Goi Vietnamese website uses the photos from our shoot to really stand out online.

Research before you select

Check portfolios of your shortlisted photographers. You will see that many have their own distinctive style.  Select someone whose aesthetic aligns with yours rather than trying to fit a square peg in a round hole – you’ll find this translates to a much more efficient and pleasant experience for everyone.

Remember if you are in the food business, food photography is one of your most important investments.  Poor quality photographer equates in customers’ minds to poor quality ingredients or delivery – no matter whether this is fact or not.  McDonalds and other fast food chains recognise the importance of this, spending a huge budget and effort to get their photos absolutely perfect. It’s what sells millions of dollars of burgers a year!

The most important thing when working to a budget is not making the mistake of choosing a food photographer based just on who gives you the cheapest quote.  Always consider what your provider will deliver for the price.

If the photographer you really want to work with is initially out of your budget, talk to them to see if there is a way to get amazing quality photos for a price you can manage.  It will be worth it for the final result.