Story on a Plate: Food Photography & Styling
Todd Porter and Diane Cu
Lessons
Day 1
1Class Introduction
01:13 2Lighting
00:50 3Plating
12:49 4Hero Shots
05:34 5Motion in Restaurant
07:51 6Portraiture
03:43 7Restaurant Details
08:31Documenting Food Stories
23:23 9Food Lighting Clock
33:22 10Lighting Q&A
18:11 11Shoot: Cherries
32:46 12Shoot: Dessert
14:37 13Shoot: Savory Fried Chicken
31:02Day 2
14Natural Food Styling
41:03 15Shoot: Styled Chili
30:36 16Shoot: Styled Salad
10:02 17Shoot: Fried Chicken with Multiple Dishes
25:08 18Shoot: Dessert with Multiple Dishes
32:45 19Styling Workflow Between Photographer and Stylist
15:29 20Shoot: Herb Still Life
08:14 21Capturing Food on Location Part 1
39:09 22Capturing Food on Location Part 2
36:52 23Photographing in Restaurants: Lighting
13:19 24Photographing in Restaurants: Plating
41:39Day 3
25Photographing in Restaurants: Motion & Portraiture
17:21 26Photographing in Restaurants: Hero Shots
26:21 27Photographing in Restaurants: Restaurant Detail
14:37 28Interview with Ethan Stowell
28:57 29Q&A with Ethan Stowell
09:59 30Expectations and File Distribution
31:29 31Final Delivery and Building Relationships
44:39 32Shoot: Multi Dish Dessert Part 1
37:13 33Shoot: Multi Dish Dessert Part 2
15:58 34Shoot: Fried Chicken with Drinks
23:22 35Shoot: Large Table Setting
09:30 36Shoot: Hand Model Holding a Pie
22:19 37Shoot: Bread Making Scene
22:50 38Shoot: Summer Tabletop Scene
24:45 39Starting a Food Photography Business
19:50 40Making a Living in Food Photography Part 1
31:53 41Making a Living in Food Photography Part 2
32:08 42Food Stories Through Moving Pictures
28:57 43Sharing Food Stories & Life
25:39Class Description
Food styling photography isn’t just about taking a delicious image; it’s a way to tell a story about tastes, seasons, and aesthetics. Learn how to artfully capture that story in-camera and share your work with potential clients and collaborators.
In this course, you will learn how to craft a food story through images that are unique, intimate, and meaningful. Noted food photographers Todd Porter and Diane Cu will show you how to utilize natural light whether you are shooting at the table or in a restaurant. You’ll learn simple techniques for food styling that will keep your food fresh and believable on set. Todd and Diane will also share strategies for creating a thriving food photography business through their successful blend of online marketing and community building.
Whether you want to explore a new career in food photography or are seeking to improve your existing food styling skills, this course will arm you with the technical skills and industry knowledge you need to succeed.
Class Materials
bonus materials with purchase
Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
First, thank you to Diane, Todd and the CreativeLIVE team for a wonderful exploration of "shooting" food with artistry. This course offers the beginner and professional photographer many incites into the world of natural food photography. With some business and lifestyle tips the majority of this course showcases an effective natural shoot style that allows anyone to deliver wonderful images. The strongest point I found useful is to “find a voice” for the story, your images or your client. While I understand “finding the voice” when writing copy it is the realisation that any activity can have its own voice. Your voice can be the style of image you like, the shoes you wear, the books you read, etc. it is not limited to how loud you (or anyone else) shouts. Using general principles and building good habits through practise will allow you (and me) to achieve, not just find, success. The “lighting clock” is a useful shorthand helping communication with clients, producers and peers. The strong emphasis on practise, speed and taking advantage of any appropriate situation both improves productivity and reduces the impact on a client. Last but not the only other gem in this course is the bald (not a joke Todd) fact that any photography business was, is and will always be based on the relationship between the photographer and the client. Building a relationship is the best marketing device any photographer, food stylist, entrepreneur or creative mind can develop. Other courses offered by CreativeLIVE also stress the relationship aspect of good businesses as their best marketing asset. I highly recommend this particular course for lovers of (in no preferred order) food, photography and life. Thank you for reading and I hope you find your voice in all things. FJH...
ValeriaArdiyants
Diane and Todd are amazing! They've held nothing back when giving the rest of us an honest, detailed look into what it means to be a food photographer. I've seen many seminars on the topic from different companies and photographers and this one is my favourite. I love their no fuss approach to food photography. It leaves me feeling like food photography is manageable without having to fuss with cameras and lighting gear that are outside of my budget. I love that Diane often mentions how there's more to food photography than the plated dish. And Todd is just adorable and has the cutest laugh! They're a fantastic team that are engaging and make it easy to learn from them. Highly recommend purchasing this course!
MAlisa NIcolau
I loved this class and how Todd and Diane taught it. It was very personal and inspiring, with lots of insight and tips. This is not a camera technical class, but more an artistic, motivational and visual food photography learning environment. Their examples on how to set up scenes and stories behind the food and people involved are very enlightening. They gave me a lot of great ideas and hope that I, one day, will become as good of a photographer as they both are. Great team!!!!
Student Work
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