In Learning Food Photography - Part 1, I reviewed all the books in print (and a couple out-of-print) that cover photographing food and styling food for photography. [Click here if you would like to read that article first.] Being visual creatures, most photographers learn better by doing and hearing rather than by reading. So, in this installment, Part 2, I’ll cover a range of workshops, seminars and conferences on food photography. I’ll also run through a handful of professional associations for food photographers and stylists. In Part 3, I run through a number of food blogs, online resources (including some great YouTube videos on food photography) and sources of supplies for food shooters and stylists.

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PixSylated’s 3-Part Series On Learning Food Photography

• Part 1, Books that deal with food photography and styling.
• Part 2, Workshops, seminars & conferences / trade associations / a DVD.
• Part 3, Site of food shooters & stylists, web videos on food photography, blogs, online resources and sources of supplies

Shooting food is the culinary equivalent of fashion photography. It just happens at a slower pace and smaller scale. Both can be much more difficult than they appear to the uninitiated.

• There’s the issue of lighting. A strobe setup that works when shooting a glamor headshot won’t work when shooting a meal that’s 12″ square. Yet the lighting concepts are often the same.
• There’s the issue of perishability. Just as a waif of a model can’t look like a Cosmo cover 24/7, the food photographer is always wary of his subject melting, wilting, loosing it’s shine or effervescence.
• There’s the issue of styling. Food for photography often is not food for eating. Just as the fashion shooter often lets another professional deal with hair and makeup, a food stylist understands how to primp and massage food for the camera.

Part 1 - Books on Food Photography: If you’re looking for books on nature photography, you can find a herd of them. If you’re looking for books on food photography, you’ll find a scant handful. Here are virtually all the relevant food photography books currently on the market (as both in-print and out-of-print titles).

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