On the hunt for a Food Photographer? Ask these questions

[Updated 2023]

For anyone who has little to no experience working with a professional photographer, the process of finding and selecting the right person can be daunting. You might be wondering what kind of credentials are most important, what you should look for their portfolio, and most importantly – what type of questions you should be asking.

I wanted to write this post to help with this process because I believe in the importance of full transparency in every business relationship. I hope these questions will not only help you find the perfect photographer for your food photoshoot, but also help you establish a positive jumping off point with your photographer!

Get these questions in a downloadable doc

1. Do you specialize in food photography? How many food photoshoots have you done?

Every genre of photography is very different. You will need to ask the photographer you're connecting with whether they have direct experience in culinary photography, and if so, how much experience. Someone who's exceptional at portrait photography can be poor in food photography. A great camera paired with technical skills can only take you so far. A specialization in producing food images is crucial in formulating appetizing photos.

I began as a landscape photographer and learned a lot about the technical side of photography, as well as the creative aspects of engineering a great landscape image. However, when it came time to switching gears to food photography, I nearly had to start from scratch in terms of educating myself and practicing the craft.

Even now as I look back at my early food photos, I can see the progression in my skills and how it has tremendously improved the results of these images. Now, I am fortunate enough to have a small team of food-focused photographers who shoot only food and beverages every single day. And let me tell you, they were not easy to find. Food photographers are a rare breed, and the greats make up the tiniest sliver of the pie (pun intended).

When you hire a food photographer, you are essentially paying for their expertise, skills and experience so you don't have to spend your valuable time doing it yourself, or providing endless guidance to an amateur photographer. If you invest in someone with the wrong experience, you will find yourself doing a lot more managing, engaging in countless feedback loops, and may still end up with images that do not meet the standards of your incredible brand.

Julee Ho Media is a boutique food photography company that specializes in CPG brands. We craft drool-worthy food photography and recipe videos that elevate brands to the next level. Learn more about us here.

2. Do you have experience with food styling?

A key pillar of a great food image is how the food is cooked and styled. Again, a great camera does very little if the food looks subpar. First, take a close look at the photographer's portfolio. Do you love the images you see and how they're styled? Does the styling align to your brand?

If the answer is yes to the aforementioned questions, the next step is to ask the photographer if they did the styling themselves, particularly in the images you love. In many cases, photographers may bring in professional food stylists to help with photo shoots.

Food stylists are folks who are experts at making food look amazing and are integral parts of the cooking, plating, and overall styling of the food. There is no shame in a photographer teaming up with a stylist to help with shoots (particularly high-budget productions) to ensure they run more efficiently. However, the piece that is important for you to know is 1) if the photographer will require for you to pay an extra fee for the food stylist, and 2) if you can't afford the stylist, whether the photographer can do the styling themselves. And if so, you'll want to see samples of images they've styled directly and gauge the fit.

Here’s a short story to demonstrate why I’ve found this to be such a critical question to ask. Early in my hiring journey for Julee Ho Media’s team of food photographers, I occasionally came across some incredible food photography portfolios. Needless to say, I was giddy for the opportunity to have these talented folks as part of our team! Part of our interview process required that they complete a few remote food photography exercises. To my confusion, much of the work submitted was no where near the caliber of the portfolio. After some communication with these photographers, I discovered that their specialty was only the shooting itself, not the styling. In other words, they only worked on photoshoots where there was a food stylist present doing all of the cooking and styling. These photographers, while skilled in shooting and editing, were not a good fit for us since all of our photographers can both style and shoot food at a high quality.

“So, what?” - you ask? “I’ll just hire a food stylist, too!” If you have the budget to hire both a food photographer and a food stylist, definitely do it! You’ll certainly get the photoshoot done more efficiently. However, it’s important to note that great food stylists can cost as much, if not more, than the photographers themselves. So if you’re like most folks who are working within a budget, you’ll want to find a food photographer who is skilled at both photography and styling.

Download these questions in editable doc

3. Who is responsible for prop rentals?

Props include things such as dishes, silverware, textiles (cloth napkins), table surfaces or any inedible items included in the image. At Julee Ho Media, all of our remote shoots include use of our entire collection of props free of charge. However, it is not uncommon for photographers to charge extra for prop rentals. After all, beautiful props can be quite costly to purchase and they endure wear-and-tear during every photoshoot.

If you have the budget, you may also choose to bring on a prop stylist (different than a food stylist). These are the folks who are professionals at sourcing props for photoshoots. More specifically, they will source the most appropriate props for your brand and the creative concepts you're looking to bring to life in your images.

Julee Ho Media is a boutique food photography company that specializes in CPG brands. We craft drool-worthy food photography and recipe videos that elevate brands to the next level. Learn more about us here.

4. Who is responsible for the ingredients?

Ingredient costs can be steep and may throw off a budget if not accounted for early on. If you're bringing on a food stylist in additional to a food photographer, the professional will likely charge an added fee for the groceries based on the recipes / concepts for each item on the shot list.

At Julee Ho Media, our remote shoots are all-inclusive of the cost of ingredients and groceries, so you are responsible only for shipping us your products. If the photographer you are interviewing charges for ingredients separately, it's good to know this information upfront so there are no surprises. Be sure to ask them for an itemized list of the items they plan to purchase so you can approve the expenses in advance.

Get questions in a doc you can download

5. Where can the images be used?

By law, all photographers own the intellectual property rights to their images. This is the industry standard and most professional photographers will not give up these rights (in other words, give you full ownership of the images) without a significant increase in rates. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

What's important to understand is whether you can use the images for the intended purpose based on the photographer's standard license. For example, if you'd like to repurpose a set of images across print, your website, Amazon, social media, etc., you will need to know whether the photographer's license will allow you to use it in all of those capacities. And if not, ask how much they would charge for the additional usage.

I’ve seen photographers charge individually for every platform where one of their images is used. For example, they’ll charge a fee if you use it in print (for example, if a magazine covers your brand), another fee if you use it on your website, another fee if you use it on social media, etc. At Julee Ho Media, our standard license includes the ability to use the images we produce anywhere.

6. How long can the images be used?

The second piece of the licensing question is how long you can use the images. Many photographers will limit the length of time in which the images may be used, e.g., for three years. After that period of time, you will be required to pay a renewal fee if you wish to continue using the images.

As you may have guessed, we don’t do that either! Why? I have no good reason other than the fact that this never felt quite right to me. Especially since we work with so many startup brands, I wanted the images we produce for them to go very far. Nickel-and-diming folks based on these usage contingencies just isn’t who we are.

7. Will the images be resold?

A third and very important piece of licensing is the reselling of images. This was a huge surprise to me when I entered the business of food photography: some photographers resell images that were produced for a specific client. That means you may find your images being sold on other sites, including stock photography sites like shutterstock.com, if the photographer reserves the right to resell the images. In other words, one of your competitors could purchase your image to use in their marketing campaigns.

If this sounds a bit unethical to you, you’re not alone! We don’t do this and we’ve never done it, but it’s good for you to be informed that this does happen in our industry.

8. Are your rates flat? Is there possibility of add-on costs?

We've already covered many of the ways additional fees may apply through the questions above but just to keep your bases covered, it wouldn't hurt to ask a general question about add-on costs. If fees are flat, you shouldn't have to worry about any added expenses surprising you later. If the rates are not flat, it's good to be knowledgeable of this upfront so you can make an informed decision.

9. Will you align the photos to our brand standards?

Professional photos on their own do very little if they're not used properly to market products. All images must align to a brand vision and strategy in order for you to reap the benefits of your investment. That said, you should seek a photographer who is not only a creative, but someone who understands the importance and context of where you plan to use these images and the marketing goals you seek to achieve.

By finding someone who understands marketing, you are gaining value beyond the production of art. You are gaining a strategic partner who understands your vision and can craft images that will help you boost the areas of your business that are most important to you.

Julee Ho Media is a boutique food photography company that specializes in CPG brands. We craft drool-worthy food photography and recipe videos that elevate brands to the next level. Learn more about us here.