Food photography is one of the many genres of photography. Food photography has its own level of difficulty. The most challenging aspect is making the food photos look appealing, enticing to the viewer's appetite, and capturing the attention of potential customers to purchase them.
Food photography is also one of the genres that I pursue, along with portrait and beauty photography. However, lately, I have been feeling quite lazy to do food photography sessions. This is mainly because the props for food photography can be quite expensive, and potential clients still underestimate this genre, leading to many of them expecting low prices. Yet, the production costs themselves are quite high.
Nevertheless, I won't discuss that matter. I will talk about the photo sessions when I was still learning food photography. At that time, I really enjoyed it, and with whatever props I had, I managed to produce decent photos. I could properly expose the main hero and capture the point of interest. I particularly looked forward to when my friend's parents made cakes and sent them to me to photograph and enjoy with my family.
Below is an example of a photo from one of my food photography sessions:
When I first started, I only used whatever props I had available. I played around more with the hand holding the food, and to me, it actually looked quite interesting. When I opened these old files, I found myself craving the food in the photos. However, when I think back to that time, these photos seemed quite ordinary. I was too fixated on the props, so I lacked confidence when it came to showcasing them on social media.
However, when I look back at those old files, I actually prefer the photos from that time compared to my current ones. Perhaps I miss working with limited equipment. Now I work based on demands, adjusting to clients' preferences. And it can be quite burdensome because I have to follow the desired mood board of the clients. It's different from when I'm not working for anyone specific, and I just try my best to make the food look appealing without relying on expensive supporting props that I consider costly now.
Lately, I've been losing my enthusiasm for photography, whether it's food or portrait sessions. What do you think I should do? I miss doing photo sessions with models, but I also feel overwhelmed when it comes to thinking about concepts, and it ends up dampening my spirits. I long for relaxed photo sessions, but sometimes I hesitate to grab my camera and invite someone for a photo session. I need something to reignite my passion.
Thank you,
Warm regards from me.