What’s your story? What made you choose photography and specifically how did you get into food photography?
I’m a food and lifestyle photographer originally from Denmark, but have been working freelance for 14 years in New Zealand now. Right from an early age, I knew I wanted to be a photographer. Attending evening classes in photography when I was a teenager. Back then I would shoot street photography on analog film and develop them in the darkroom. Right from then, I knew I wanted to make a career out of photography, but I also knew I didn’t want to do portraits, weddings, or journalism photography. Later on, I learned that I could do an apprenticeship in commercial and advertising photography and I thought it suited me quite well. So I started an apprentice ship with a food photographer in Denmark and spent 4 years learning from him. I always enjoyed creating still life setups in the corner of the studio, I guess it was the beginning of nurturing my talent for food photography.
How do you approach photo shoots and what’s your go-to gear? (I know you do a lot of commercial work but this is restaurant related)
Every job always starts with a conversation over the phone with the client. For restaurant photography it would be the head chef, the owner or the restaurant manager or perhaps the PR team if they have one. After a phone call I’ll often arrange to see them in person, both to get a better understanding of what they are after, what the space looks like, and get an idea of what sort of dishes we are shooting. Many restaurants don’t always understand the time commitment, so it’s always important to me, to get that across. Once all is settled I write a shot list, hire an assistant and get my gear ready. I shoot on a Canon 5D IV with a range of lenses but mostly 85mm 1.2, 90mm Tilt Shift and Sigma 70mm art. I also have a small Fuji X-T20 that I use for alternative angles, behind the scenes, atmosphere snaps, lifestyle in the kitchen or anything else useful. It’s awesome in low light and often gives me a bit of realness and grit to the polished dishes. I shoot the menu items tethered, so it’s easy for everyone to keep track and develop low res for them to pick from a few days later. I’ll do a final touch up and grade on the final selects and licence images based on their needs.
I’ll often work with the ambient light in the restaurant if I can. I’ve become a master of natural light over the years and prefer it any day to flash. I always diffuse and block it to shape it like I want. If needed I’ll use flash either by itself or mixed with ambient/ natural light. I don’t actually have my own flash equipment, but a kind friend has let me keep his old Hänsel kit on hand, which is super! It does the trick except for freezing liquids and splashes in which case I’ll rent Profoto.
During the photoshoot - How do you decide where to take an image?
I always aim to create imagery that reflects the look and feel of the space, so I aim to incorporate the interiors into the shot. I want images to blend nicely with an already established brand aesthetic unless it’s a brand new place where we need to set the tone. In that case I’ll work with the creative director or design studio that’s doing their branding but otherwise I’ll make executive decision and do a small range of shots with parts of the interior and some that are quite close food shots with tones that compliment the space. I always follow the natural light and if a space has stunning daylight I’ll work with that, as it’s just much faster than setting up flash. It gives you way more flexibility to move around and there’s no better light than the sun right?
Biggest learnings so far in your career?
Hmm. this is a touch one. There’s a lot but one of the biggest is definitely to never assume anything. A lot of problems can arise if you don’t aske enough questions. Also, that if you are confident in your approach your client will trust you to do a great job.
Any advice for someone who is just starting out?
It was always my approach and mantra to keep it simple. I rented all my gear to start, even my camera until I could afford one. I didn’t want to get into debt. Less is more even when it comes to your gear, you don’t always have to have the newest camera and the most fancy equipment. Basic, good quality tools, will last a lifetime and the old Hänsel gear I’m using is a good reminder of that. It’s heavy but it works so why dump it just to buy some new plasticy gear that’s not as solid. My camera is the same, I know there are new mirrorless cameras out there but the 5D IV is a trusted old friend that still has a lot of miles in it. The Fuji, a really small camera that looks nothing much but actually is a very powerful tool. So don’t let anyone tell you that you need this or that, you can make beautiful images with the most basic equipment.
If you could do a photo shoot with someone, living or dead who would it be and why?
Hmm also tough. It would be Donna Hay. She’s the whole reason I ended up out here and why I’ve made a career in food photography. She was always a huge inspiration, so I left Denmark back in 2009 to pursue a dream to shoot for Donna Hay magazine in Australia. In stead I met my husband and ended up in New Zealand. I know the magazine doesn’t exist anymore, but she’s still one of the biggest food stylists of our time, and just has such an amazing eye, I’d still love to work with her sometime!
