#85 - The hidden realities of being a professional food photographer with Francesco Sapienza - part 1

My Food Lens

What do you think it takes to be a successful commercial food photographer?

Excellent camera skills?

High level of Creativity?

Crazy passion for photography?

Expensive photography equipment?

What if I told you, none of the above are deal breakers to be a commercial photographer.

It takes more than camera skills, creativity and passion to run a photography business.

Most of us get into food photography because we love food or have a passion for photography but running a successful and profitable photography business is a completely different game and definitely not a piece of cake.

In this week’s podcast we are getting as raw and real as it gets.

We are peeling back the layers & sharing the truth of being a commercial food photographer with our guest, Francesco Sapienza, a food photographer based in NYC.

He’s worked with huge names like the New York Times, Smithsonian Books, Rizzoli publications, Whole foods market etc. and is sharing how to build a photography business in a competitive market and the challenges to expect.

We talk about the different kinds of projects under commercial food photography, how to transition from part-time to full-time photography, the secret ingredient to set up a business, how to add & price your services, rejection in business, whether to get an agent, how to market yourself in a competitive market etc.

If you want a real peek into the opportunities and challenges of being a commercial food photographer, this episode is for you.

Being able to take a good photo is only a small part of a photography business. Photography is the learnable part but there are many more parts that go into making it a profitable business.

Ever seen an iceberg? We see a small part of the iceberg above water but the majority is below the surface. A food photography business is exactly like that.

What we see on social media or hear professionals talk about is only the part of the business above the surface. There is a large part we don’t see or hear about.

In this week’s episode, we’re pulling that large part of the iceberg out of the water so that you can see it in its entirety.

Not to discourage you though but to prepare you. This episode is full of truth bombs that will help you in your journey and set you up for success. It will help you anticipate challenges, identify opportunities and embrace change better.

Submit a voice question HERE and be featured on the podcast

Read more at https://myfoodlens.com

Follow Dyutima on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dyutima_myfoodlens

Show notes available https://myfoodlens.com/

Download free resources
The 5 steps to visual storytelling

The 10-step photoshoot
Write that pitch