Food Styling Workshops
Recap of July 2019 Food Styling Workshop in Washington, DC lead by local food photographer Laura Nockett, hosted at The Lemon Collective.
(photo by velogirl22)
I was so nervous and excited to host my first in-person food styling workshop a few weeks ago! I had the idea stirring in my head for almost a year and I finally made it happen! Coming out from behind the camera to teach and connect with other food photographers was one of the best things I’ve done since starting this food blog 3.5 years ago!
The idea to host the workshop mainly stemmed from 3 things.
First off, I couldn’t find anything like it offered in the DC area and I figured if I was searching for it, others may be too.
Secondly, the blogging/content creation world can be lonely. Though we may be virtually connecting with other creators daily all over the world, it can be isolating to not connect in-person with real people. I wanted to hold a workshop that would bring local creators together in the flesh.
Lastly, I am truly passionate about food photography and food styling and felt like I had something of value to share!
What is a Food Styling Workshop?
As opposed to a food photography workshop, a food styling workshop focuses primarily on composition and less on the mechanics of using your camera, post processing, etc… For this reason, photographers of all levels, no matter if they are shooting with their iPhone or a full frame DSLR can benefit from the topics covered.
(photo by velogirl22)
Who are these Food Styling Workshops for?
As I mentioned, my Food Styling Workshops are open to food photographers of all levels. They appeal to food bloggers looking to improve their food photography. As well as marketing professionals who work in the food industry and small restaurant or food business owners looking to tackle their own social media. They are also great for professional photographers who do not focus on food photography, but want to learn more. In addition, they are for the foodie or hobby photographer who is looking to up their Instagram game!
What do attendees learn?
The 10 main topics covered in the workshops are:
- Why food photography is unique
- Natural Light – direction and manipulation
- Food Photography Props – dos and don’ts
- Food Photography Tools – must have tools for food manipulation
- The three angles that work best for food photography and when to use each
- The Rule of Thirds – how and when to use it
- The Rule of Odds – how to please the human eye
- Color – selecting the right colors and how they effect mood
- The S-Curve – carrying viewers through your photo to evoke emotion
- Layering – to add interest and tell the story of your photo
We cover these topics first in discussion, and then using hands on examples where attendees help create the scene and are able to frame and shoot as they see fit.
Where are the workshops held?
My first workshop was help at The Lemon Collective in DC. It is a cute space, with just the necessities, enough room to work and great natural light. I hope to host more workshops at this space, but I am also open to other locations. The workshop is low maintenance in the sense that all we need is access to a restroom and good natural light, I bring the rest! If you are interested in having me host a workshop in your space please contact me at laura@sprinklesandseasalt.com!
Future Workshops
My hope is to host 1 in-person Food Styling Workshop per quarter. For future workshops I will be expanding the format from 2 hours to 3 or 4 hours. This first workshop was a bit rushed and I would like to have more to go further in depth on the topics covered and give attendees the chance to get more involved with the examples.
I have also had interest in virtual workshops for those that do not live in or are unable to travel to the DC area. I have some ideas churning and hope I can make that a reality in 2020!
Interested in attending a future workshop? I’d love to see you there! Click here to join the list and be first to know the details about future in-person and virtual workshops!
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