Is Food worth it?

[Betty LaRue]

Curious about those of you who shoot food, whether you consider it worth it.  I'm talking about a port that has mostly other subjects, but when you get an opportunity to shoot food or drink, either eating out or at home, do you make many sales?  Is it worth the bother?  Also I'm not talking about product shooting, tea in box, pasta in a package.  I'm talking about ready to eat or drink.

 

I often shoot things I bake here at home for our own consumption.  I don't deliberately bake or cook something just so I can shoot it.  Food isn't a large part of my portfolio, it is a drop in the bucket, so to say.  

I've only sold 23 images of food or drink.  Mostly food.

 

Yet my top food sale, a pie, sold for $700.  My lowest, to Turkey yesterday, after distributor costs, I'll leave to your imagination.  It was web use, 1 day, so what should I expect?  Nada, pretty much.   I could spend it at McDonald's on the dollar menu.

 

How about you?

 

Betty

[spacecadet]

If you do stretch it to include drink, it's a bit under a quarter of my volume, probably a bit less in revenue. If you include food-related, such as restaurant or pub exteriors, and not-yet-ready-to eat (duck and pheasant at a market), a bit more. Some respectable sales, too, up to $200.

My best ever was an exterior of a former chocolate factory. I haven't included that.

[Lisa]

I sell food photos on 'that app'. 29 sales out of 47 so far, or 62% are food related, highest was $150.

[David_Buzzard]

Sure, why not?

[Ed Rooney]

Curious about those of you who shoot food, whether you consider it worth it.  I'm talking about a port that has mostly other subjects, but when you get an opportunity to shoot food or drink, either eating out or at home, do you make many sales?  Is it worth the bother?  Also I'm not talking about product shooting, tea in box, pasta in a package.  I'm talking about ready to eat or drink.

 

I often shoot things I bake here at home for our own consumption.  I don't deliberately bake or cook something just so I can shoot it.  Food isn't a large part of my portfolio, it is a drop in the bucket, so to say.  

I've only sold 23 images of food or drink.  Mostly food.

 

Yet my top food sale, a pie, sold for $700.  My lowest, to Turkey yesterday, after distributor costs, I'll leave to your imagination.  It was web use, 1 day, so what should I expect?  Nada, pretty much.   I could spend it at McDonald's on the dollar menu.

 

How about you?

 

Betty

 

 

I was gonna ask this question!

 

There is that big pie sale, Betty. I've not had one of those. In the past year, 30% of my sales were food related. That's tabletop food at home or in a restaurant, packaged food in a  store, produce, or people eating out. Although I have not got a serious tabletop studio, and there are severe restrictions in space, I like shooting food . . . so I'll continue. I always have the little RX100/3 at a restaurant.

 

I don't do that much research, but my thinking is: keep food shots simple and stay with as few specific subjects as you can. Like pie. 

[Betty LaRue]

 

Curious about those of you who shoot food, whether you consider it worth it.  I'm talking about a port that has mostly other subjects, but when you get an opportunity to shoot food or drink, either eating out or at home, do you make many sales?  Is it worth the bother?  Also I'm not talking about product shooting, tea in box, pasta in a package.  I'm talking about ready to eat or drink.

 

I often shoot things I bake here at home for our own consumption.  I don't deliberately bake or cook something just so I can shoot it.  Food isn't a large part of my portfolio, it is a drop in the bucket, so to say.  

I've only sold 23 images of food or drink.  Mostly food.

 

Yet my top food sale, a pie, sold for $700.  My lowest, to Turkey yesterday, after distributor costs, I'll leave to your imagination.  It was web use, 1 day, so what should I expect?  Nada, pretty much.   I could spend it at McDonald's on the dollar menu.

 

How about you?

 

Betty

 

 

 

I was gonna ask this question!

 

There is that big pie sale, Betty. I've not one of those. In the past year, 30% of my sales were food related. That's tabletop food at home or in a restaurant, packaged food in a  store, produce, or people eating out. Although I have not got a serious tabletop studio, and there are severe restrictions in space, I like shooting food . . . so I'll continue. I always have the little RX100/3 at a restaurant.

 

I don't do that much research, but my thinking is: keep food shots simple and stay with as few specific subjects as you can. Like pie.

Great minds think alike!

Yes. Pie. Sold an image of my homemade pumpkin pie just yesterday. For a piddly amount, but still....

I'm one of a dying breed, who still makes piecrust from scratch. Bless my mother, the best pie maker ever for teaching me. I've passed it on to my children, and my son shocks his workplace friends with his pie at a bring-food luncheon.

[vpics]

My only piece of fanmail came from a food photo.

 

A lady in California wanted the recipe for my choc chip cookies a photo of which appeared in Good Housekeeping magazine.

 

It made my day.

 

I'm pretty sure you were in the picture yourself. ;-)

[spacecadet]

 

Curious about those of you who shoot food, whether you consider it worth it.  I'm talking about a port that has mostly other subjects, but when you get an opportunity to shoot food or drink, either eating out or at home, do you make many sales?  Is it worth the bother?  Also I'm not talking about product shooting, tea in box, pasta in a package.  I'm talking about ready to eat or drink.

 

I often shoot things I bake here at home for our own consumption.  I don't deliberately bake or cook something just so I can shoot it.  Food isn't a large part of my portfolio, it is a drop in the bucket, so to say.  

I've only sold 23 images of food or drink.  Mostly food.

 

Yet my top food sale, a pie, sold for $700.  My lowest, to Turkey yesterday, after distributor costs, I'll leave to your imagination.  It was web use, 1 day, so what should I expect?  Nada, pretty much.   I could spend it at McDonald's on the dollar menu.

 

How about you?

 

Betty

 

 

I was gonna ask this question!

 

There is that big pie sale, Betty. I've not had one of those. In the past year, 30% of my sales were food related. That's tabletop food at home or in a restaurant, packaged food in a  store, produce, or people eating out. Although I have not got a serious tabletop studio, and there are severe restrictions in space, I like shooting food . . . so I'll continue. I always have the little RX100/3 at a restaurant.

 

I don't do that much research, but my thinking is: keep food shots simple and stay with as few specific subjects as you can. Like pie. 

 

"Like pie" is an instruction I was already obeying, Ed.

[gvallee]

It's all your fault. Today I photographed my homemade lunch (prawns, apples, walnuts salad) and homemade dinner (baked grated courgettes with parmesan, mustard and parma ham).

 

Plus, trying hard to diversify, I also took a shot of my other half's leeches bites. Philippe, I hope you're not eating again, I would't want to put you off your food.

 

Gen

[gvallee]

 

It's all your fault. Today I photographed my homemade lunch (prawns, apples, walnuts salad) and homemade dinner (baked grated courgettes with parmesan, mustard and parma ham).

Plus, trying hard to diversify, I also took a shot of my other half's leeches bites. Philippe, I hope you're not eating again, I would't want to put you off your food.

Gen

 

 

Gen, In Belgium it's now 12h15. That's the hour Belgians EAT.

"Leeches' bites" .... YUK !!! 

 

Cheers,

Philippe

Sorry... Just concentrate on my delicious dishes then....

 

Gen

[Robert M Estall]

I think I'd come down on the side of your Belgian chef. And confiscate all phones before seating any customers,

[Ed Rooney]

Any and all discussions of food are never off topic! 

 

I had an irate chef object to my photographing his food next door to you, Philippe, in Amsterdam. He was Spanish, not Dutch. Here in NYC everyone takes pictures of everything, all day, everyday. In Amsterdam I was using a Nikon DSLR and standing up. With the RX100/3, using the flexible back screen, staying seated, nobody is bothered. 

 

 

[Betty LaRue]

Any and all discussions of food are never off topic!

 

I had an irate chef object to my photographing his food next door to you, Philippe, in Amsterdam. He was Spanish, not Dutch. Here in NYC everyone takes pictures of everything, all day, everyday. In Amsterdam I was using a Nikon DSLR and standing up. With the RX100/3, using the flexible back screen, staying seated, nobody is bothered.

 

 

 

 

Exactly. That's the beauty of these little cameras, at least in the U.S. Nobody realizes we are serious photographers.

 

Edited to add. One thing I've noticed, Ed. Your NYC food shots have better presentation by the staff compared to what we get around here, unless it's at a high end restaurant that I can't afford to eat at.

Your image has that interesting line of sauce running across the flour tortillas. Presentation.

I'm jealous.

[Ed Rooney]

Ah, but the reality of my food situation is somewhat different than you think, Betty. I too can't afford to eat out at high-end restaurants anymore. I get to Lupe's East LA Kitchen, where I shot the quesadillas, once or twice a week. They are still affordable.

 

All the many many newer restaurants in Lower Manhattan have doubled what were the going prices. A very good place (they tell me) called Pasquale Jones, two short blocks north of me, serve a rib eye steak for two for $135. Smaller menus, good cooking, fresh produce, and high prices is what's happening. Very scary. 

 

The Italian food you see in my collection, I cook and shot at home. Most of the tabletop food you see I've done at home. I was once a creative director at a small agency, and I'm my own stylist. These are at-home pics:

 

 

 

 

 

When you're chef, photog, and hungry, shooting food is hard, and it's so easy to knock things over. At restaurant tables the limited space and clutter are problems.

 

Here's a frustrating fact: see all those colorful Tex-Mex food pics. Other than one shot of a flan, none have sold. 

[Betty LaRue]

Ah, but the reality of my food situation is somewhat different than you think, Betty. I too can't afford to eat out at high-end restaurants anymore. I get to Lupe's East LA Kitchen, where I shot the quesadillas, once or twice a week. They are still affordable.

 

All the many many newer restaurants in Lower Manhattan have doubled what were the going prices. A very good place (they tell me) called Pasquale Jones, two short blocks north of me, serve a rib eye steak for two for $135. Smaller menus, good cooking, fresh produce, and high prices is what's happening. Very scary.

 

The Italian food you see in my collection, I cook and shot at home. Most of the tabletop food you see I've done at home. I was once a creative director at a small agency, and I'm my own stylist. These are at-home pics:

 

 

 

 

When you're chef, photog, and hungry, shooting food is hard, and it's so easy to knock things over. At restaurant tables the limited space and clutter are problems.

 

Here's a frustrating fact: see all those colorful Tex-Mex food pics. Other than one shot of a flan, none have sold.

Understood.

I don't believe I've ever sold anything taken at a restaurant. Only the food I've cooked and shot at home. Including a simple shot of pinto beans with ham and homemade scratch cornbread. Southern cooking. Yum. I need to cook up a pot.

Betty

Edit. Oh, God, I love flans!

[wiskerke]

Any and all discussions of food are never off topic! 

 

I had an irate chef object to my photographing his food next door to you, Philippe, in Amsterdam. He was Spanish, not Dutch. Here in NYC everyone takes pictures of everything, all day, everyday. In Amsterdam I was using a Nikon DSLR and standing up. With the RX100/3, using the flexible back screen, staying seated, nobody is bothered. 

 

 

Yes we had a brief rebellion under chefs to ban telephones; selfies; food pix; cameras and laptops. Some installed phone jammers. Those in turn were outlawed because it jammed the police as well.

It probably all petered out when only a couple of the elderly remained.

 

wim

[Phil Crean]

Of the 472 images I have on sale with food as a tag, 18 have sold.

I've got worse returns on other tags!

 

Phil

[Ed Rooney]

Other Amsterdam restaurants would give me a hard look, Wim, but they didn't challenge me. The good places had very good cuisine, but I was disappointed in what we could get at the pubs at lunch. This was 2008. I'm a lunch guy.

 

I wanted to shoot the rijsttafel, but could not. My lens was not wide enough. I can't believe I ate the whole thing! 

 

This is probably not the flan image that sold, Betty, but help yourself: 

 

[Ed Rooney]

That's too bad, Phil. As I said, food related images have been just over 30% of my sales.

 

Elaborate recipes are pretty worthless. Stay with simple, relevant things: olives, cheese, a certain fish. What's unique to the Canary Islands? 

[Phil Robinson]

I've had a few foodie sales.

I don't do the high-quality professionally prepared studio style - exclusively stuff I bought in the supermarket that I intend to eat or, on one occasion, had already eaten.

I have sold a few pictures of bars of chocolate. It took several attempts though. My plan to 'buy chocolate, photograph chocolate, eat chocolate' somehow went wrong the first two times.

 

I had a very good sale recently of a 99p black pudding : "Travel client. Marketing Package Use."

[Betty LaRue]

Other Amsterdam restaurants would give me a hard look, Wim, but they didn't challenge me. The good places had very good cuisine, but I was disappointed in what we could get at the pubs at lunch. This was 2008. I'm a lunch guy.

 

I wanted to shoot the rijsttafel, but could not. My lens was not wide enough. I can't believe I ate the whole thing! 

 

This is probably not the flan image that sold, Betty, but help yourself: 

 

It's very impolite, Ed, to make a lady drool.

Oh, yeah, I ain't no lady.

[Chuck Nacke]

I don't shoot where I eat..... (really bad pun)

 

I do hate it when friends that I am dining with photograph

the plates as the food is getting cold....

[vpics]

That's an interesting question. I don't really shoot food as such, but the pics I've uploaded haven't done too badly. 

[Michael Ventura]

I think food is worth shooting, especially food that is iconic of a geographic place. Had three food photo sales this month.

[Davey Towers]

I could afford to go to restaurants but as a professional chef with 45 years experience I am often dissapointed with food and/or menus served in said restaurants. I usually scan food dishes on Alamy and find "subjects" with less than 100 images on file then purposely cook and photograph said "subject" at home. So far, although I'm a relative newbie on Alamy, 50% of my sales have been food/ drink related. So for the time being I think I will continue along the same path.