Make Money with your Digital Photography

Chapter 6. food and product photography

The job of the food or product photographer is to elicit a desire — whether for a delicious steak, a gorgeous pair of shoes, or the latest electronic gadget. Capturing the perfect food or product image requires a creative eye, a great sense of style, a keen attention to detail, and considerable photographic skill.

• 120 q&a with a working pro

• 128 essential gear

• 130 before the shoot

• 136 at the shoot

© Lou Manna

Q&A WITH A WORKING PRO

Food photographer Lou Manna has spent more than 35 years creating images of all things edible. Throughout his career, which includes 15 years as a photojournalist for The New York Times, Manna's photographs have appeared in more than 40 cookbooks. Major companies and institutions such as Kraft Foods, Dannon, and the Culinary Institute of America, as well as leading industry publications including Wine Enthusiast and Food Arts, have used Manna's photographs in their marketing campaigns and magazines. He has also shot for many celebrity chefs, including Bobby Flay, Jacques Torres, and Lidia Bastianich. Additionally, his numerous television appearances have included segments on the Food Network and ABC-TV's World of Photography. In 2002, Manna was honored as an Olympus Visionary Photographer and currently lectures and teaches for Olympus.

In addition to being an award-winning photographer, Manna is an established public speaker ...