As a food photographer, you've likely received your fair share of well-intended advice - some of which turned out to be more harmful than helpful. Whether it’s outdated marketing strategies, unrealistic expectations, or misguided creative tips, bad advice can set you back and add unnecessary frustration to your journey.
A few months back you read the best advice we ever got as food photographers, but now we're turning the tables by my 61 creator friends and I sharing the worst suggestions we ever got. This blog post is offering pro tips to help you avoid these pitfalls, guiding you through common missteps and provide you with actionable strategies to ensure your growth and success in the industry.
If you are hungry to learn about another subjects, make sure to check the previous episodes of my Pro Tips blog series here.
What was the worst advice they ever got as a creator?
Before you scroll any further, get comfy, grab your favourite notebook and pen, then get ready to dive into this inspiring read!
"Overpricing yourself when you're starting.
Price what you are worth and eventually, once you have more experience, it will get better."
Shiela Cruz - CPG photographer and stylist
"No matter what kind of content, just content."
Anita Zsirmik - food blogger, content creator
"Focus on social media."
Kristina Cadelina - food photographer, blogger
"To put your work out on social media and passively wait for clients to contact you."
Mika Levälampi - photographer
"Take the free job, you will gain some exposure and valuable experience."
Melissa - photographer, blogger
Photo by © Jason Wain
" "Maybe you should do more than food photography, it's so niche"
- someone advised me in the beginning, terrible advice."
Kamile Kave - photographer
"The worst advice for a creator would be to replicate someone else's work, especially if it doesn't align with your personal values and artistic integrity.
Doing so not only undermines your authenticity as a creator but also diminishes the value and originality of your work. It's important to develop your unique voice and style, rather than mimicking others, to create truly meaningful and distinctive art."
Peggy Cormary - photographer
"Thankfully I don't think I've ever gotten any bad advice."
Snorri Guðmundsson - photographer, recipe developer, product development manager in the food industry
"It is funny. Maybe - "Buy that super expensive piece of equipment to take better photos".
It's never been more irrelevant to creativity when you can take photos with the phone in your pocket or a pinhole cardboard box."
Milena Ugrinova (Mim) - food and product photographer
"I don't think I ever received bad advice. However, I am someone who is sensitive to good marketing, so I often booked a workshop or masterclass that later turns out not to be of much use to me. So I have become a little more critical in that regard."
Maaike Zaal - food- and beverage photographer
"Set up a blog as a way to showcase your photography to brands.
Not exactly! Making a blog successful takes time and expertise - it won't happen overnight. Even when it's successful, you will still need to work to build relationships up with brands you would like to work with."
Jane Coupland - food photographer, food blogger
Photo by © Matt Wilson
"To always shoot food a very low f-stop like 2.2."
Jules Wilson-Haines - photographer, stylist
"To post every day.
IMO, in this case, the quality suffers in favor of quantity. At some point, the joy in your work and your creativity fade."
Andrea Köver - food photographer
Photo by © Andrea Köver
"I can’t think of one. I suppose if something I was told didn’t seem “right” to me, I just ignored it with immediate effect!"
Natalia Ashton - nutritionist, photographer, author
"Don't undercharge or over delivery to your customers because you will mess up the local photography industry.
I have never ben the type to delivery 20 photos and charge $300. If I am taking close to 400 or 500 photos on a photoshoot, why would I deliver only 30 photos? What am I going to do with the rest? I'll charge $400, but Ill give you around 200 photos. I am always on the customer side, and not my side. I don't do this to be a photographer. I do this to provide content for restaurants that are on a budget, and need help online so that they can grow their business. Thats what keeps me going, and I will not listen to someone else that thinks that I am messing up the local photography scene. Maybe it needs to be shaken up a bit."
Robert Alvarez - photographer
"That you have to be technically perfect.
I don't agree with this advice - my audience doesn't care if I have colour-graded my images. They know what they like, and what they see and I try to give this to them."
Leeanne Mason - food photographer, photo chef, food stylist, content creator
Photo by © Leeanne Mason
"To be honest I haven't come across any, all advice is subjective and it's up to you on how it works for you and you alone. I take bad advice as constructive :) "
Emilie Dorange - photographer, designer
"If I have to mention something, it would be to avoid being constantly on social media and collecting the most followers.
I never received this advice, but I had a first impression when I joined some social media platforms with my site, especially with my photography. These platforms are important, of course, as I could not be more grateful for this amazing Instagram community. I have met and continue to meet amazing people here, and I have learned and continue to learn a lot. However, focusing on learning, on yourself, and especially creating images is crucial."
Kata Endrődi - photographer
Photo by © Kata Endrődi
"Never work for free.
It’s common advice, but I don’t think it’s right. I have created content for free many times and I have zero regrets. Just recently, I did a whole photo shoot for someone because I wanted to help them out."
Julia Konovalova - food photographer, food stylist, content creator
"Spend money on the most recent gear.
No need for the most recent gear, I only spend money on gear if the old one stops working."
Tibor Galamb - photographer, director
Photo by © Tibor Galamb
"Post everyday to Instagram to grow as a successful photographer so brands want to work with you.
At this point I think Instagram is a place we can build community and connect but I don't put all my eggs in the IG basket. I think it is better to focus on your unique business plan and post to IG when it works into your schedule and work flow."
Mary Turner - commercial food photographer, stylist, chef
"Work is work, if you get a yes from a brand for a partnership, be grateful and take it.
The reason why I don’t think this is a good advice is because taking on any client can quickly become a slippery slope. If you feel like you are not fairly compensated for the work you do, chances are you could start resenting your client and that will in turn affect your creative process and the enjoyment you get shooting for that client. If the project really doesn’t speak to you then you might not give it your all in helping bring your client’s vision to life. This could potentially lead to your client not being satisfied with what you create. If the timeline is too short for your preference, that additional stress might result in you feeling overwhelmed and thus, once again affect your creativity. All in all, yes being compensated for your work is important, but I do believe that taking care of your well being and preserving your creativity is what will help you continue finding joy and fulfilment in this artistic journey."
Murielle Banackissa - food photographer, food stylist, cookbook author and blogger
Photo by © Murielle Banackissa
"You have to be successful on Instagram to find enough clients."
Lara Virkus - food photographer
"Do everything to earn money. As in take any and all assignments and clients; be a Jack-of-all-trades. Otherwise you will not make a living in photography."
In my early years I did that and it does not work. Imo you'd better pick 2 or 3 (or even one) specialisation and get really good and known for that."
Anoeska Vermeij - photographer
Photo by © Anoeska Vermeij
"There's so much bad advice out there... I could write a novel 😂 One piece of advice that was not helpful for me personally is that social media and e-mail marketing are a volume game, the more you do the more success you'll see."
Joanie Simon - photographer
"Just post as much as possible.
I would say that quality is way more important than quantity. If you are not excited to share something you created, don't. If you don't resonate with something you create, let it go. Other creative ideas will come that will feel more aligned with the artist you want to be. Be selective and allow for the ebb and flow of the creative process without the constant pressure of social media."
Aline Ponce & Mike Hulswit - professional photographers
"Nature light is the best.
I mean some years ago taking photos with artificial light was not stylish. Some people thought that was the worst. And it is not true."
Emese Balog - food blogger
" "Producing high-quality photos would lead to a successful career".
Contrary to this belief, I have come to realize that achieving recognition and securing opportunities as a photographer demands strategic and consistent marketing efforts. While the quality of one's work is undoubtedly crucial, it is equally essential to proactively showcase and promote that work to the right audience. Building a strong online presence, engaging in networking activities, and employing effective promotional strategies are pivotal in establishing a sustainable and thriving creative career."
Maxine Lock - photographer
locklickimages.com.au
Photo by © Maxine Lock
"Do stuff for free or for exposure, it doesn't work! Make sure you get paid and get paid a proper rate or everyone will be forced to lower their prices, we're trying to live off of this!"
Dorothy Porker - food writer, photographer
""Create when you feel inspired."
I believe that inspiration won't always be there but a true creator creates even when they're not inspired. Inspiration comes and goes but a creator has the power to attract inspiration. Don't wait to be inspired. Create, and inspiration will find you."
Dyutima Jha - food photographer, food stylist, podcaster
"You can't earn your living with photography!
Obviously, it isn't always easy, doing what you love, but if you want something and you believe in it, I believe you will be alright!"
Maurizio Previti - photographer
"It's hard to pinpoint the specific worst advice, but it's important to remember that some advice, may not fit your unique creative approach. It's important to always filter advice through your own experience and vision to keep your creativity authentic."
Halyna Vitiuk - food photographer
"To make a copy."
Mihails Pavlenko - food and product photographer
" ‘No!! You cannot do that. Don't try something new and ruin your style of shooting ’
… the advice someone gave me when I tried to explore techniques new to me. Still went ahead to do it and got to learn a ton from it."
Shwetha Elaina - food photographer and stylist
"Not an advice as such but sometimes I feel only doing a particular type of images might restrict you as a creator. I feel creators should explore all styles."
Gouthami Yuvarajan - food and product photographer
"This wasn't directed towards me personally, but they were basically saying, 'burnt out or in a rut? Just push through it and keep creating!'
Obviously not in those words, but that's what it boiled down to. All it's going to do is one day make you either completely explode or implode (both metaphorically), or completely shut down. Instead, give yourself permission to rest. Play around with simple shoots just for yourself. Or don't shoot entirely - depends on your situation. When you feel ready to ease your way back in, try to find what made you start in the first place again."
Felicia Chuo - photographer
"Niche down on one very specific aesthetic.
It's great to have a singular goal like sharing a certain type of recipe or offering advice, but it's always a nice surprise for your audience to share something new. I think IG is moving away from very curated feeds and it's free for all in terms of creative content."
Anisa - photographer, recipe developer
"It was at the beginning of my journey. I then heard that I should do sessions for free or at a very low price."
Monika Grudzińska - photographer, food stylist
"That I should price based on what I think customers are willing to pay."
Veera Rusanen - photographer
"“It’s ok, it’s only for Instagram!”
You never know your potential customer is looking at that picture."
Sangita Bhavsar - food blogger, photographer, stylist
"I don’t really remember receiving the worst advice, on the contrary, all the people that I met were authentic and shared with me their best advices 😊."
Massiel Zadeh Habchi - food photographer and stylist
"Post every day on Instagram."
M. Aimee Tan - food photographer, videographer, stylist, content creator, recipe developer
"Probably to work for free or very little compensation.
There’s very few scenarios where this is helpful and it creates a market harder for all of us as photographers if brands know they can get free work from someone."
Lauren Short - food photographer
"Increase the commercial licence when the brands are large and famous."
Marika Cucuzza - food photographer, content creator, recipe developer, food stylist
"To find some other profession, everyone can take pictures."
Liliána Tóth - food photographer
Photo © Liliána Tóth
"Difficult question. I think I'm trying to exclude bad and demotivating advice. I'm going to go against the grain and say the best advice I've ever received is not to compare yourself to others. So I think the worst advice would be to compare yourself with others. I'm not talking about looking for inspiration and learning from others. I am talking about blindly discouraging myself that I will never reach the level of someone else. This is not important - what is important is your own path."
Katarzyna Anders - food and product photographer and stylist, recipe developer, content creator, blogger
"Haha, this is luckily not something anyone ever told me but I heard it way too often from other creators - Start working for free to gain experience and only charge for your work when you get good.
If someone decided to hire you, you are *good* already, as in you have value to them so that they decided to let you create the work for them. I am a big advocate for being adequately paid and charging for our work from the first moment we start creating for other people's profits. Make sure you charge right for your value because you will not be able to stay in this business for long if you don't.
Ah, also: "Get a better camera."
- this is not going to get you far if you cannot use the one you already own to your best abilities, even if it's just a smart phone for now. Learn as much as you can before moving up a level. And don't spend more than you can afford at the time so you don't pressure yourself more than needed to start earning money and feel like you have to undervalue yourself by taking up projects that don't pay what they should. This may not be a quick journey but it will be a lot of fun if you do the work and keep learning."
Andrea Gralow - professional commercial and editorial food photographer, videographer
"That being a creator you need to work every day."
Indrajeet Nishad - food photographer and stylist
" "You need better gear to get better results."
- Definitely not true! You just need to know the gear you have and how to use it properly."
Julia Wharington - photographer, videographer, stylist
"One of the worst pieces of advice for a creator is to prioritize quantity over quality.
While consistency is essential, sacrificing the quality of your work for the sake of producing more content can undermine your long-term success and reputation. Focus on delivering value and maintaining a standard of excellence in your creations rather than simply churning out volume."
Anna Janecka - photographer, food stylist
"Similarly, always play it safe and sticking to what's already popular.
While understanding trends is important, blindly following them without injecting your unique perspective can stifle creativity and hinder personal growth. It's crucial for creators to take risks, experiment, and push boundaries to discover their authentic voice and make a meaningful impact with their work."
Darina Kopcok - food photographer, educator
Photo by © Darina Kopcok
"It was about pricing and offering your work for low prices ensuring to have a lot of work."
Mojca Klepec - food photographer
"You don't need to learn the manual settings of your camera. Use the auto function and you will get the best results."
Melinda Bernáth - food photographer
"Good question! The worst advice I can imagine is being told not to pursue creative work because it is not "profitable"."
Terri Salminen - blogger, food culture researcher
"Fake it till you make it.
Some things you really just gotta grind until you master it."
David Pahmp - commercial advertising photographer
"That quantity is more important than quality, which is of course very untrue."
Dina Hassan - food photographer, videographer
Photo & BTS by © Dina Hassan
" "You harm other photographers and the industry by charging less than x, or if you work for free."
Don't get me wrong, photographers deserve to get paid for their work - but it's not our business if someone else is happy with a small payment, an alternative compensation or other arrangement at any point of their career. The foundation of every project must be a value exchange - you provide your time and skills and get (financial or alternative) compensation. There are great opportunities with alternative compensation that bring you experience, insights, knowledge, confidence, feedback, visibility in exchange for your input. You can even go further and offer pro-bono help to organisations/businesses in need, with no strings attached. As these brought me paid business and returning clients later on, I would never call these collabs a waste of time.
But is this fair to others? - you may ask. My profitability is not my competitors' responsibility or concern (and vice versa). Therefore, my personal opinion is, that holding anyone accountable for my own business failures or lost bids would be simply unprofessional. Meeting an income goal could take €300/month for one, and €15000/month for another - this is why I believe, that there are work + ideal clients for everyone, at all price-points.
Some charge way less than I do 🤔 - should I call them out?
- They either just started out, have a tiny overhead, or a solid job/main business and photography is only a side-hustle that brings them "monopoly money".
- Indeed, they can afford to charge a fee that otherwise seems ridiculously low from a full-time photographer's perspective - and what?
- Instead of throwing a hissy fit each time I lose a low-paying gig to these colleagues, I rather move on and focus my efforts on finding & retaining the right leads for my business.
Others charge way more than I do 🤔 - should I get more greedy with my pricing?
- By calculating my overhead I can ensure the profitability of my own pricing, so I can always act ambitious yet reasonable, instead of letting greed and competition anxiety control my strategies. After many years in business, I have a somewhat clear picture of what others may charge, yet, it hardly influencing my pricing anymore.
- When hearing that others make way more than we do, it is rarely considered that those colleagues most likely have a bigger overhead (large rented studio, van, extensive gear, equipment and software base, employees etc), hence it takes way more for them to get even.
- Those 5-6 figure production estimates may look tempting, but they cover the fees of many individuals involved + expenses (photographer & crew, equipment, location, casting, talent, stylists, meals, post-production etc.).
Arguing others' differing strategy or price point will not bring us any more business. Try gravitating towards competitors with a genuine, friendly approach, invite them for a coffee or a Zoom... you will be surprised how many of them are seeking a connection with someone within this niche industry who has perfect understanding on their everyday struggles and wins."
Reka Csulak - photographer, mentor
Photo by © Reka Csulak
