happy fall! (i love apple pie)
I had a meeting with an event planner at a restaurant/bar last week. Things seem promising! She said I’ll shoot a few things on a trial basis and if they work out, then they can start paying me!
I also spoke with a woman who lives down the street from my work and is about to sign on a space for her new cake business. You can bet I jumped on that real fast. She said she’d call me!! Things sound promising.
I think one of the biggest selling points is not only my food photos, but my ability to be an event photographer. It seems that these places want to document and advertise their events/parties/cooking classes etc… I’m ok with that!
I recently had the opportunity to photograph an assignment for Design Bureau Magazine at a new cocktail lounge in Chicago called Aviary. They have some pretty amazing looking drinks. The issue that these will be in wont hit shelves until January, but here is a preview!
they need me. seriously.
so i’m doing research. i’m starting by looking at the restaurants in my immediate area to see if 1. they have a website and 2. on average, how many pictures they have on the web and how they’re using them. so far i’ve noticed that there are a lot of interior shots as well as the plated dishes. too bad for them they’re out of focus and the lighting is horrible. they need my help. stat.
i so desperately want to get this show on the road but i’m struggling with the following issue: what do i charge?
this is a seriously difficult topic because i don’t want to sell myself short but at the same time, i want to make sure i’m bringing in business.
once i have the package price and any additional charges, i’ll be able to put together the post card i’ve designed and have it printed. then i can hand them out, then i can get jobs, and then i can finally become the most famous photographer ever.
once upon a time i moved to chicago. ok, so that time was about 6 months ago but i still feel verrrry new here. I came to chicago to live and try to make it (or at least learn what i can) as a food photographer. I’ve tried to meet as many food shooters here as possible but really, not much has come of it. as such, i’ve decided to take this into my own hands and appeal to my prospective clients directly.
So allow me to introduce myself: my name is Kaitlyn McQuaid and I am a photographer living in Chicago who specializes in food photography. I hope to work with restaurants, cafes, bakeries, anywhere with food, to provide high quality, amazing photographs they can use for menus, websites, promotional materials.. whatever you need! I want my photographs to be honest. Get your chef, your bakers, whoever and we’ll work together to craft the image. I’m not using any chemicals or non-edible substances to glam-up the photo. No, I want the plate to look just as it would if the chef were making it any night of the week. The chefs and bakers do such an amazing job on their own, I want my photographs to reflect that. I want my photographs to represent the vision of your eatery. Be that traditional or contemporary, my photography is constantly evolving and I never want to get stuck in a routine. I’m constantly thinking of ways to make each and every photograph unique and I will apply that same dedication to whatever project you have for me.
Now that we’ve met, I’m going to use this space to put up my own food images, talk about things I’ve learned, and possibly provide tips for those out there looking to photograph their own dishes. Let’s learn together and (c)Lick the Plate!
