Photography Archives

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UPDATE: The Black Friday sale has now ended! You can still use my link here and code JESS at checkout for 15% everything on the Foodtography School site.

Black Friday is starting early and the Foodtography School Black Friday sale has just kicked off! This is their biggest sale of the year, and you can save 25% everything on the site. And I mean everything! Presets, courses, bundles… everything! In this post I’ll be breaking down everything on sale for you, as well as my recommendations!

You can shop the Foodtography School Black Friday sale (25% off everything!) at the link here.

Black Friday two years ago is when I bought my first Foodtography School course, and I never looked back! I was on the fence and had heard about the courses, then signed up for a free Masterclass session. Once the Black Friday sales hit, I was sold! Since then, I’ve also started Advanced Foodtography School, and I just mightttt have my eye on Restaurant Foodtography School as well!

What is included in the Foodtography School Black Friday sale?

Now until November 29 you can get 25% off anything on the Foodtography site, which includes presets, courses, guides and more! And if you enroll in one of the courses during the Black Friday sale, you’ll also get access to the NEW Influencer Bootcamp — a free mini course on everything from how to be a stand-out influencer in 2022 to landing paid partnerships to how to incorporate video content into your social strategy.

Before Foodtography School - an overhead cocktail shot — At left: before Foodtography School. I was intimidated to shoot cocktails from the side, so only would shoot overhead. At right: after Foodtography School. Gained some confidence (which is key!) and learned better styling to tell the story of this Bourbon Apple Cider without being distracting.

At left: before Foodtography School. I was intimidated to shoot cocktails from the side, so only would shoot overhead. At right: after Foodtography School. Gained some confidence (which is key!) and learned better styling to tell the story of this Bourbon Apple Cider without being distracting.

What courses are on sale?

A breakdown of the Foodtography courses that are now on sale:

Foodtography School is for people who want to treat their photography as an art form, create a standout online presence, and turn their photography into a business. This is the course I took first!
Advanced Foodtography School takes the first course a step farther. The course helps you learn subleties in editing, how to develop a more complex grasp on composition, and teaches intricacies of food styling to elevate your photos immediately. I just started Advanced Foodtography School and am already loving it. I’ll be sure to report back once I’ve completed it!
iFoodtography School is for anyone who wants to learn to take better pictures of food with their iPhone (no DSLR or mirrorless camera needed).
Restaurant Foodtography School is focused specifically on food photography for restaurants. This is a way to improve your portfolio, establish yourself in your community, and diversify your income.

Other than courses, what else is on sale?

In addition to the courses, you can also get 25% off other offerings, including:

Presets that will take your pictures to the next level. Compatible with the free Lightroom mobile app and Lightroom desktop.
Templates & Guides to get you started with setting up your media kit, a brand pitching guide, a photography pricing & contract guide, and more!
Website templates to get you started on a customizable website that shows off your amazing work and helps you grow your online business.
Style / Edit sessions to get a behind-the-scenes look at how Sarah styles and edits a shot.

Tomato soup - a "before" image in my Foodtography School review — At left: before Foodtography School – a bowl of tomato soup. At right: after Foodtography School – a bowl of butternut squash soup with better styling, composition, and editing.

Curried carrot soup - an "after" image in my Footgraphy School review — At left: before Foodtography School – a bowl of tomato soup. At right: after Foodtography School – a bowl of butternut squash soup with better styling, composition, and editing.

Where should I start?

That depends on what you’re most interested in! For me, I think the courses are wonderful and would highly recommend starting there before adding any extras. Whether you’re interested in improving your phone photography or working with a DSLR / mirrorless camera, or you’ve already mastered the basics and are ready to really did into advanced concepts, there is a class for you! The classes also offer great tips on everything from equipment and gear, to props and and lighting. It’s great to take the classes before you start buying more props, etc!

This is also the only time Foodtography offers a sale like this, so if you’re interested, I suggest you jump on it! And if you’re really committed and know you want to do this, the course bundles are absolutely the best deal on the site! You get a discount for bundling courses together, and then the additional 25% off discount (and the Influencer Bootcamp freebie) — it’s amazing!

Foodtograhpy School + Advanced Foodtography School bundle: originally $1,556, now $1,167
Foodtography School + Restaurant Foodtograpy School bundle: originally $697, now $522

What is Influencer Bootcamp?

Influencer Bootcamp is a mini course on everything from how to be a stand-out influencer in 2022 to landing paid partnerships and how to incorporate video content into your social strategy. Social media is changing (nature of the beast!) and whether you want to become an influencer, or you want to be active on social media platforms to boost your photography business, it’s essential to keep learning and evolving.

The course is split into five sections:

Influencer marketing in 2022
Creating high-impact content
Landing paid partnerships
Developing your pricing blueprint
Incorporating video strategy with TikTok and Reels

It’s a great bonus offer and is FREE if you enroll in a Foodtography School course during the Black Friday sale.

Where do I shop the Foodtography School Black Friday sale?!

You can shop the Foodtography School Black Friday sale (25% off everything!) at the link here. The sale is going on now through November 29.

What other questions do you have? I’m happy to help answer anything for you!

One year ago, I signed up for Foodtography School and since the next class is coming around, I wanted to share my honest review of Foodtography School! This month, Foodtography School is back for its latest launch and is gearing up to welcome a new class of students. I feel so honored to look back on what has been an incredible year for me! If you’re at all interested in food photography (as a hobby, a side gig, or perhaps you have big business ambitions!), I hope sharing my story, experience, and my Foodtography School review will help you in this journey!

To be upfront, this post includes affiliate links for Foodtography School. This just means that if you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I’ll earn a little money (at no cost to you) to keep the kitchen up and running! If you have any questions about affiliates, please reach out!

If you’re interested in Foodtography School – even joining one of the FREE Masterclasses – you can sign up here. Use code JESS at checkout for 15% off everything on the site!

In my Foodtography School review, I’m also sharing a few “before and after” shots which are always fun! There is nothing “bad” about the before photos, but you can really see the progression — particularly in some of the finer details. I think it’s also really interesting to see that even before, I had a sense of the style that I wanted. You can see some interesting compositional elements (repetition, for example), but it’s just captured in such a better way in the “after” photo!

How did you get started?

I started food photography as a hobby a few years ago. I was that person who would take iPhone photos of my food in restaurants and snap pictures of a cake I baked before eating it (perfectly normal, right??). Eventually, I started to think about backgrounds and the items I had in the photo. What surface am I taking this picture on? How does this cutting board look? Do I like this silverware? How is this towel or napkin laying? And to be honest, the feedback I was getting from friends and family was really good! I’ve always loved baking and cooking and I think having a way to show off my creations was really fun for everyone.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we were stuck at home, I began really craving a creative outlet. We were stuck in the house all day, not seeing other people, and the difference between work and home felt like a blurry line. I started looking at YouTube videos and other online sources about food photography and started doing more creative things in the kitchen. I signed up for Little Rusted Ladle’s Master the Art of Food Photography Summit (which was a free event in its first year at the time). The sessions were WONDERFUL! And the photography challenges really sparked for me — pushing me to do things I’d never even thought of.

Not long after that summit, I was craving more and I came across Foodtography School. It’s one of the main food photography courses, and I’d heard about it through others on Instagram — either they had taken it before, or they knew someone who did. I joined the free Foodtography School Masterclass, which was a great way to get some actionable tips and advice (for free!) and gave a peek at what the Foodtography School program looked like. I was hooked! So I signed up and never looked back!

Before Foodtography School (left) and after Foodtography School (right). Same recipe, but the image on the right has a much better understanding of light, composition and styling.

What is a Foodtography School Masterclass?

Foodtography School offers FREE masterclass sessions a few times per year. They are live, 90-minute sessions taught by Sarah Crawford of Broma Bakery that include immediately actionable tips and advice to improve your food photography. You will genuinely leave the session feeling that you have learned something you can do to immediately improve your work. I’m not even kidding! This is not one of those Masterclasses that is just a sales pitch the whole time!. Also, did I mention… it’s FREE! Literally zero commitment.

Nine ways to diversify your photography income and make money (um, yes!)
Social media content geared specifically towards growth
How the content you create dictates your pricing (so true)
Advanced food photography techniques to take your photos from great to AMAZING
You’ll even get a little freebie (ahem, it’s a pricing matrix – so helpful!), for joining

What kind of classes does Foodtography School offer?

Foodtography School offers several different courses for different levels and interests:

Foodtography School is for people who want to treat their photography as an art form, create a standout online presence, and turn their photography into a business. This is the program I took!
Advanced Foodtography School takes the first course a step farther. The course helps you learn subleties in editing, how to develop a more complex grasp on composition, and teaches intricacies of food styling to elevate your photos immediately.
iFoodtography School is for anyone who wants to learn to take better pictures of food with their iPhone!
Restaurant Foodtography School is focused specifically on food photography for restaurants. This is a way to improve your portfolio, establish yourself in your community, and diversify your income.

I took the first Foodtography School and loved it, so this Foodtography School review focuses specifically on that course. I have not taken any of the subsequent courses just yet, but am absolutely still learning and investing in myself. Based on my experience already, I would certainly consider these courses as well!

Who teaches Foodtography School?

Foodtography School was created by Sarah Crawford of Broma Bakery. She’s taught over 6,000 students how to improve their photography through her info-packed online courses. All Foodtography School sessions are taught by her!

Before Foodtography School (left) and after Foodtography School (right). A very similar soup shot, but the image on the right really embraces some darker colors and tones and shows a better understanding of light, styling, and composition.

What do you learn in Foodtography School?

Foodtography School offers 7 units:

Fundamentals of Food Photography
Composition
Light
Branding
Editing
Social Media
Marketing

Each unit includes video sessions, workbooks, and an assignment.

You also receive several bonuses, including 4 styling sections, 3 editing sessions, an editable workbook, and new this year: a section on mastering Instagram Reels! You also get access to the Foodtography School private Facebook group, which has been such a wonderful resource for me. In this group, students will share their work and you’ll provide critiques. It also becomes a community that supports each other long after you’ve finished the sessions. You’ll make some great connections here too!

Do you need a fancy camera to join?

You do not need a fancy camera to join Foodtography School. But you will get the most out of the program if you have a DSLR or other manual camera. If you intend to only shoot photos with your iPhone, then I would recommend iFoodtography School!

Before Foodtography School (left) and after Foodtography School (right). A similar composition, but better understanding of negative space and storytelling!

Dairy-free panna cotta with fresh figs — Before Foodtography School (left) and after Foodtography School (right). A similar composition, but better understanding of negative space and storytelling!

Do you have to stick to a schedule?

No! The course is online and is set up to be a go-at-your-own-pace program. There are weekly assignments and critiques, and you’ll see others going through the program at that pace, but you don’t have to. For me, I went through the program very slowly over several months (other stuff going on, amirite!?). It was still great to see others sharing their work for critique, and then when I did share mine, everyone still shared great feedback and was very engaged. I think everyone really goes through it at whatever pace is best for them!

You also have lifetime access to all of the sessions, so you can revisit as many times as you want, which is really great if you want a refresher on certain areas.

What did you learn in Foodtography School?

I learned a ton and hopefully that has come across in my Foodtography School review! I came into Foodtography School as a hobbyist, and I left Foodtography School with a food photography side gig. And that side gig that might even become something more! Since taking the course, I have worked with brands for food photography as well as recipe creation projects, created an LLC, started sharing recipes on my blog (check one out here!), and recently billed my highest month ever. I feel more confident in my photography and my style and have a much clearer vision of where I want to continue growing.

I credit Foodtography School with opening my eyes to what the possibilities are with food photography and how to turn a nice hobby into a true business. As I continue to grow, I will always go back to the Foodtography School community and friends I’ve made from the program to get feedback on ideas, share wins, and help tackle challenges.

Did you take Advanced Foodtography School?

I just signed up to join Advanced Foodtography School this fall! I’m still getting started with the units, but hope to be able to report back soon on my experience!

How do I sign up for Foodtography School?

If you’re interested in joining Foodtography School (any of the programs) or signing up to join a free Masterclass, you can sign up with my link here. Use code JESS to receive 15% off everything on the site!

Hopefully this Foodtography School review has been helpful! Do you have other questions about Foodtography School or my experience? I’d love to help answer them! Feel free to drop a comment below, or reach out to me directly on Instagram. Good luck!

Photography

The Foodtography School Black Friday Sale is Here!