I Heart Food Photography!

Yes, it is no secret, I love food shoots. I love them even more when I don't muck up the food so much with so many weird ingredients that we can still eat the food afterward. (Stay away WD-40!)

But besides eating the food, what I love most about food shoots has to do with the senses. I think food is an emotional experience. We eat with all of our senses: tasting, smelling, feeling, seeing, and hearing. And when we look at a food photo, all of those emotions should come rushing in and make us connect to the image. It is that same connection that helps consumers connect with a brand or a company.

Some say the test of a good food photo is to ask the person, does it make you hungry? But I think we should take it a step further and say, does it make you react? If I see a photo of a large plate full of liver, my first reaction may be to purse my lips. A good food photo would allow me to actually taste that chewy liver texture between my teeth (I am getting sick), and the memory of the taste may even come into my mouth. The experience of that image was so real that I was transported.

Whatever reaction you are looking for in your audience should be captured in that photo. If the image is blurry or not lit well, there is a good chance your consumers will not react. You have wasted an opportunity to connect with your audience, and in many cases, you only get that one chance....

No Man is an Island..and Neither is a Business.

I have been delinquent in blogging lately, and not because I have been wasting time, or focused on other things. The fact is, I am late in blogging because I have been so unbelievably busy. Every single day I do one thing that will move this business forward in a positive direction.

Something I have learned along the way though is that I cannot create this business alone. No man is an island, nor is any business. Great businesses require great partnerships, and great people. I think the term sole proprietorship is misleading (ok, yes I personally became an LLC, but you get my drift), because it infers that somehow you can tackle everything by yourself. This couldn't be further from the truth.

The reality is, at some point in creating your business, you will hit a road block, you will fall, and you may need help. You will have to reach out to others who have more knowledge or experience than you in certain areas, and be open to their help.

For my business to be successful, yes, I need amazing and fabulous people to come together working for my clients. But I also need other businesses outside my own who can provide my clients with other services, and who also need my services. I also need to be able to realize where my business is lacking, and be able to hire those companies to fill in those gaps.

So for the past two weeks, I have been meeting these talented and amazing people, as well as these great businesses. I love other entrepreneurs because they are some of the most passionate and disciplined people I have ever met in my life. Their energy and drive to make an idea in their head become a reality is nothing short of awe inspiring.

So yes, I am late blogging, but good things have been happenings. Good things. I am excited and happy to have met some fabulous people the past few weeks. Without all of you, I don't think Visual Advantages, LLC will become the best photo production company in Texas, which I have no doubt that it will!