Inspired by the origins of still life photography and the rich visual traditions of Dutch and Renaissance painting, this class will examine how food, objects, light, and symbolism can be arranged to create mood, meaning, and beauty. Students will learn how to approach food photography as both a commercial practice and a fine art form.

Through weekly demonstrations and shooting exercises, students will practice creating different visual styles, from bright, clean, and commercial images to moody, dramatic compositions using natural light and studio strobe lighting. The class will also explore how simple, easily accessible props—such as fabric, plates, utensils, cutting boards, flowers, paper, glassware, and found objects—can elevate a food photograph and help shape the story of an image.

By the end of the course, students will have a stronger understanding of lighting, styling, composition, and visual storytelling, along with a small body of food photography images that reflect their personal creative direction.

Week 1: Still Life, Storytelling, and Personal Style
Students will be introduced to the history of still life photography and its connection to Dutch and Renaissance painting. We will discuss composition, symbolism, color, texture, and mood while looking at how everyday food and objects can be arranged to create visual meaning. Students will begin developing ideas for their own food photography style through a hands-on natural light assignment.

Week 2: Clean, Bright, and Commercial Looks
This week focuses on creating fresh, polished food photographs using simple setups and accessible props. Students will learn how to work with natural light, reflectors, backgrounds, and clean styling choices to create images suitable for editorial, social media, menus, branding, and commercial use. Demonstrations will include composition, angle selection, prop placement, and controlling highlights and shadows.

Week 3: Moody, Dramatic, and Fine Art Food Photography
Students will explore darker, more atmospheric approaches to food photography inspired by classical painting and dramatic still life traditions. This session will introduce studio strobe lighting techniques, shadow control, directional light, layered props, and richer color palettes. Students will complete a final hands-on setup designed to bring together lighting, styling, mood, and personal vision.

Key Topics:

The history and influence of still life photography
Dutch and Renaissance painting as visual inspiration
Developing a personal food photography style
Natural light techniques for food and still life
Studio strobe lighting for dramatic effect
Clean commercial lighting vs. moody fine art lighting
Composition, color, texture, and visual storytelling
Using accessible props to elevate food photographs
Styling backgrounds, surfaces, plates, utensils, and found objects
Creating a small body of cohesive food images

Outcome:

Students will leave with a stronger foundation in food photography, a clearer sense of personal style, and a small portfolio of images that explore both clean commercial aesthetics and moody fine art still life approaches.

Recommended Equipment:

Digital camera with manual settings
Standard zoom, 50mm, macro, or short telephoto lens
Tripod, if available
Notebook or sketchbook for planning concepts
A few personal props or surfaces for styling
Optional laptop or tablet for reviewing images