I'm Secretly a Food Photographer (And I Kinda Love It)
The Secret's Out
Most people know me for my work in portrait, fashion, music, and photojournalism. That work is often about capturing a fleeting moment, a candid expression, or a planned story with a human subject.
But I have a secret: for a while now, I’ve also been a food photographer. And I kinda love it.
It’s a completely different world. I’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible food and beverage brands, including Deliveroo, Tango, Pret, Ushima Coffee, Fruit Shoot, and Muller, as well as handling quarterly retouching for Mathieu Teisseire.
My main focus for the past two years has been Burger King, where I have become one of their social media photographers, responsible for capturing images of all their new and current burgers. The goal is simple: create engagement. And to do that, you have to make people feel something.
The 'Beautiful and Dirty' Philosophy
My approach to this work is built on a philosophy I’ve refined over thousands of shots: I aim for the “beautiful and dirty” look.
In an age of scrolling, perfect is boring. A sterile, plastic-looking burger on a seamless white background doesn’t make you hungry—it doesn’t feel real. People crave authenticity. My goal is to create something “clean and nasty.”
The “clean” is the technical mastery: methodical composition, high-resolution quality, perfect focus, and beautifully controlled lighting.
The “nasty” is the mood: the tactile, sensory part. The imperfect drip of sauce, the visible glisten of heat, the way the cheese actually melts over the edge.
It’s this mix—the technically flawless photograph of something that looks deliciously imperfect—that I aim to achieve in every image. Something that someone would actually want to eat.
The Ultimate Test of Light
One of the biggest upsides of food photography is that you don’t have to deal with human subjects. I don’t mean that in a rude way—the dynamic is just completely different. When shooting portraits, you’re in a collaborative dance. With food, you have 100% control over how something is supposed to look, based on the client’s brief and the “build of the burger.”
Because of this control, I find food photography incredibly therapeutic. It’s a pure, methodical test of lighting. I get to experiment, refine, and push my technical skills. I’ve been using Godox AD300 lights and, more recently, the IT30 Pro, which have been crucial in achieving those beautifully lit, “beautiful and dirty” images.
If You Can Light a Burger, You Can Light a Human Being
This is the core truth I’ve learned from food photography. A burger has no personality, doesn’t move, and can’t give you a “good side.” I, as the photographer, must create the entire mood, shape, and appeal purely with light.
I must use light to:
Carve out the burger’s shape.
Make a round bun look dimensional.
Control specular highlights on a drip of ketchup.
These principles are universal. Learning to shape a burger’s texture is the exact same principle I use to shape a musician’s jawline or a model’s features in a portrait. Creating mood for a food item is a pure, technical challenge—and mastering it strengthens my portrait and fashion work.
The (Surprisingly) Collaborative Part
Even with all that control, food photography is not a solo job. It’s incredibly fun, and I’ve had the privilege of working with talented food builders, set designers, and art directors.
This collaboration is a vital part of my professional workflow, just like in editorial or music shoots:
The food builder acts like a master stylist, shaping the burger for visual appeal.
The set designer creates the environment and context.
My role is to align with their work and the client’s vision, bringing it to life through lighting and composition.
It’s a team of experts, all methodically focused on a single creative goal.
My 'Confident' Conclusion
Food photography might not be something I would pursue full-time—my passion for telling human stories in portrait and music photography remains my driving force. But this work has become a powerful, secret part of my professional identity.
It reinforces the core of my brand: methodical planning, absolute control of lighting, and intentional storytelling. Whether I’m in the studio with a burger, on location with a musician, or on the street for a photojournalism assignment, the goal is consistent: use light to tell a clear, compelling, and mood-driven story.
Whether you need a “beautifully dirty” image for your brand or a mood-driven portrait, my process remains the same: methodical, deliberate, and story-focused.