A Quick Note:
Since February 2022, I’ve restructured Denise Karis Photography to primarily take on “Group Sessions.” A group sessions is where I will rent a space, I will choose a time and date, and I’ll open back to back 25 minute sessions at a discounted rate. Within a week, you’ll receive a gallery of 30 images!  These spaces often don’t have a kitchen but most times, we can fake a kitchen with a good table an a clean background. If you’re really looking for a space with a kitchen, please check out our upcoming shoots as I try to include images of kitchen setups in the gallery. If you’re feeling you want more outfit changes, more props, more overall time, you’re more than welcome to book two time slots and have nearly a full hour with 60 images delivered in your gallery. To check out our upcoming scheduled shoots and grab a spot, click here! 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: 

When I first started branding photography, I noticed many of my favorite photos were ones I took for nutritionists. I quickly realized that I’m especially drawn to produce in photos, so today I’m going to talk through a few images and make my best suggestions on how you, as a nutritionist, can have a brilliant branding session!  I’m going to jump right in here and say that fresh fruits and vegetables are GORGEOUS in photos!! Just take a look:

It’s the colors and the organic textures combined that I absolutely love so so much. I’ve also always been a big fan of framing images without faces (Obviously not all, but providing a mix has always been a good go to!) and hands play such a big role in communication. I love hand shots with produce and I encourage you to bring your favorite knife because I know you have one!

I also love how in this next image, the focus is on Shital’s hands grinding spices, but also there’s a frame of dark leafy greens in the foreground that gives that healthful, organic feel to the overall image. Green plants in photos are going to sky rocket the end result of an image!

But then let’s bring in some faces and OH. My. Goodness. The kitchen, the linen apron, the variety of produce… you see why this all works!

So let’s talk more about how to best prepare for a branding shoot if you’re a nutritionist. We already know produce in photos is the most beautiful thing in the entire world… what else? In the above image, you can see Shital rented a home studio with a designer kitchen. Below is still one of my favorite images but it isn’t in a kitchen. It’s a studio where we pulled in a table and decided it could be reasonably faked as a kitchen. The end result of both is gorgeous, but we can use a kitchen to our advantage to get more angels and communicate the story of your brand even more!

The reason the image below works so well is that it has a clean background and is well lit. If we have the option of going with a gorgeous kitchen with terrible light or a studio with good light, I’m going to choose the studio. So make sure the kitchen you choose is well lit and doesn’t have a lot of busy backgrounds (This includes countertops and cabinets!).

Below you’ll see another clean, well lit kitchen that works well to both showcase the ingredients Marian is working with and to allow her to be the main subject of the image. You’ll also notice she’s brought a curated selection of serving trays to further display the produce she is working with. The shallow rattan basket, wooden cutting board, and woven plates are all going to elevate her images and add to that organic, healthful feel I keep mentioning! I should note here that in photos, white, wood and woven items are all going to allow the food to stay the center of attention while maybe a floral painted bowl or cutting board will distract. Keep your accessory items neutral and bright to keep your images looking clean and fresh!

Staying on topic with props to compliment the food items, Lindsay also has a white pitcher of flowers in her foreground to add a little extra to her set up. After you’ve read this article, scroll back through and notice the items that are there to add to the ingredients; you’ll see a white colander filled with greens that I absolutely love a few images up! You’ll also start to notice in food photography, it’s not just the food, it’s all the items surrounding it that really bring the image to life!

I recommend bringing a mix of 5-7 fruits and veggies that you will talk about often on Social Media. If you specialize in hormone balance, you might want to bring dates, sweet potatoes, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. If you specialize in spices and gut health like Shital, you can bring your seasonings with avocado and spinach. Try to have a good mix of color, leafy greens, and items you can actively chop in photos.

So far which collection of produce is your favorite? Which fruits and vegetables do you think are especially eye catching? You can definitely create your own palette for your session using images you see here or online!  I personally love carrots with the tops still on!

While I love MORE produce, keep in mind, more takes more time to style and set up. So Anetta (Below) brought bags of produce and while the images were totally worth it, unpacking and setting up took a good ten minutes of our one hour shoot. This is why I recommend 5-7 curated items but I’m always in love with shoots like Anetta’s!

Okay, so we’ve talked about food quite a bit! How else can we communicate what you do and how you work? I recommend bringing a laptop since we all work on our computers. A shopping list also makes for a good image! Pre-write what a typical shopping list looks like when working with you, or maybe even write out your 10 day reboot challenge so you can use the images to promote your plan on Social Media!

Another great prop to bring is a cookbook! Are there a handful you regularly share with your audience?

Another shot Anetta brilliantly planned for was her favorite salad. Do you have a go to detox salad you talk about often? Can we make that at your session and grab an image like this to share with your followers? (Figs and citrus cut in half are two other food items I just can’t get enough of in photos, along with the carrots with the tops still on!)

So let’s recap what you should bring (Or consider bringing) to your branding shoot as a nutritionist!

1. a curated selection of 5-7 produce items
2. Your favorite knife and cutting board
3. Neutral food accessories like serving dishes and trays
4. Your laptop and a notebook with pens
5. a pre-written shopping list as an example of what you might create for a client
6. Your favorite cookbooks that you can regularly share with your audience

I’m always here to answer questions and if you’re in Arizona and want to work together, check out my branding page here! 

Denise Karis is an Arizona photographer who enjoys musicals, Doctor Who and breakfast burritos. IG @denisekaris