A significant portion of our business comes from photographing food: all sorts of food, from yummy granola to delectable chocolates to full-on plated meals to gooey ice cream sundaes, crisp salads, and juicy burgers. Studio 3, Inc. is known for the stellar food photography we do. We don’t just photograph the food, we style and present it in the most delicious way possible to get your clients’ – and customers’ – mouths watering, fingers reaching, and minds wondering: who makes that, and how can I get it into my mouth NOW?
Here are 15 of our favorite, most delicious food photography images we’ve shot over the years:
If you run a restaurant and need a hero image for your website that shows off your delicious meals and gets viewers beating a path to your door, we can do that.
If you are a brand who needs lip-licking packaging photography to catch the consumer’s eye so they choose your brand over other competitors on the supermarket shelf, we do that. (We’ve also won an award for it recently too.)
If, as a local pub or eatery, you need gorgeous images for your food menu that makes the viewer pick the special of the day – we definitely do that.
If you need shots of tasty giftable goods for your latest mail-order catalog or promotional pamphlets…so the casual looker takes the next step and fills out an order form…we do that.
Need a huge billboard-sized image to capture attention from motorists and get them to stop in at your eatery? Oh yeah – we do that too.
Going to a tradeshow? Well, you’ll need promotional displays and banners for your delectable edible offerings to start to build your customer base from the beginning. We do that!
How about finished recipes, plated delights, and gustatory indulgences? You may need those beautiful images for your food website – and we can provide.
You’re a supermarket, grocery store, or gourmet food shop – and you need POP displays showcasing fruits and vegetables at their finest, bread and staples fresh from the deli, meats juicy and sliced ready for consumption, cookies and treats warm from the oven. We’d be happy to provide.
How about a delectable magazine cover image that gets the consumer to pick YOUR magazine off the rack because the photo looks so darn delicious they HAVE to know how to make it? We do that too.
If it’s edible, Studio 3 can style it, prop it, and shoot it! And it’s not just about making food look yummy…it’s about creating a strategic image that speaks to the right audience in the right way. We know exactly how. And that’s what really gets mouths watering.
All photos by David Bell for Studio 3, Inc.
Tag: Food Photography
Footwear Photography – Jimmy Choo x Voodoo Donuts
Sometimes a concept has to take a number of disparate elements and meld them together into a cohesive whole. It can be a challenge when dealing with tiny details that can make or break your vignette. When it comes to taking care of all the elements that appear in the photo, WE style it so everything appears at its best.
Take this Voodoo Doughnuts and Jimmy Choo heels project: a footwear photography meets food photography mashup with a Studio 3 spin. Voodoo Doughnuts, an iconic Portland mainstay for quirky and delicious donuts, mixes with Jimmy Choo, an iconic upscale shoe brand exemplifying everything that is luxury. Our Team has years of experience in staging props in a way that feels consistent within a single image. Captured by Photographer Matt Jebbia in a studio-designed environment with a studio lighting setup mimicking early morning sunshine, every element in the frame was artfully arranged to keep the viewer’s eye moving through the photo. Every crumb, every morsel, every donut, every prop: angles, shadows, colors, textures, and sizes were chosen specifically to show each piece at its best and tell a story.
What story do you see when you look at this photo?
And, more importantly, how can we style YOUR images to create an unforgettable iconic story? Reach out and see. We’ll have the donuts ready.
Food Photography – Salt
Why should you make a change to Studio 3, Inc. for your photography needs? Because WE make it look good.
These artisan salts could have gotten any creative treatment there is – but Photographer David Bell strove to bring out the pretty in the delectable, sparkly grains. The Studio 3 Team loves all kinds of salts (since numerous varieties of artisan salts are available in dedicated salt shops and markets everywhere lately) so when the chance arose to feature some of our faves we jumped to it. David had some Japanese Wasara single-use recycled heavy duty paper dishes that he had been holding on to specifically for a project like this. The undulating waves of the dish profiles, the texture of the bamboo and bagasse against the salt grains, the dishes placed just so atop the table: all provided a stark contrast in textures and form that David brought out with his masterful use of lighting.
A crisp, hard light was essential to show of all the granules of salt and bring out all the highlights, brightness, grittiness, and coarseness simultaneously. In choosing the lighting setup David also intentionally created shadow beneath the dishes so the eye can distinguish between white table, white dish, and white salt without straining or confusion. He experimented with playing with pattern, repetition, color, and texture to create the images below, mixing salts to achieve that perfect balance of color and a pleasingly harmonious design.
Featured salts:
Hiwa Kai Black Lava Sea Salt / Salish Smoked (Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt) / Fleur de Sel (Flower of Salt) / Alaea (Hawaiian Sea Salt) / Sel Gris (French Grey Sea Salt) / Pure Ocean (Atlantic Sea Salt)
from Artisan Salt, Co. AKA Saltworks, Inc.
Chili Verde Sea Salt / Yakima Applewood Smoked Sea Salt
from Metropolitan Market, Seattle 
Creating a look in photographs is not random but instead full of intention: highly precise and orchestrated to feature the product in its best light.
So what goes into the “look” of your photography? And how can you develop a look that embodies your brand? Call Studio 3, and we’ll make whatever you have to shoot look so amazing…you’ll never need to go looking for a photography partner again.
Portfolio Perfection!
At Studio 3, we are constantly improving our portfolio by being inspired by photography trends, current advertising campaigns, as well as feedback from local portfolio shows. This particular shoot was meant for photographer Craig Wagner. We had been constantly receiving client needs that included drinks, food, incorporated in a lifestyle environment. We decided to meet this need, by heading to a Portland hotspot, Produce Row. Below you can read Liz Swales, the Portland producer’s take on the shoot…
The Seattle marketing team came to me with the request of adding some beautiful, natural, and simple lifestyle, drink shots to Craig Wagner’s portfolio.
The first thing that came to my mind was Produce Row, a place that I used to manage and call home. The bar, lighting, classic nature and overall feel of the well known restaurant and bar in Portland, Oregon made it a dream to shoot in.
We were able to use what Produce Row has to offer, lots of whiskey, fancy mixology, and a bar with 25 taps. It was the perfect set up. With the addition of Craig’s beautiful lighting and creativity, we were able to create classy images that met the request.
I set up the shoot among two days, knowing from previous experience that there are only about 3 hours in the day the restaurant is slow. I didn’t want our shoot to affect or be effected by their overall patrons.
This made our team work well and get our creative ideas working in a timely fashion.
It was a great experience combining efforts with our team and my old team at Produce Row, while capturing the beauty and knowledge of drink mixing.
-Liz Swales
And of course, this story wouldn’t be complete without Craig Wagner’s insight on how he was able to capture such beautiful images.
The sequence of the bartender making a drink are amongst my favorite, I created a bit of energy by dragging the shutter to allow movement, the soft natural light was a bonus.
With mixology being all of the rage these days, I thought it be nice to expand my portfolio with some environmental shots, my producer sent our scout to a few locations including Produce Row, which was remodeled in 2010, the space, environment and lighting made it the perfect choice for this particular project.
Shooting on location can be challenging, light conditions can change rapidly, space can be tight and you may need to shoot during business
hours. We chose to break the shoot into two afternoon sessions to lower our impact on their patrons.
A large bank of north facing windows provided beautiful natural light. Only using a flexfill and a kicker light in addition allowed us to move
around the venue quickly.
-Craig Wagner
Check out Craig Wagner’s beautiful images below and be sure to give us a call for your next on location shoot!
Food Photographer David Bell Fish Out of Water
It’s finally summer and that means summer food, like delicious fish…or sardines? David Bell Studio 3’s Food Photographer had quite the challenge ahead of him making the shiny, little fish look quite scrumptious. He decided to shoot a recipe of sardines, radishes, and lemon, highlighting the freshness of it all. Read below to learn about his techniques and inspiration behind the series:
I wanted to shoot this particular recipe, because it is that time of year when the radishes are fresh, yummy, and abundant. As you will see in the images the radishes are roasted, which brings out that fresh, rich flavor that we all love. Not to mention the beautiful color!
Pairing the radishes with a strong taste, like sardines, makes a very nice earth and ocean dish…delighting the taste buds. Knowing the mix between the two I knew I wanted to create a beautiful daylight effect. Being the control freak that I am I knew I could control this lighting and really bring out the uniqueness of this dish and to create that I used the Studio Strobes. I used the Hasselblad tilt shift adapter to capture the details and showcase the beauty in the elements. I wanted a surface that was not too rustic or modern. My intention was to find a table that could easily be in ones home or even a restaurant.
In the images below I was trying to attain a real & natural look, without everything being overly styled and perfect. For this project I chose to work with a stylist that was trying to break into the industry. This was a fun experience!
I think the lack of perfection in the styling is what draws you in and makes you want to try the dish. I hope this series will make the viewer want to experiment with sardines and fresh, earthy produce!
To view more Food Photography images created at Studio 3 please click here!
Beverage Photographer David Bell Espresso Made Easy!
It’s a known fact that all of us, at Studio 3 Inc., love coffee. One thing we love more than drinking this delectable beverage is highlighting its beauty through the lens. Our most recent Drink Series was shot and the set was designed by Beverage Photographer David Bell, characterizing the steps necessary to make a fantastic cup of coffee with the amazing Moka Pot. David, details his inspiration behind this specific shoot, along with his love for the product:
When I was in Italy, staying with a family, this was how our coffee was made every day. What a wonderful memory! Ahhh…the smell of espresso is always accessible when you have a Moka Pot, more commonly known as the “stovetop espresso maker”. The coffee that the Moka Pot makes is a cross between espresso and drip coffee. It’s simplicity is similar to Instant Coffee with an amazing flavor. It’s strong, but not bitter – perfection!
This product was brought to us thanks to it’s wonderful creators Luigi De Ponti and Alfonso Bialetti. This invention, has made enjoying espresso available to everyone, which is what I wanted to showcase in my step by step imagery. So I decided to create a series showcasing the brilliance of this machine.
I shot this series utilizing one of my favorite cameras the Hasselblad H-39. I also used a very long lens in order to capture the detail and the background. For image composition I used bright colored cups to help separate the pot from the background. This helps to create color and interesting reflections in the product.
As long as you have the right bean variety and grind, you can always count on a wonderful cup of joe anytime of day!
David Bell’s Espresso Made Easy Image Series is below!
To view more Drink Photography created by David Bell and other photographers at Studio 3 please click here!
Product Photography by Craig Wagner!
We love testing out the latest gear releases, so when we had the chance to test out the Broncolor Scoro S power pack we decided we wanted to test it to the limit! What better way to see what it can do then to combine it with an afternoon of water splashes and fruit drops. Here are a few words from Craig Wagner who loves Product Photography!
My first intention was just to test out the pack. What I found is that the Broncolor Scoro S pack is extremely versatile with the ability to adjust flash duration, as well as the triggering delay. We setup a 33 gallon tank filled it with water powered up the Scoro S pack, attached two heads, one with a medium umbrella on the background and another with 7-inch silver reflector coming from just right of camera. Sometimes with the newer photo equipment you have to refer to the user manual in order to figure out all the little intricacies of the equipment. But the Scoro S is very user friendly with a fantastic display menu allowing the user to easily navigate and adjust to the desired settings. We played around a lot with the adjustable flash duration settings dialing it one way or the other depending on if we wanted a little motion drag or tack sharp precision in our image. For the first image I suspended the apple just below the water surface and used a stream of water to create the burst.
The second image was created by dropping the peppers into the tank of water. Using the studio’s infrared triggering device allowed us to consistently capture the peppers in the desired placement.
For this shoot I used the Canon 5d Mklll with the Canon 100mm lens. With the camera attached to the infrared trigger we were able to simultaneously remotely fire the camera when the infrared lazer stream was broken by the motion of the falling peppers. – Craig Wagner
Star Spangled JELL-O!
It’s that time of year again, backyard barbecues, fireworks, family get-togethers, and sweet summer treats. Living in the Northwest, July is the official kick off of warm weather and neighborhood potlucks; which inspired photographer David Bell to give an homage to the jiggly, colorful, childhood favorite, JELL-O! Read below for David’s thoughts on Jell-O:
Fun. Funny. Love It. Hate It.
An American Classic,
Perfect for the 4th of July
From all of us at Studio 3, have a Happy 4th of July!
Food Photography: Slow Roasted & Shot to Perfection
Individuals who call the Pacific Northwest home are all about celebrating the sunshine days, often times that’s through picnicking, bbqing, happy hours, really anything that involves delicious, unique food creations. At Studio 3 we celebrate by shooting our favorite food via amazing food photography. It’s about the ooooh and aaaah moments experienced when taking a first bite. When talking with food clients, it’s all about how appetizing the food looks on that package, advertisement, or in store display, with that in mind Studio 3 sets out to create more than just one appetizing moment, but a series that leads up to the big meal. So, belly up and enjoy a pork sandwich meal, inspired by Seattle’s Paseo, food photographer David Bell was all about capturing the tradition of this local favorite:
The sandwich is an absolute mess, one of the messiest foods you can possibly order, yet one of the most delicious. My challenge when approaching this project was ensuring messy not only looked good, but also looked appetizing. Oh, the joys of food photography! This sandwich has a mind of it’s own and is often times hard to contain. It was all about making sure the sandwich looked authentically messy, therefore bringing the viewer into the moment, the moment of when you sit down at Paseo or any table and are served a pork shoulder sandwich. I believe the best part of this series is the overall end result; creating an essence of being there, on a summer day, about to enjoy a delicious meal.
When approached with such a fun project, the whole studio tends to try and get involved, whether it be sneaking pieces of pork shoulder or getting a chance to delve in on the creative process. No one, however, gets quite involved like our staff producer Jen Hitchcock. Read her thoughts on the shoot below:
It’s always interesting when the studio is approached with a food photography shoot. I am never quite sure what I am going to have to run out and get. Whether, ice cream starts melting too fast and it’s time to replace them with mashed potatoes, or perhaps running to get glue to hold an item together. Luckily with this shoot, everything was 100% natural, I got to step back and really see some magic happen. This series of photos was really a brain child between David and stylist Erika. They worked so well together on this, they couldn’t have made my job easier. It’s always great to see a stylist and photographer really click.
We are all definitely looking forward to the next food photography shoot, hoping perhaps there are enough leftovers to feed the entire studio. 🙂
Check out the images, inspired by Paseo’s pork shoulder sandwich below:
To Check Out More Food Photography Visit Our Website!