Food Styling for Photographers

xv

called on to train several stylists and it is from those
students that I learned fi rsthand the truth behind the
phrase “the teacher becomes the student.” Th eir ideas
and creative experimentation led to numerous new
shortcuts and techniques that achieved better results.

During the years I styled food in Dallas, I worked with
numerous professional photographers. Some have become
friends of mine including Jean Ann Bybee. Jean Ann, her
husband Brad Rogers, and I maintained our friendship
over the years and miles after my move to Oregon. When
she and I fi rst started working together more than 20
years ago, we realized that something special, a magically
creative process, happened when we worked in the studio.
When the idea of writing this book became a reality, my
editor suggested I partner with a photographer. Jean Ann
was my fi rst choice.

JEAN ANN BYBEE

As a child, I played with my father’s Polaroid camera
that he used for work, but I did not get my fi rst real
camera until I was in college. Although I thought of
pursuing photography as a career, I was told it’s “a man’s
job.” At that time there were very few female photog-
raphers in Dallas, Texas. Bowing to my parents’ wishes
for me to be in the medical fi eld, I got as close to pho-
tography as I could and ended up taking x-rays. I went

back to college at night to learn photography. Little by

little I managed to work my way into the business. I

assisted many wonderful male photographers and had

to prove everyday that I could do what the guys did. So

from the inside out I became a photographer.

Eventually, I received a job off er to be a shooter at a large

catalogue photo studio in Dallas. I loved fashion and shot

for Neiman Marcus for 9 years in both Dallas and New

York. I have owned my own business for more than 15

years and shoot fashion, food, people, and products, but

food is a favorite.

Shooting food is like shooting a beautiful woman: Th ey

both take lots of prep time and neither lasts very long on

set. I light my food using large broad light sources for

the softest lighting possible. I love the freshness of natural

light on faces and on food. I often use natural light and

mix it with strobe lighting for the right eff ect. Being fast

and ready to shoot is an absolute necessity in order to be

successful shooting either food or fashion.

I have a wonderful family I love. My husband works with

me and takes care of managing the computer and the

business while I take pictures. Our lovely young daughter

is graduating from college this year.

I feel so lucky to have made a very successful career of

something I love. I have been able to travel all over the

ABOUT THE AUTHORS