One often thinks of inspiration as an epiphany, a cartoon lightning bolt that hits an artist, who then transforms this idea into a sharable gem. While that may indeed happen, inspiration genuinely comes as part of a working process, a process that can be arduous and often difficult to describe. When speaking with food and advertising photographer Chelsea Kyle, one gets the sense that her inspiration comes from a source deep within her character and is nourished by hard work and a start-from-scratch ethic.
I don’t normally put much stock in judging artists by their upbringing, but when we visited Kyle in her home, which doubles as a testing ground for her food photography, she shared that she was raised by her grandmother on a small farm in Connecticut, and I felt that this has a strong impact on her do-it-yourself approach, as well as her ambition to continue to learn, to grow, and to succeed.
“My grandmother, in addition to raising my two brothers and me, instilled a kind of artistry in me, whether she realizes it or not. I even remember that she would never take posed photos of us, it had to be candid images, and the photos are really good. But her life didn’t leave much time for creative endeavors, it was mostly survival skills.”
Those skills of persistence and dedication, in addition to the artistry, have found their way into Kyle’s practice. Her control of lighting and composition is notable, and her techniques to illustrate motion bring new life to food and beverage shots. Her work can be seen on several covers of Time Out magazine, on epicurious.com, PopSugar, and she recently signed with the prestigious boutique agency, Hello Artists.
Her career started as an intern at Boston Magazine, when she was attending photography school. Her early assistant work and assignments were shooting for restaurant reviews, which brought her into the realm of food photography. I asked if she had gotten an internship for the Boston Globe, would she be a photojournalist today? She was open to that long-ago possibility but, given the precision she applies to her imaging and post-production and her lighting strengths, I think she made the right decision.
Getting back to our question of inspiration and how a photographer brings concepts to life, Kyle is quick to point out the specific nature of her work. “With food photography, the literal interpretation and the art of a photograph can be at odds. In most cases, food has to look real, look appetizing, and has to be set in a real situation. Inspiration comes from all over, but I feel my skill lies in creating these real-life scenarios, especially with lighting. For example, I take a time of day and create the in-studio lighting to match that.”
Prior to going solo and working with the Hello Artists agency, Kyle was a staff photographer for Conde Nast, and relates how that experience taught her to work fast and to be a “one-person band” when necessary. It also made her appreciate the need to create a natural look to her studio lighting setups.
“I worked with natural light there, but it changes constantly and, even on a Foba stand, when you’re on the 35th floor of the Conde Nast building, believe it or not, I would see camera shake at 1/30-or even 1/60-second,” especially with a high-resolution camera. (Her current is a Canon EOS 5DS DSLR.) All of this taught me to move fast and to use lighting to create a morning glow for a breakfast recipe, then switch to evening light for a dinner setup.”
Clik here to view.
As with other photographers we spoke to for this series, it became clear that inspiration often comes when all the technical aspects have been clarified and the creative impulses are allowed to come to the fore.
Ideas come from many places, and Kyle is an advocate of creating mood boards and taking composition notes while eating, or on vacation. Architecture also inspires, and she cited the website, savee.it as a way to organize her image ideas. She also mentioned that years earlier a colleague had noted that she became a better photographer when she became a better cook.
Normally though, process begets creativity when she gets on set. “Once I feel comfortable in these situations, that is when I allow inspiration and experimentation to flow. So, the lighting is set, the food is in place, let’s try these glass structures to make streaks, or dappling effects. I’m able to let go and be more creative with composition and effects once I know the lighting is established.”
Now that her career is blossoming and she is working with larger teams, there are additional challenges. “When you are shooting for a campaign, it can be hard to know who is the ‘end voice’ in the scenario. I may have had a brief from my agent or the client but when I arrive to set, the entire composition is already laid out, and I’ll have to remind myself to find time get my shot. When the client is happy I may move a few things, do something different, and often they end up using that shot.”
I ask if a true inspiration can come through someone else, or from a somewhat pre-arranged commercial shoot.
“Of course, I like to come up with my own shot lists, but there is also a huge thrill in taking someone’s idea, working with it, and adding your own touches. It’s also important to ask opinions and take input from others. I think that inspiration comes from knowing one’s style and, for me, motion is a part of that, so I look for ways to incorporate movement into a still image, whether that be a beverage spilling out of a glass or sauce dripping.
I am curious what joy people find in their photography practice and what role anxiety and even fear play, so I bring up this idea, knowing that Kyle has built her career from early on with drive and a lot of hard work.
“I’m confident in doing the job, I love losing myself in the work, but it’s also important to be that great person on set and have the client like you. Often, I’m so deep ‘in the zone’ concentrating on getting the shot, I do get anxious worrying that I’m not giving enough attention to the client.”
Having gotten to know Kyle a little bit, there is no doubt in my mind that she will master that photography skill, as well, if she hasn’t already. The strength of her conviction seems to come from a deep place, and I came to admire her love for the process of photography.
“As I mentioned, my grandmother raised me, and she scrapbooked my whole life and recently showed me a journal I had written when I was seven, saying that I loved photography… What else could I do?”
Chelsea Kyle is represented by the agency Hello Artists.
Original images for this article were taken with the FUJIFILM GFX 100 Medium Format Mirrorless Camera.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
