Instead of an apron, food photographer Joanie Simon wears many hats—commercial and editorial imagemaker, recipe developer, photo educator, Blogger, YouTube Influencer, Livestreamer, and content creator extraordinaire. Over the past ten years, Simon has built her brand into a powerhouse of creative content and learning, leading us to invite her to appear as our next B&H Creator of the Week.
By means of introduction, we recently asked Simon to respond to a few questions about her food pictures, her educational offerings, and her business efforts. In the days to come, keep your eyes on B&H’s social media channels for even more of her mouthwatering content. And, while looking, we invite you to consider her advice about mixing strong communication skills with your creative talents as a great recipe for success.
Where are you based? Phoenix, AZ
Most important social feeds/networks:YouTube, Instagram
Photographs © Joanie Simon
Jill Waterman: How long have you been making pictures, and what was your primary focus when you first picked up photography?
Joanie Simon: I bought my first DSLR in 2009 to shoot food for my blog.
What is your educational background, in both photography and other studies, and how have you applied these studies to your current business and career?
I have a BFA in Art History, which exposed me to a lot of different artists and imagery that inform the way I approach my photography. My favorite class was a studio art class in color theory. It gave me a foundation in understanding color value and how colors express light and shadow. I also have an MS in Counseling, which provided me invaluable training in interpersonal communication. I use my counseling skills to better listen to, understand, and serve my clients. I believe that being a strong communicator is an essential skill for professional photographers.
Did you have a role model or someone who inspired your vision at the start of your career? If so, what is the most important thing you learned from them?
There wasn’t one person in particular who inspired my food photography when I first set out, but I was very much inspired by wedding photographer Katelyn James when I started the education part of my business. I took her Lighting and Locations course and loved her teaching style, the way she connected with students and her approach to photography. I wanted to create the same kind of business for the food photography space, and I continue to see her as a role model and an example of an outstanding educator and businessperson.
You mention on your About page that as a 10-year-old, you asked your mother if you could make Tandoori Chicken. Have you ever published a recipe for this dish?
I haven’t, actually, now that you mention it. The recipes I typically publish are inspired by my Southwestern heritage. Ancho chili powder, limes, and cilantro are staples in my kitchen.
How do most people find out about your commercial photography services, and has this method of contact changed over time or remained consistent?
When I first started, I focused my efforts on direct pitching to prospective clients since I had the most direct control over that. To me, it’s the quickest method for marketing. My specific targets were mid- to large-sized US-based food brands. I made a lot of contacts through networking with PR professionals, and at industry trade shows like the Fancy Foods Show. I also had a lot of success in gaining clients through creating personal work that featured a brand I wanted to work with and sharing that content online. I would then follow that up by directly contacting the brand and encouraging them to share what I had created on their social media. This opened up lines of communication, provided proof of my skills and understanding of their brand, and put me on their radar for when they eventually needed photography or video services. I don’t do this as much today, since much of my work now comes as a result of referrals. I work hard to establish trusted relationships with my clients, which encourages opportunities for ongoing work and referrals to their colleagues and friends in the industry. Like any industry, it’s a small world.
Generally speaking, how much of your time is spent cultivating your website and social media feeds?
In terms of my commercial photography business, I don’t put that much time into my portfolio site or social media. My portfolio gets updated with new work about every three months. But I do spend a good bit of time every week creating educational content for photographers. A typical YouTube video usually takes six to 12 hours of time depending on the scope, and I spend about an hour a day on Instagram, responding to direct messages and sharing content.
Do you keep to a specific schedule or timeframe with your blog posts and social media feeds, or have any tips for streamlining this process?
I wish I did. I know there are people who are excellent at batching content, but I’ve never been able to do that effectively. I always like to be promoting the most recent content I’ve created, so I’m a create-as-I-go kind of person, and I think that helps to keep the content and my promotion of it feeling genuine. I try to have a new video out every Thursday, but in busy seasons of client work this schedule isn’t always maintained. I used to post on Instagram at least five days a week, but with the demands of life and work, I currently try to share at least twice a week on my feed, and on stories when I have something relevant to share. I have come to a place mentally where I only want to share if what I have to say is helpful to my audience. Otherwise, I’m not going to share just for the sake of sharing. I focus on quality over frequency.
The recipes on your blog, The Dinner Bell, include prep time and cook time estimates. Generally speaking, how much additional time do you spend making the pictures for your recipe posts?
The photography for a given recipe can vary based on different factors. Sometimes I’m feeling inspired and I want to incorporate more storytelling into the imagery, to create more of a series of images. In this case it could take half a day or more. But, if I’m focused and more aimed at creating recipe content, I can do three recipe shoots in a day.
How do you come up with the Nutrition Facts information at the end of the recipes on your blog?
I use a recipe plug-in called Nutrifox. It analyzes the recipe ingredients and quantities and provides the nutrition information.
You started shooting educational videos for YouTube in September 2017. What kind of plan did you begin with in creating this content, and how has this evolved over time?
I created the first five videos on the channel because I had been teaching food photography workshops to local bloggers and I didn’t want to have to take up class time teaching them how to operate their camera in manual. I thought it would be smart to create a series of videos to get them the basics, so that when we had workshops they’d be prepared to dig deeper into the more creative aspects of photography, as opposed to fumbling through settings. After publishing that first series of videos, I started to get requests for different video topics from people all over the world. The first year’s worth of videos was a result of viewer requests (and many still are). This fueled the rapid growth of the channel, because many people were interested in the same content. I continue to base new videos on viewer requests, and themes that I discover from the questions people ask. Just like everyone else, I’m on my own journey in learning food photography, so whenever I learn something new, I take it as an opportunity to share that learning with my audience, so we all grow together.
Your YouTube channel now features 28 distinct playlists containing 2 to 15 videos each. Has any one playlist proved most popular with viewers, or are you planning to add any new ones?
I find that viewers love it whenever I teach on lighting or food styling. These are definitely some of the most popular videos and highly requested. I get a lot of requests for phone photography, and the two videos I’ve shared on that topic are the most popular videos on my channel. People have told me to focus in on that arena, but I’m just honestly not excited about it, and it’s not something I’m passionate about. I only want to create content that I’m excited to share because I think that makes a huge difference in the quality of the final video, and my own ongoing satisfaction with the channel.
How often do you collaborate with other creatives on your YouTube channel, and how do you decide who to invite?
I don’t have a set game plan when it comes to collaborations. I have made a lot of friends in the industry, so when someone has something exciting so share (a new course or a new book) or there’s a hotly requested topic that isn’t in my arena of expertise, I call on friends for Livestream interviews. There’s so much talent out there, and it’s fun to get to celebrate other creatives who have different perspectives.
When it comes to gear, you are a firm believer in waiting to upgrade equipment until you’ve proven that you’ll stick with your plans for photography. With this in mind, is there any one camera you’d recommend as having the best combination of affordability, dedicated features, and solid performance?
I can only speak from personal experience, but I really loved my Canon 70D and thought it was the perfect camera for me in building my business. I think the current equivalent is the Canon 80D. It wasn’t super expensive, but it had the features and functions to work well in a variety of different applications, and it works well with a variety of relevant software, such as the free Canon EOS tethering software, Capture One, and Dragonframe for stop motion. It’s not big and bulky, so it’s great for shooting in restaurants, but it also has features that are helpful for shooting with studio lighting, like you’d find in more pro-level bodies. Canon Rebel series cameras rock as the most affordable solution for anyone on a budget, but the incompatibility with third-party flashes and inability to disable exposure simulation are a bit annoying for someone like me who shoots with strobes. I was also very addicted to the flip-out LCD on the Canon 70D. I missed that when I added the Canon 5D Mark IV to my arsenal, which has been my workhorse since 2017. However, I just recently purchased the Nikon Z7, as I’ve been shooting more Nikon in the past six months. I really appreciate Nikon’s color technology, and the little bit of extra give I experience in the images when I get into post processing. Of course, though, I think we can all agree that Sony rocks the market and technology when it comes to shooting video. So, yep, no straight answer for that question.
Do you have a favorite go-to lighting tool and/or technique for shooting food or does it always depend on circumstances?
I experiment with a lot of different techniques and tools as an educator wanting to address the needs of my students. For quick on-location restaurant shoots, I’m almost always shooting with an umbrella because of the portability factor. But, in studio, my personal preference is to shoot the light through a scrim and then manipulate the distance and direction of the light behind the scrim. I have a roll of Rosco diffusion, but recently I’ve been shooting more with a 4 x 4' Westcott Scrim Jim Cine Frame Set, with either the ¼-stop diffusion material for a harder light look or the full-stop diffusion material for something softer. Sometimes I place the light a bit closer, in order to create an intentional hot spot in the diffusion material for more dramatic shadows. But, if a client asks for something super light and airy then I use the full-stop diffusion, and I can back the light off and get it to spread more evenly. I find that a scrim, a single strobe, and some black foam core can create endless possibilities in lighting.
How about a favorite tip or a hack for making food look appealing while on set during a photo shoot?
Any time you need a little extra glisten on something, Evian has a facial misting spray that’s perfect. More traditionally, stylists use an atomizer with a 50/50 mix of glycerine and water, and I use that when I need the water to bead up. But, for something a bit subtler, the Evian mist is my go-to.
What’s the most complicated lighting set up you’ve ever used for a food shot?
Because the style of photography I shoot is more natural and true to life, my lighting setups aren’t typically very complicated. A single large light source that replicates window light is my usual go-to. However, when I’m going for something low key or really dramatic, there’s no end to the amount of black foam core and A-clamps hiding around the edges of the scene.
Is there any one photo shoot or creative project that’s your all-time favorite? Please give us some backstory about what makes it so memorable to you.
Last year, I had the honor of photographing a cookbook for my friend Christina Barrueta. She’s an amazing food writer based in Phoenix, and we’ve been friends for years. She wrote a cookbook called Phoenix Cooks, featuring the recipes of 50 local chefs. She recommended me as the photographer, and I was thrilled to be hired for the job. We shot 50 recipes and 50 headshots in seven wild and busy days last year and had the time of our lives. It was a revolving door of my favorite chefs cooking up their signature dishes in my kitchen. The book came out in September 2020 and it’s proudly displayed on my bookshelf. It’s a book full of great recipes, good friends, and countless memories.
You have an incredibly detailed page listing the tools you use in all aspects of your business, from business management and online teaching platforms through all types of gear. Are there any new tools or resources you’ve learned about that haven’t made it to this list yet?
As much as I tell people not to buy a lot of gear, it’s a case of “do as I say, not as I do.” If you check my B&H order history, you’ll know that’s true! Recent purchases that I need to add to my gear page include the Nikon Z7 with the NIKKOR Z 24-70 f2.8 S lens, the Tether Tools Case Relay Camera Power System, and the Godox W2t TTL Wireless Flash Trigger, which I love for the ability to change the flash power settings from my smartphone.
Please briefly describe your educational course offerings: Beginner Bootcamp (camera basics), Artificial Academy (lighting for food photography) and Fulltime Framework (business education for food photographers). And please elaborate about the waitlist for Fulltime Framework. Is attendance for this course limited to a maximum number of students? How long is the wait?
My main online courses are Beginner Bootcamp and Artificial Academy. They are always open, students can enroll any time, and they come with personalized support in private online groups where my team members and I provide feedback on images and troubleshoot technical issues.
Beginner Bootcamp is designed for the person with no experience in photography who has purchased their first DSLR or mirrorless camera. It’s a quick and effective course for teaching all the important basics. Camera settings, focus, lenses, shooting in natural light, and organizing and editing images in Lightroom; it’s essentially a crash course that students can complete within a weekend. A brand-new camera can be daunting for first time shooters, so this is the stepping-stone to creating confidence behind the camera.
Artificial Academy is for experienced natural-light shooters who have all the basics down, are confidently shooting in manual mode, and are ready to start working with artificial light. It’s especially focused on how to shoot with strobes and includes all the important foundations to understanding the principles of light. These sessions apply the use of a wide variety of modifiers in different food-related environments, including restaurants. Additional lessons cover shooting with continuous LEDs for stills and video, and—everyone’s favorite way to make a mess—using flash to capture splashes and crashes. It also includes a library of all the flash model demos I recommend in my Artificial Lighting Guide and The Right Lights Quiz, so students get a step-by-step understanding of how to make their lights communicate with their camera and trigger. I remember feeling so defeated and frustrated after spending hours working on my first off-camera flash setup without getting it to work. It’s my goal to help save others from this same frustrating experience.
FullTime Framework is a small group coaching experience that teaches the business side of food photography, so the number of participants is limited. I only host it a few times a year based on my schedule and availability. I always notify people on the waitlist a few weeks before opening the enrollment, and the course generally fills within about 48 hours. The most recent open enrollment date was September 24, 2020. I’ve recently picked up a few larger client shoots, so I don’t anticipate opening Full Time Framework again until 2021, but I will likely offer some smaller half-day online workshop opportunities on the topic of business between enrollment periods.
Do you have any upcoming projects or future plans on the horizon that you’d like to share?
I’m excited to make some major updates and additions to my Artificial Academy course. It will expand to include more lessons on video lighting, since motion is a must for commercial photographers these days. We’re also in the middle of building an 1,800-square-foot photography studio and kitchen for my business, which is a total dream come true! Someday, once we’re all able to meet in person again, I look forward to hosting more in-person workshops.
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