Hi, I am Joyce Leong! I am an international award-winning commercial food and product photographer in Singapore. I specialise in authentic and creative visuals that tells a story about your brand. Evoking emotions through beautiful imagery is what I do best as seen on my website: https://Joyce-leong.com I have been featured on Canon Asia, Foodelia, Her World Singapore, Shutterturf and Singapore Finest Services. Over the years, I have worked with many clients such as Soup Restaurant, Coastes, Tea Tree Cafe, Old El Paso and Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited. I would love to chat with you via WhatsApp (+65 9750 0459) on your upcoming project.
Top 5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring A Food and Product Photographer
If you are looking to hire a food and product photographer for your shoot, these questions are something you should be asking to avoid any mishaps on shoot day! This list has been put to the test and I can’t imagine not answering any of them before being hired for a shoot.
1. Form + Function
What’s Your Process?
Every photographer has their own process so finding out how they do things prior to the shoot is crucial. If their process is different from your previous/ current photographer, hear them out to see whether their process is a good fit for your upcoming shoot. This will prevent any misunderstandings and manage both parties expectations for the shoot.
2. All – In – One
Jack/Jill/Master?
Are you looking for a photographer who can double up as a food/ product stylist or you are open to working with a team consisting of a photographer, a photography assistant and a food/product stylist? The latter would cost more so check with the photographer prior to the hire. If you have a long shot list to be completed in a full day shoot, it would be possible when working with a team rather than with the photographer alone.
3. Best In Class
Mood Board
If you are providing a creative brief, you can skip this question. If not a mood board is a visual plan of what is going to happen on your shoot. It makes you think about what you wish to achieve for your images, your chef knows what he or she needs to prepare and the photographer knows what gear to bring and how to execute it on shoot day. At the very least, send some reference images and your finalised shot list prior to the shoot so that any questions can be raised by the photographer before shoot day. For more reasons on why you need a mood board, visit https://www.joyce-leong.com/blog-food-photographer-sg/why-a-killer-moodboard-is-a-necessary-evil/
4. Way of Life
Style
Can the photographer match the style that you are looking for in the shoot? Some photographers have a distinct style whereas others have a variety of styles so do check out their portfolios and ask them to find out. This becomes more important if you working with a stylist cum photographer and wish to achieve a specific look for your brand.
5. Worth Your While
Specialist or Generalist?
Arguably one of the most critical questions that gets left out! Find out what the photographer specialises in and for how long would give you a good grasp of whether he/she can meet your expectations. If the photographer shoots a variety of genres, do ask for his/her food portfolio to see whether it is in line with your vision for your project.
Final Words
Have your shot list, reference images, licensing requirements and budget ready before chatting with the photographer. This will enable him/her to answer whether it is possible to complete the shot list based on your reference images in a half day or full day shoot. That information is crucial for the photographer to estimate the time required to execute the images based on experience plus manage your expectations prior to the shoot. With your budget in mind, photographers can come with a suitable estimate while taking into account your licensing requirements.
Shoot me an email if you have any queries about questions to ask before hiring your next food and product photographer that I did not answer in this post. Follow along on my Instagram and I would love to connect with you through my email list where I share the latest news, BTS, resources and more.
