Become A Food Photographer - Business Ideas

Updated: September 15th, 2022
Become A Food Photographer

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Food photography is a growing field in commercial photography, with demand for high-quality food images increasing as more businesses turn to social media and online marketing to promote their products. As a food photographer, you’ll capture mouthwatering images of dishes, drinks, and other food products for marketing, menus, and other promotional materials.

You'll need a few key pieces of equipment to start a successful food photography business. These include a high-quality camera and lenses, lighting equipment, and editing software. You’ll also need a strong portfolio of work to showcase your skills and attract potential clients.

Building a client base is one of the biggest challenges of starting a food photography business. To do this, you’ll need to be proactive in marketing yourself and your services. This can include networking with local businesses, attending industry events, and building a strong online presence through social media and a professional website.

According to a recent survey, the food and beverage industry is one of the top industries using professional photographers, with over 50% of businesses reporting that they use professional photography for marketing and promotional materials. With the right skills and marketing strategies, there is plenty of opportunity for success in the food photography industry.

Becoming a food photographer requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell food photography, or selling food photography online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$10.7B
revenue (monthly)
$15.5K
starting costs
$5.89K
gross margin
65%
time to build
210 days
growth
SEO
business model
Advertising
time investment
Side project

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Office Space Expenses

$0

$7,000

Training & Education Expenses

$0

$1,000

Software Expenses

$0

$594

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$0

$2,750

Website Costs

$13

$215

Specific Industry Expenses

$0

$100

Total Startup Costs

$13

$11,659

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Food Network

foodnetwork.com

1,805

Foodtography School

foodtographyschool.com

117,370

Two Loves Studio

twolovesstudio.com

253,815

614NOW

614now.com

395,908

White On Rice Couple

whiteonricecouple.com

412,199

Joanie Simon

joaniesimon.com

476,563

The Bite Shot

thebiteshot.com

678,389

Join the Waitlist

foodphotographyacademy.co

698,002

OMS Photo

omsphoto.com

1,124,113

Joe Greene Photographer

joegreenephoto.com

1,269,891

unknown

pohuski.com

1,418,591

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Flexibility

You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own.

Ability to start your business from home

It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning!

Little startup costs required

The cost to start a food photographer costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from 12 to 11,659.

Rewarding work

Starting a food photographer can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Scalable

With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers.

Traffic to your website

A food photographer gives people a reason to visit your website and to keep coming back to you!

Cons Description

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your food photographer, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Constant maintenance of publication

You may find yourself constantly needing to update your food photographer in order to stay relevant for your audience and for those searching on google.

Lack of benefits

With a food photographer, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Isolation

Often times, as a food photographer, you typically work alone and do not have much face-to-face interaction with other team members.

Taxes

As a food photographer, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.

No safety net

Typically, as a food photographer, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times.

Marketing Ideas

  • 1

    Affiliate Program

    Affiliate marketing is a great way to bring in a new revenue stream, especially when you don't sell products or services.

    Simply put, an affiliate program is an agreement where a business pays another business or influencer ("the affiliate") a commission for sending traffic and/or sales their way.

    The affiliate typically gets a unique link where clicks and conversions can be tracked.

    Learn more about affiliate program ➜

  • 2

    Direct Sales

    Direct sales strategy implies a direct contact between a seller and a consumer without the involvement of any third party. Direct selling is popular in sectors where sellers communicate with their clientele personally. The sales technique occurs at non-store locations which include at home, work, or online.

    For direct selling to succeed, hire a few (or many) salespeople to support the sales conversion process. It's critical that you assign them specific roles and responsibilities to nurture the client and provide excellent support.

    Learn more about direct sales ➜

  • 3

    Word of mouth

    Word of mouth is when a consumers reflects their interest in a company’s product or service in their daily dialogues.

    Therefore, word of mouth advertising is essentially a free advertising triggered by the customers experience.

    According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family.

    Therefore, in today’s hyper-connected world, a single recommendation through a word of mouth can have a huge impact to your business.

    Learn more about word of mouth ➜