Confidently Style and Photograph Food and Product Images
for your small business while creating clarity and reducing confusion about props, styling, camera settings, and directional light.
If you are a food maker, grower, or artisan creator then you already know the importance of attractive images.
You KNOW the power of a beautiful photo, one that accurately reflects your brand and shares the beauty and versatility of your food, recipe, or artisanal product.
You know that these images attract fans, build followings, and tell the story of your products in a way that translates to traffic for your site as well as increased sales.
You know that deep down you have a desire to create images of your food and products, even if you aren't quite sure how to capture with your camera what you are envisioning in your head.
Here's a few things you might not know:
Creating the images you envision requires adopting a style, approach, and process that is truly unique to you.
Yes, there are technical skills to learn with propping, camera settings, and controlling directional light, but understanding and applying these things in a way that works best for you is what results in images that accurately reflect your brand and vision.
A step-by-step approach is the best way to improve skills in food and product styling and photography.
It is easy to get overwhelmed, thinking you need to immediately know every detail of how to select props, style, shoot, and edit photos to create your images. A step-by-step approach to learning one component at a time is what will give you the skills that you can apply to your own work for continued success in nailing the images you envision.
You are your own best art director.
No one knows your brand, business, and vision better than you do. You are the best person to create the images that fully align with it. You simply need a customized, step-by-step process to start capturing your best work with the camera.
Time and practice put in now pays off in a BIG way later.
There's no arguing that practice will help you reach self-defined perfection for your photos. While there are a few tips and tricks that will result in positive image changes that feel like magic, it still takes time and commitment. Rest assured that this all pays off in big ways. You save HOURS by eliminating the need to coordinate schedules to outsource your photography and not having to accurately explain what you envision for your photos to someone who is unfamiliar with your work. Not to mention, you save THOUSANDS of dollars a year for your business while having the visual assets you need to market your food and products.
Most people think that the way to learn food and product photography is to copy exactly what another artist does from the camera, to the lens, to surfaces, and presets.
Unfortunately, this will not get you from where you are now to where you want to be with the images you create.
YOU'VE TAKEN A PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP OR SAT THROUGH A CLASS. EXCELLENT.
Now you are back in your home studio. WHAT THE HECK DO YOU DO NEXT?
That's exactly it. The problem isn't that you aren't learning tips and tricks for how to style and shoot. It's that you aren't learning how to apply them using the space you shoot in, the tools you have, and the style you desire once back in your home studio.
The fact is that most people who want to create beautiful food and product images never reach a point where they are confidently styling and shooting photos they love.
They give up way too soon. Not because they haven't learned a few skills, but because they have no idea how to successfully apply them in their home studio.
Here's why that can be a huge problem:
These are skills and skills can be learned. But these skills, creative skills like those used for styling and photography, have to be learned in a way that makes them applicable to your way of learning, styling and shooting. When you get overwhelmed and convince yourself that you simply can't do this, you miss the opportunity to create beautiful images that reflect you and your food and products.
4 REASONS MOST PEOPLE FAIL TO CREATE THE PHOTOS THEY ENVISION FOR THEIR FOODS AND PRODUCTS
They don't know how to identify and define their style.
Having a few words to guide you as you select props, choose your light, and support your hero simplifies your process and allows you to create images that are representative of you and your food or products. This starts with understanding what you like about images that catch your attention and learning how to apply components to your own images.
They think that it's only about cameras, lenses, and settings.
This is just one part of a much bigger picture. If you don't approach camera settings based on the goal for your image and combine this with creating your set, controlling directional light, selecting your props, prop placement, and styling your hero, then you won't capture what you envision. Without these other parts of the picture, details about lenses and settings really mean nothing.
They lack a personalized roadmap for styling and shooting.
Once you learn tips for how to style and shoot, you must know how to create a framework to approach photo shoots at home. It's your 1, 2, 3 process for things like surface selection, brainstorming creative ideas, placing props, selecting directional light, and choosing the angle of your shots.
They haven't found a learning tool that covers all aspects of creating food and product photos in a step-by-step process.
Learning what you need know, when you need to know it, at the level of knowledge that is right for you is the key to building your skills and creating the images you envision every time.
There is a lot missing from food and product photography courses out there. Sadly, what they are missing are key components that allow you to continue to grow your skills and create photos aligned with your style long after the course is over.
Introducing
Confused to Confident: Food and Product Photo Training for Food Makers, Growers & Artisan Creators
A training that will take you from feeling frustrated and unskilled at creating images to confidently styling and shooting the beautiful photos you envision.
I’ve taken what I’ve learned from over 11 years of styling and photographing food and product photos in my home studio, using natural light, as a one-person show for brands, agricultural organizations, magazines, and cookbooks and created a step-by-step process with you in mind. It’s one that not only teaches you to create your own beautiful photos, but it allows you to do so in a way that reflects your preferred style that is easy to understand and apply.
Confused to Confident is not only an instructional course about how to capture beautiful photos. It is a course that teaches what is missing.
I've included all the things that I had to teach myself after I left workshops and courses. I'd return to my home studio left to connect the dots of what I'd learned and create images that reflected my style with a personalized workflow.
The end result: You will style and shoot beautiful food and product photos fully aligned with what you envision with less frustration and more creativity that inspires you.
You can expect Confused to Confident to:
Teach you styling and photography skills along with creative strategy.
Of course we’ll cover controlling natural light, surfaces, props, camera settings, and photo touch-up editing. Throughout the process you’ll also master a strategy for how to approach your camera, set, and prop collection to style and shoot photos in a way that is easy and encourages creativity.
Expand beyond a copycat teaching model.
The path to beautiful photos is one that is all your own. You'll learn how to stop asking questions like - what lens did you use? - and gain the skills needed to look at an image and understand all the components that went into creating it so you can apply those principles to your own work.
Teach food and product photography with small businesses in mind.
Whether you are photographing your recipes, foods you've grown, or products you create, this course is designed for the unique needs of small businesses on limited budgets working in a home or shop to create images aligned with your brand and vision.
Curious what's inside? Let’s break it down.
Module 1
Laying the Foundation
We'll take the essential steps that build a foundation and identified style that you will bring to your photography from this point forward.
Module Highlights:
- Adopt the step-by-step mentality.
- Complete The Five Words Exercise for identifying your style.
- Apply the results of your exercise directly to your photography and styling process for a smoother shoot and fail-proof final images.
Module 2
Camera and Capture
Learn to approach your camera in a way that makes manually capturing images easy to understand.
Module Highlights:
- Create a method for your go-to settings.
- Learn the most important settings for food and product photography.
- Get the tip about your lens that will change everything.
Module 3
Surface and Backdrop Deep Dive
The surface sets the style of your image. Discover the best options for your home studio.
Module Highlights:
- Select your surface based on style.
- Smart surfaces for small spaces.
Module 4
Create Your Photo Space
Find the space in your home or shop to create the images you envision.
Module Highlights:
- Evaluate the best space for your photo set.
- Learn what might be sabotaging your shoots and how to resolve these issues.
Module 5
Understanding Directional Light
Become an expert at controlling natural light in your space so that you can shoot any time of the day.
Module Highlights:
- Get the affordable tools you need to control natural light.
- Explore how to effectively use these tools.
- Learn how to style your set to maximize light based on the image you want to produce.
Module 6
Prop Selection
Simplify how to choose your props so you are filled with creative ideas and waste less time deciding which props to use.
Module Highlights:
- Better understand prop definitions and common styles.
- Learn key principles for size and proportions when it comes to your props.
Module 7
Prepping Foods and Products for a Shoot
Learn important steps and tips for preparing foods and products for a photo so you can highlight their most desirable characteristics.
Module Highlights:
- Define heroes and beyond.
- Create a personalized styling kit.
- Get detailed tips for prepping specific foods such as produce, soups, and meats.
- Gain skills for photographing foods and products with labels.
- Learn tips for photographing bottles and jars using natural light.
- Understand how these skills apply to still life such as photographing pottery, linens, and flowers.
Module 8
6-Step Framework for Styling a Shot
Create a fail-proof workflow for styling your set each time you shoot.
Module Highlights:
- Lay the groundwork that will prepare you to get styling in an organized way that will save you time and frustration.
- Learn the best ways to style your hero in your images.
- Start beautifully supporting your hero with props and other creative additions.
Module 9
Your Settings-to-Shoot Blueprint
Learn how to apply the camera settings you learned in Module 2 to create image results that can be repeated time and again.
Module Highlights:
- Implement your go-to settings and learn how to adjust them to meet your lighting and styling needs.
- Create a tracking system for your shoots so you better understand what works and what doesn't.
Module 10
Troubleshooting On Set
Become a problem-solver on set so you can move through creative blocks and frustrating moments.
Module Highlights:
- Better understand what has you stuck on set and how to get past it.
- Learn the simplest change you can make that will drastically improve your images.
Module 11
Lightroom Touch-up Basics
Now you have your photos. Let's take a look at some easy changes you can make if things aren't just right.
Module Highlights:
- Explore basic tools in Lightroom that will change your images the most.
- Learn how to correct simple issues with your photos so you can take it back to your set and make those mistakes less often.
- Learn how to create your own presets.
- Better understand exporting your photos.
Module 12
Moving Forward for Success
Learn exactly what you need to do from here to continue to build your skills.
Module Highlights:
- Stay organized with selected shoot days.
- Learn the keys to continued growth by overcoming creative blocks.
- Understand how you can step out of your comfort zone and why it's so important.
"Taking Confused to Confident was one of the best investments I've made in the last year. I wasn't horrible at taking pictures, but definitely was not confident going into my set to take pics and sometimes frustrated after spending way too long taking pics. Lori explains everything in the easiest of ways. She really gives you a great basis to go into your shoots with and you just have to make minor adjustments when needed. With the shared knowledge and tips, I have been able to spend less time taking pictures and being delighted with the results."
Renz Robley
Founder, Recipe Developer and Photographer at This Bago Girl
"I have loved every minute of this course and it’s answered so many burning questions that have stumped me for years. Lori has a clear, inspired and fresh approach to teaching that makes learning photography and food styling much easier than I ever anticipated. I’ve learned more in Lori’s Confused to Confident Training than I have reading and researching photography over the last six years. If you want to achieve high-quality, professional looking photos that will make your work, business or brand shine, I highly recommend Lori Rice. "
Karista Bennett
Chef, Food Writer & Author of The Oregon Farm Table Cookbook, Oregon, U.S.
"When I signed up for the Confused to Confident course I was ready to roll over my camera with my car, 😢. Since taking the course I have been able to photograph images that I’m happy enough to share with the public. I appreciate Lori always being available to help & answer any questions I needed. This is money well spent. "
Stacie
Owner, Sasha Sass Candles, Michigan, U.S.
"I'd picked up a few things from various courses, and had a fair idea of my style, but tended to jump around a bit trying different things, and my prop collection was minimal, which limited me creatively sometimes. I was reasonably happy with the standard of my photos but it took me a lot of time, effort and shots to get one or two pictures that I was happy to share. After Lori's course, I'm much more certain of my style, and have been able to confidently buy props, surfaces and backdrops to suit. Lori gives sensible advice for camera settings that have made a difference to my photos, and I now have a much better understanding of how to control light. I'm producing a higher number of pictures that I'm happy with. "
Charlotte Orr
Food photographer, Melbourne, Australia
"Lori helped me get the look I wanted and showed me (more than once!) what I was doing in my normal setup that prevented me from getting the shots I wanted. I recommend her courses whether you’re just starting out with shooting photos on your phone or you’re trying to take your photography to the next level!"
Luci Petlack
Owner of the women's lifestyle website, Luci's Morsels, California, U.S.
"This course targets all the major trouble spots that got in my way in the past. Lori’s warm-hearted and serious-minded lessons have helped me to organize my photo sessions to set me up for success. I now have doable steps to create the photos I envision for my blog."
Lynne Curry
Writer, Cookbook Author and Blogger, Oregon, U.S.
Join the Confused to Confident Food and Product Photo Training for $297 USD and get:
Full access to the 6-week, 12-module Confused to Confident Training
√ 12 video and demonstration modules covering everything from creative styling, surfaces, and props to cameras, natural lighting and file touch-up. Includes individualized frameworks and roadmaps that you can apply to your own style, space and gear to capture the images you envision.
Confused to Confident is the perfect course for you IF:
√ You are ready to create clarity, reduce confusion, and gain confidence with your food and product styling and photography skills.
√ You want a step-by-step process that will take you from where you are now to confidently creating images with the tools you currently have on hand or those you can obtain with a limited budget.
√ You want to better understand your photography style and create images aligned with that style using a customized approach that works for you.
√ You want to grow skills in props, styling, natural lighting, and your camera settings so you can nail the shot you envision every time.
√ You are excited and ready to make the process of creating images of your food and products an enjoyable experience and not one that adds more stress to your plate. You want this to be fun and rewarding!
If any of these things resonate with you, I CANNOT WAIT to see you inside the Confused to Confident Course. I am so excited to witness the amazing transformation your images will have over the next 7 weeks.
Confused to Confident is NOT for you if:
You want to shoot your photos in a dark studio with artificial lighting using a lot of gear.
You want to learn industry tactics using artificial techniques and fake foods in your photos.
What people ask before saying “YES!!” to my Confused to Confident: Food and Product Photography Course
This course contains 12 modules. The course will run for 6 weeks. Two modules will be released each week. Lesson numbers in each Module range from 2 to 7. Videos within each lesson range from 5 to 20 minutes.
No problem! Once you buy the course, you have access to it for its lifetime along with any updates. There may be some times when the modules become unavailable for a short period (when I launch future rounds of the course or make updates), but you'll be notified of these dates in advance.
This course does include modules that cover dSLR camera settings and photo editing. That being said, the skills you’ll learn in propping, surfaces, controlling natural light, creative idea generation and styling can be applied using any type of camera, even a smartphone. You will see improvements in your images even if you are not using a dSLR!
This may sound bold, but I’m saying it anyway - immediately. Yes, improving your photography skills does take practice, you have to put in some time shooting. But that being said, the tactics you’ll learn in the course will change your photos for the better and the more beautiful as soon as you start applying them to your shoots.
Confused to Confident teaches skills for styling and photography and combines that foundation of knowledge with creative ideas that allow you to develop your own step-by-step process to style and shoot the photos you envision. Confusion, uncertainty, overwhelm - they are feelings that won’t return again because you will have the skills you need to overcome them.
Upon enrolling in the course, you can log into the learning platform where you will have access to all 12 modules of the course to study at your own pace.
I have yet to have anyone request a refund on my courses. But just in case, this is how it works with Confused to Confident.
Once the course is live in your library, you have access to all of it to consume right away. Due to the nature of the release, if you decide it's not for you, I offer a money-back guarantee for 48-hours from the time of purchase, if our system shows that you have not watched more than Module 1 of the course. If you have viewed more of the course content than Module 1, no refunds can be granted.
If you are unhappy with the course after completing it, I'm happy to discuss what we can offer to help.
"Brilliant course. As soon as I saw this course advertised, I knew I had to join. It has boosted my confidence in photography, pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to create images that I'm truly proud of. The best thing about this course for me was it filled in a lot of blanks in my knowledge of food photography and styling along with great hints and tips. A fantastic course for anyone looking to grow their skills in food and product photography. "
Leah Fairlie
@the.farmhouse.kitchen, NE Scotland
"So many tips and tricks to take amazing photos. Lori orchestrates an amazing experience with her insight, attention to details, and organization. Thank you so much!"
Kelley Hansen
Owner of Ciderhouse Foods, California, U.S.
"Super helpful! I learned new techniques and feel much more confident."
