Introducing Cookbook Photo Academy
An online course and roadmap to help you navigate the process of photographing your own cookbook while you are also writing it.
If you have a passion for both food photography AND food writing then you know that creating your own cookbook, one where you are both the author and the photographer, is an achievable dream.
You know you bring a lot to the table whether you are planning to self-publish or you want to seek a contract with a traditional publishing house.
You’ve been writing your own recipes and creating photos of those recipes. You know photographing your own cookbook is something you can not only handle but something you can do very well.
These are a few things you might not know:
Photographing for print and cookbooks is different than photographing for a website.
The principles of putting together a good food shot for each might be the same, but that is where the similarities between the web and print stop. Ink, cropping, overlays, filters, gear capabilities, exporting, and layout are just a few things that make a printed photo much different. Do you have what it takes to shoot for a book? With some foundational knowledge, you can get there.
Styling and shooting 40+ recipes for a book is not like styling and shooting 40+ recipes for a blog or website.
A book is not something that can be approached like a web-based project. It is a lot of work in very little time. Your organization and the plan you put into place will be key. Additionally, books are consumed differently than web-based media. Your style, variation, and flow will need to account for that.
Pitching yourself as the photographer of your book in a proposal does not guarantee that you will be the one who will photograph it.
Some publishers are leery of allowing authors, even those with beautiful web-based photos, to photograph their own books. Past experiences have taught them that many do not know what they need to or have the right gear to produce book-ready shots. You will need to effectively pitch yourself as the right person with the proof to back up your claim.
Most people think they can easily write and photograph their own cookbook because they have written and created photos for a website or social media account.
Unfortunately, not being fully prepared for the task ahead of you leads straight to extra work, stress, and ultimately a book that isn’t the dream you envisioned.
6 Reasons Why People Fail to Photograph Their Dream Cookbook
They underestimate the amount of work involved.
Between recipe writing, food writing, recipe testing, styling, and photography, there is no argument that it is a lot of work. You have to step back and create an approachable strategy that creates organization and productivity while removing the risk for stress and chaos.
They don’t have a plan for producing the content.
Writing a few recipes here and taking a few photos there won’t cut it. You’ll need a plan that allows you to maximize your most productive times for each category of work involved. And to do so in a way that allows you to meet your deadlines while leaving room to correct mistakes and do reshoots.
They don’t know their gear or fully understand what it takes to create an image for print.
Can your camera and lens provide an image that is usable by an art director or a designer? Are you shooting in a way that allows the optimal layout for the design of the book and necessary cropping? These are all things you must know BEFORE you start photographing.
They don't know what questions to ask.
Whether you self-publish or enter into a contract with a publishing company, asking the right questions of those you are working with is key to make the process go smoothly and create the book you envision.
They aren’t fully prepared with how to maintain creative control.
If you choose to work with a publisher, you’ll be working with a team of people who all have some say over your images. It’s important to go into this relationship as a valuable team player who also knows what they can and cannot support when it comes to creative changes.
They let others get into their head.
You might be letting others get in your head before you even get started. You may have people telling you that it’s way too much work to take on. But if photographing your own cookbook is your dream, it’s not too much work. You just need a solid base of knowledge and an effective plan to come out the other side having had a pleasant experience and with the book of your dreams in hand.
There is so much missing from the information out there about creating your own cookbook. There is a lack of knowledge and sharing about how to make the process of photographing your own book a successful one.
Cookbook Photo Academy is here to change that.
Cookbook Photo Academy is an online course and roadmap to help you navigate the process of photographing your cookbook while you are also writing it.
After writing and photographing my own books, it was difficult for me to see others set out to photograph their books with the same passion, only to watch them experience frustration after frustration. Then, to look back on the experience as a stress and not the joy they had hoped it would be.
I soon realized that the difference between my pleasant experience and their stressful one was knowledge and a plan. So I took what I learned from my experience as the author-photographer of two cookbooks and the photographer of other traditionally published and self-published books as well as the questions I was getting from others.
And I created Cookbook Photo Academy.
The end result: Holding a cookbook you love in your hand with a sense of accomplishment and appreciation for the manageable steps that got you there, whether you choose to work with a traditional publisher or self-publish.
Cookbook Photo Academy is the first course of its kind to:
Teach you what you need to know to produce the high-quality images necessary for a book.
Of course, we’ll cover planning a general style for your book and how to create a consistent theme, but we will also dive into the technical needs of your images. Along with steps you can take to improve your work if you have never photographed for print.
Combine the expertise of an instructor who has been through the process first-hand with learning from industry professionals and other successful author-photographers.
You won’t be learning only from me in this course. The content includes valuable interviews with those who have worked with publishing companies, self-publishers, a literary agent, art director, food photographer, food stylist, and business coach.
Give you information to position yourself as the ideal photographer for your book if you are seeking a cookbook contract.
You will walk away from this course knowing what to include in your proposal to increase your chances of reaching an agreement to photograph your own cookbook.
Help you create an action plan for your work.
This course is full of examples of how to create your shot lists, batch your work, and make the task of styling and photographing your book a smooth and successful process.
Curious what's inside? Let’s break it down.
5 Core Modules
Module 1
Style, Direction and Identification
We'll take the first steps to creating a direction for your book based on factors such as your photography style, current photography trends, and cookbook topic.
Module Highlights:
- Learn the key differences between cookbook photo style and web-based photos.
- Create consistency while avoiding monotony with your images.
- Streamline your style so you can move forward.
Module 2
Digital Art Standards and Your Gear
Better understand the technical side for photo needs of both publishers and designers. Uncover if your current gear is capable of the job.
Module Highlights:
- Learn common image requirements for a book.
- Uncover the key details that lie within your camera and lens and what this means for the photos you create.
Module 3
Cookbook Image Needs
We'll take a deep dive into what makes an ideal cookbook photo.
Module Highlights:
- Learn to look beyond contract numbers to true image needs.
- Explore what book sizes and cropping mean for your photos.
- Understand the qualities and characteristics your images must have to be usable in a book format.
Module 4
Communication and Creative Control
Nurture the skills you need to work well with a publishing team, or a support team when self-publishing, while also maintaining creative control when it is most important.
Module Highlights:
- Adopt the best ways to avoid a reshoot.
- Understand how to develop collaborative relationships.
- Identify priorities when it comes to your photo and the style of your book.
Module 5
Workflow and Your Cookbook
Outline a plan to shoot your book from start to finish in the amount of time you have while balancing your writing and recipe testing.
Module Highlights:
- Learn options for crafting your workflow and finalize your Capture Plan.
- Get control of your time in a way that allows for creative breaks and unexpected encounters.
- Gain skills in selecting the best photos for delivery.
2 Supporting Modules
Module 6
You As the Photographer
A module for those seeking a contract with a traditional publishing company. We'll cover what you need to include to pitch yourself as the photographer of your book.
Module Highlights:
- Position yourself as the best candidate.
- Learn the essential elements to include for photography.
PLUS
Module 7
Cookbook Photo Chronicles
A series of recorded interviews with industry professionals and author-photographers that will help you photograph your book.
Module Highlights:
- 8+, 15-minute interviews with actionable advice that will help you with everything from tips for shooting your photos, to ideas for capture plans and how to decide if an offer to shoot your book is a good one.
Join Cookbook Photo Academy today and get:
Full access to the 7-module Cookbook Photo Academy Course
√ You'll receive full, immediate access to all 7 modules of the course upon enrollment.
Access for the lifetime of the course, including updates
√ Course members in good standing will maintain access to the program including updates for its lifetime so you can finish modules and revisit topics whenever you would like. This includes access to new expert interviews as they are added to module 7 of the course with each update.
ENROLL IN COOKBOOK PHOTO ACADEMY TODAY FOR
Cookbook Photo Academy
$297 USD
ONE PAYMENT
Full, 7-module course for self-paced learning
Access to all future course updates
Cookbook Photo Academy is the perfect course for you IF:
√ You have a dream of photographing and writing your own cookbook and you are ready to learn what you need to know to make it a reality.
√ You want the experience of photographing your own cookbook to be manageable, enjoyable, and productive.
√ You want to better understand shooting for print, avoid reshoots, and ensure your images are exactly what is needed for your book.
√ You already have a plan to photograph your own book, either you are under contract (or close to it) with a publisher, or you know you want to self-publish. You want to make this process as easy and successful as possible.
√ You aren't quite sure if you want to self-publish or work with a traditional publishing company, but you know you want to be the photographer of your book regardless of what you ultimately decide.
If any of these things resonate with you, I CANNOT WAIT to see you inside Cookbook Photo Academy!
This course is for people passionate about photographing their own food.
Cookbook Photo Academy is NOT for you if:
You aren't fully committed to photographing your own cookbook.
You'd rather outsource the job of photographing your own cookbook to someone else.
What people ask before saying “YES!!” to Cookbook Photo Academy
No problem! If you plan to seek a contract with a publishing company, this course will give you the valuable knowledge you need to show that you are the ideal candidate to photograph your book when you write your proposal.
Great! This course provides information that is applicable to self-publishers who are photographing their own books while they are also writing them.
Great timing! This course is going to give you what you need to put together a plan for shooting your book, help you work with your publishing team, and help you reduce the need for reshoots.
This course contains 6 learning modules. Each module contains 2 to 4 lessons that range from 5 to 20 minutes each. Worksheets and other supporting materials are provided. Module 7 contains 8 video and audio interviews ranging from 15 to 20 minutes. You have full access to the program when you enroll so you can complete it over a week with one module per day or move through the content more slowly with one module per week as time allows.
This course is for those that have some experience photographing their foods for a website or social media account, along with a basic knowledge of some type of editing software, such as Adobe Lightroom.
Although, beginners will find it helpful to learn about the gear necessary for producing print-quality photos through the content provided. If you are brand new to photography, consider checking out my course, Confused to Confident.
Cookbook Photo Academy is not a how-to photography course. It is a course and roadmap that teaches you what you need to know to photograph your own cookbook. It gives you the information you need to get started if you are ready to begin your book as well as information that will help you better position yourself as the photographer of your book if you are in the earlier stages of planning.
The course will help you to create a plan for photographing your book while you are also writing it.
As soon as you enroll, you'll receive access to the course. You can begin at any time.
Once the course is live, you will have full access. The modules are released all at once so that you can watch and work through the content that will be most helpful to you. Although, I do recommend progressing through the modules as they appear in the course for the most benefit to your work. You have access to this course for its lifetime so you can complete it at any time.
For its lifetime. You can watch the content and revisit modules at any time. You'll also receive access to any updates to the course over time. Including additional expert interviews that will be added.
I have yet to have anyone request a refund on my courses. But just in case, this is how it works with Cookbook Photo Academy.
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.
Ready to enroll? Let's do this!
Cookbook Photo Academy
$297 USD
ONE PAYMENT
Full, 7-module course for self-paced learning
Access to all future course updates
