An Interview with Iris Richardson, Food Photographer

[Reyed Mia (Apprentice, DIU)]

An Interview with Iris Richardson, Food Photographer

Iris Richardson & Her Career

How and why did you become involved in culinary? How and why did you switch to food photography?

My mother came from a long line of restaurant owners. To this day my parents own a restaurant in the Cologne area of Germany. My sisters and I where encouraged to enter the field at an early age. Three out of five sisters graduated with a culinary degree.

I switched to photography after working in the restaurant field over 10 years. I served my first restaurant customer before age five. I felt it was time to explore my other interests and talents. Entering the food photography business allowed me to use my experience as a chef as well as be my own boss. Food photography is keeping me in close contact with my former profession. The knowledge and understanding I gained as a chef are a great resource in my new business.

You started your career as a chef. How important has your background in culinary been to the successful career you now have?

Very important. I understand food and food chemistry. I know what it takes to make food look as fresh and delicious on print and film as you expect it to look on your plate when it's served. Photography can not replace the aromas, which entice the consumer. I have to be able to make the food look so good the consumer think he or she can smell and taste it. If the food image makes the consumer's mouth water, I as the photographer succeeded with my job.

What was the most difficult part of making the transition from your career in the kitchen to photography?

The lack of business education and organization in the art industry. As a chef, one must be organized and quality and budget-oriented. It can be difficult to run a business having competitors who do not understand the economics of running a business. It is difficult to compete with businesses that might charge little to nothing for their services. It would be like a multiple vendors standing in front of your restaurant giving out lobster dinners for $5 or free. One can not compete on price and expect to survive.

What have been your favorite projects that you've worked on in your career and why?

Cookbooks and magazine projects allow me to be more creative. I can most likely use my own chef skills and touch to make the food jump off the pages. Commercial projects often do not provide such freedom.

What has been your greatest professional success and biggest setback?

Every new project and client is a new success for me. Each assignment is a new challenge and discovery. The artist in me is always searching for more perfection. We are our worst critics and will always find a way to improve a former project.

I never viewed my life in the way of setbacks. Every experience, negative or positive, is also an opportunity to learn. The economic setbacks are mostly out of my hand. I simply try to go with the flow and see what works.

Source:http://cookingschools.com/resources/an-interview-with-iris-richardson-food-photographer/