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#21 – Lessons in commercial food photography with Abhishek Khanna

Jun 21, 2024

podcast episode – Lessons in commercial food photography with Abhishek Khanna

Are you just starting out and wondering…

What does it take to turn your passion into a business?
If commercial food photography is for you?
What gear do you need?
What does it take to work with big brands?
What goes on behind the scenes in commercial food photography?
What are the challenges?

Pursuing a passion for photography

Incredible self-taught food stylist and commercial food photographer, Abhishek Khanna is going to take us on his own career journey from a call center to photography, now with a portfolio full of prestigious clients. His journey seems simple, like it was ‘meant to be’, but in reality moving from a corporate to a creative life, his pursuit of passion is a story of courage and dedication.

Building a career in commercial food photography

Abhishek abundantly shares the highs and lows of building a career in commercial food photography and how the industry has changed over the last 5 years. He gives us such an open and honest insight into how he started, the equipment he (never!) had and how he invested back into the business as he started to upskill and grow his client base. Also how social media led him to his first client – UberEATS and how he ensures a high-end quality client experience.

How to start

The biggest takeaway from this episode is that if you are starting out you should build a portfolio from the get go. Collate everything you have into one place so you can use this to secure your first client.

An image by Abhishek Khanna — https://www.abhishekhanna.com/

Here’s what the episode includes:

Abhishek introduces himself and how he got into food photography
He shares how the shift from a corporate to a creative career went for him
Abhishek talks about the challenges of starting a new photography business
We discuss what gear he used, how he upgraded and what he uses today
We talk about finding clients and marketing yourself as a food photographer
Abhishek shares inside knowledge on the commercial world of photography
We chat about who and what is involved in a shoot, how long it can take and whether there is an overlap with food styling.
Hear about the key considerations when photographing Indian food (Abhishek’s speciality!)
We talk about balancing brand guidelines and art direction with his own creative style
Abhishek shares challenging projects he has had and what he’d like to change about the commercial photography industry
We discuss any struggles he has faced and what he has planned for the future
Hear Abhishek’s number 1 advice for someone who is starting a food photography business