When I think of bread that reminds me of summer, hands down it is King’s Hawaiian! It was an awesome project to work on that Chuck Studios executive producer Elyse Sara brought me on to. We had 2 days on set with a limited crew because of COVID-19 to capture beautiful kitchen scenes and super tasty recipes using the various King’s Hawaiian products. The kitchen sets were modern, contemporary with warm colors and greens peeking in. Helen Jones styled the recipes perfectly to really elevate the bread and flavor cues! Propping and set dressing was done by the amazing Christina O’Neil. We had all the COVID-19 regulations in place and we all felt safe on set. Also since the client could not be there we were able to setup a private Slack channel and use ZOOM to conference in the team. It was a seamless experience and would do it again. At the end of the day we got some awesome photos. Can’t wait to see them in the wild!
New York Food Photographer
Bondi Beach
Working Remotely
How are you doing?
Looking back at my February email to this months, wow, what a stark difference. End of February my husband and I left for a much needed vacation to the beautiful country of Australia. The brushfires were clearing up and the trip as a whole was fantastic. The food, views, and people were great; really a trip of a lifetime!
In those short 3 weeks away, we were leaving Australia on one of the last normally scheduled flights by Quantas to America. We landed in San Francisco to see the news coverage of the travel ban to Europe. The immediate following days everyone’s world turned upside down. Business came to a halt and an illness was creeping among us.
As I write this we are starting to adjust to the new normal. We are creating a virtual routine with friends, family, and co-workers. The same goes for me while running my business. I’ve reached out to several of my clients to see how they are doing and what I can do to help. When the time is right to get to the new normal of working I’m there for support. Like others adjusting and working from home, I have a home photo studio setup and working well. In addition to email, text, and phone, I have ZOOM the virtual platform where you can share screens live and I can mirror my tethered screen so you can see the images come through. If you have food or product that needs to be captured please know I’am here for you. COVID-19 might of removed me from my normal studio, but it certainly didn’t take my creativity.
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
Conceptual Series: Pop Art!
This was a fun series to shoot because popcorn, as simple of a product it is every piece popped has unique traits you cannot repeat twice. I’m a fan of popcorn and being in the food business, why not?! I wanted to challenge my technical capabilities in this series with use of macro photography, lighting, and focus stacking; things I would apply to my other commercial work.
The results were so fascinating and fun to see unfold in the stacking process. You might sort through bags of popcorn and hold a piece that looks interesting but once it’s in the light it’s not, and vice versus. Focus stacking allowed me to showcase the depth in the miniature scale of the food and make it feel much bigger when fully in focus. Also allowing the popcorn to be shot on black by itself removes the illusion of the scale of real popcorn and lets your imagination take over.
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
Thank You for a great 2019!
Happy Holidays! Ending the year on a sweet note. 2019 was packed with amazing projects, new clients, returning clients, and travel. My dream as a business owner! Thank you again for trusting me with your creative concepts, working as a team to bring the vision to life. I look forward to this with every project and with every new year creates these new opportunities. See you in 2020!!
I will be starting the year off right with a trip to Australia end of February to early March. Any food or sight seeing recommendations please send them my way.
Sincerely,
Felicia
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
B.T.S. Photo Shoot John and Kira's Gourmet Chocolate
A favorite and challenging thing to photograph is chocolate. My team and I are always up for the challenge and love the sweet shots we walk away with! John and Kira’s a gourmet chocolate client of mine wanted to create some new imagery for their catalogue and website. The look and feel for this project was to convey moodiness and drama using the chocolate. Telling their story through high end imagery and propping is always our goal. The chocolate itself is always the hero! Working with Lisa Russell and team we were able to capture a beautiful variety of their chocolates over 2 days. We had layouts to reference while we were shooting to make sure they fit within. Having the client and chocolatier on set is always a plus because they get to help bring the photo concepts to life and they know their product best. Of course we taste tested along the way and their chocolate never disappoints.
It was great to have them on set and I can’t wait to see our final shots out.
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
Screen Grab From Website
Interview with TheLuupe: Photography and Career
It’s so exciting to be apart of a great community of women photographers working in the commercial field. I met Keren Sachs when she was at Offset and was wonderful to work with. She recently started TheLuupe which I’m so happy to be apart of! They recently featured me on their blog. You can see the whole interview here! https://theluupe.com/blog/2019/08/27/felicia-perretti-breaks-food-photographys-cliches-with-pure-imagination/
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
B.T.S. Honey Nut Cheerios Shoot
I recently got to work with CANTEEN on a Honey Nut Cheerios campaign, Director Etienne Proulx on the video side and myself on still photography worked to capture beautiful shots of the products. I was able to shoot beauty shots of their Honey Nut Cheerios in a branded environment. We had a hand model for the 2 days, who allowed for more dynamic shot options. In addition to shooting stills, we came up with really creative stop motion concepts, being playful with the cereal. This was a great job to be apart of, can’t wait to see this out!
Client: Honey Nut Cheerios
Studio: Be Electric http://www.beelectric.tv/
Agency: 72andSunny
Set Build: Swell - Makoto Aoki http://swellnewyork.com/
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
B.T.S. Photo Shoot: Sagamore Spirits
A day in the life with Rachel Fontana, strategic communications for Sagamore Spirits. What a job! It was a amazing shoot walking around Manhattan with writer, David Ransom visiting various bars and restaurants where the whiskey can be found. Coming up on their 2 year anniversary the spirit has gained national recognition as well as winning the best rye whiskey at the San Francisco world spirits competition! I’m not a whiskey drinker but Rachel introduced me to their signature whiskey in a cocktail recipe and was blown away. Another unique trait to the brand is the attention to detail in the making of their bottle. They are proud to be born in Maryland and designed the bottle with state representation in mind.
See more here:
Experience the Distillery:
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
New Series - Munchies
Happy 4/20!
My idea was showcasing stoner's nostalgic snacks they crave after getting high. I re-created the environments using psychedelic colors, lighting, and camera angle. The discussion around marijuana is becoming more accepting as we have seen states approve use for recreational purposes but also see it being used in medical circumstances. People are cooking with the drug, restaurants are adding it to their menu, and the entrepreneur is creating a new market for it.
https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
Ways To Keep Your Photography Business Organized
It was great to be featured on Shutterstock’s lastest post about running a photography business. “It’s time to take your freelance opportunities to the next level. Check out tips from thirteen industry pros on how they run a successful photography business.”…
https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/keep-photography-business-organized
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
On The Blog With Shutterstock- March New Content!
Shutterstock, “Each month we bring you the top inspirational images in Shutterstock’s collection. Explore new content and beautiful photographs in our March roundup.”
https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/march-fresh-new-content-love
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
Photo Shoot for BFresh with Cramer-Krasselt
It was great to work with the C-K Team again on a new advertising campaign for BFresh Supermarkets. These cool new hip supermarkets cater to a very specific niche in the market which is fresh, affordable without compromising quality. The designers, myself, and client worked closely to create food shots that best represent what BFresh has to offer by using their actual products and way it is prepared. These images will be used for advertising in print and online. C-K created these cute illustration fruits and vegetables that will be in the layout with the final food shots.
Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!
Food Stylist Cindy Epstein
Photo By: Carl Kravats
Cindy Epstein
Food Styling & Culinary Consulting
1. Did you grow up in Philadelphia? How did you end up on the west coast?
Actually, I grew up in a small town in NE Ohio. I transferred to Philly in 1980 with the company I was working with at the time, and spent 20 years there. It's a great city and with a wonderful history and fabulous architecture! I lived in Chester County and I miss all the old buildings and homes; I also miss fall colors and walking in the woods.
In 2003 my husband and I moved to San Diego. It was time to leave the snow and ice and we both owned companies that could easily relocate, so we sold our house, packed up, and moved to San Diego.
2. Did you ever have a dream or another direction you wanted to go for as a occupation?
I've had several careers. I usually do something for about 10 years and then have an itch to do something new. I'm an entrepreneur at heart. Prior to food styling, I owned a very successful catering company and gourmet market in suburban Philly. I'm actually thinking about starting an artisanal ice cream company.
3. How do you handle syrup on a pancake shot?
Dark Karo syrup, chilled, in a squeeze bottle, with the top pancake sprayed with Scotch Guard.
4. Does the majority of your work put you in a studio setting? Elsewhere?
Yes, most of my work is in a studio, but TV commercials are often on location. Studios are often usually easier to work in because I have a kitchen, but I've had to set up kitchens in garages, on patios, and outdoors. I did one huge job for a client on the second floor of an office building with no elevator or sink and I had to cook in the copy room. The stairs would have been fine, but we had huge coolers, over 150 pounds of food, and it was just my assistant and I.
5. Do you feel you’ve learned the most with experience on-set or by reading books about styling?
Books are wonderful learning tools, but a good stylist is always learning and practicing new techniques. Practice, practice, practice: the best advise I got from two of my mentors. On the set it's about being an excellent problem solver, and often new techniques are created in a pinch.
6. Where do you go for your inspirations? Are you able to incorporate them into your styling?
I subscribe to a number of food magazines, and although I don't always have time to read all the articles, I do study all the photos. I also look at food photographers' websites for lighting ideas, but inspiration comes from everywhere: looking at fabrics and textures, antique stores and garage sales, gardens, grocery stores, and a lot of day dreaming. Photography is all about light, so learning how to carefully observe and play with light is a lot fun, and of course, lighting sets a mood allowing me to adapt the food to the mood. I love to do still lifes with food to create painterly images.
7. Other than photographers, do you find food styling a needed service elsewhere?
Sure, there's a lot of work in TV and film, especially for TV commercials and movies. I also do a lot of TV segments for cookbook tours and satellite media tours.
8. Any dream client you hope to style for one day?
I already did: Martha Stewart and The Food Network.
9. Your favorite food?
By far and away, ice cream!