In this episode, Melissa Santell unveils the art of crafting stunning food photos, where lighting and composition take center stage. Discover the importance of brand identity, marketing strategies, and personal branding for private chefs looking to stand out in the competitive culinary market.

Melissa Santell, a native New Yorker, brings ideas to life in the kitchen and at the office. Though her childhood dream of becoming a food critic hasn't materialized, she has created her own reality as a successful independent culinary marketing consultant and photographer. With a background in luxury hospitality marketing, Melissa helps brands express their uniqueness through creative storytelling. She delivers magical solutions for all food concepts, from corporate brands to catering companies. Named Tampa Bay Business Journal's 30 under 30 and having conducted secret R&D at Michelin Star restaurants, Melissa is driven to reach her highest potential every day.

From tips on styling and editing to the significance of angles and perspective, Melissa's insights will revolutionize your approach to food photography. Learn how to create visually captivating images that tell your culinary story.

This new episode of The Private Chef Podcast is available through:

Apple  → https://apple.co/3V6jaF0
Spotify  → https://spoti.fi/3SJHM51
Youtube  → https://bit.ly/3EulIHe


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Connect with Melissa Santell

Instagram  → https://www.instagram.com/melsantell/
LinkedIn  → https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-santell-2506333b/
LinkTree  → https://linktr.ee/melissasantell
Website  → https://www.foodxfeels.com/

Time Stamps

[00:00:00] Food photography tips
[00:03:49] Commissary kitchen and recipe development.
[00:08:55] Finding food photography clients
[00:11:33] Staying Focused on Entrepreneurship
[00:15:23] Trusting your gut in business
[00:19:06] Cooking for the family trade-off
[00:23:00] Collaborative dinners and private experiences
[00:26:34] Competitive analysis for chefs
[00:30:22] Personal branding on social media
[00:35:11] Food photography tips
[00:38:10] Food styling for photography

Quotes

"Everyone knows that they need it, but no one wants to do the work to do it because it is so hard."

"We're living in a world now where social media is our visual reputation."

"Well, I would say 50 percent of every photo is lighting. The other 50 percent is composition."

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