Food Photographers

High School

Art classes of all types (but especially photography) will enhance your skills as an artist and give you a better "eye" for detail and aesthetics. Cooking classes will help to familiarize you with your subject matter. You should also be sure to take math and chemistry classes to be able to handle the technical nature of the job. You will have to mix chemicals based on different proportions, edit digital images using editing software, and judge lighting distances by eye, so a math and science background will help. You should also be sure to take computer science classes and explore software that can store and manipulate images, such as Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator. Business and accounting classes will be useful if you plan to operate your own business. English and speech will help you to develop your communication skills. Advertising and marketing classes will help you learn how to promote your business, as well as provide you with an understanding of the advertising and marketing industries (major employers of food photographers). Finally, experiment with taking pictures and familiarize yourself with the workings of cameras.