FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Chalet Savoie Faire, French Alps
9th-12th February, 2020
Join us for a 3 night (2.5 day) workshop/retreat nestled in the French Alps. We’ll stay at Chalet Savoie Faire, a cookery school and luxurious alpine retreat perched with the best view of the Alps and valleys below. With an amazing kitchen to prepare the dishes we’ll be styling and shooting, and ample glass windows for shooting with natural light you can stay cosy near the wood burners whilst experiencing the snowy mountains outside.
ABOUT THE TEAM
SARAH LAUREN TOOMEY
Sarah is a professional food photographer and brand stylist as well as a qualified nutritional therapist.
She works with foodie businesses to create delicious brand photography to enhance their marketing strategies.
She’s an all round lover of food and mountains and can’t wait to return to Chalet Savoie Faire.
MELISSA LOVE
Melissa is a professional food photographer and owner of web design company, The Design Space.
She part-owns several restaurants which she designed the brands for and has shot food-to-table campaigns for many foodie businesses.
Having lived and worked in the French Alps before, she spends as much time as she can there each winter and will definitely be squeezing in a few days on the slopes.
NIKKI SHIELDS
Nikki is an out-going Aussie and the perfect French host, having lived and worked in the Alps for 30 years.
She and her husband, Hugh, lovingly restored Chalet Savoie Faire from a crumbling barn, doing every part of the restoration themselves.
Nikki is an incredible cook and cookery teacher with a particular focus on light and healthy eating (as long as there is a glass of bubbly thrown in!)
CHELSEA LAVERE
She has a slew of dietary restrictions including Celiac Disease, so she’s very passionate about sharing the best gluten-free meals around the world. Chocolate chip cookies (gluten-free, of course) are her love language.
What happens during the workshop?
As well as the more aesthetic elements of successful food photography, like styling, choosing props, manipulating natural light etc, we’ll cover the business side of photography, blogging, how to complement your branding through your photography, social media content and editing in Adobe Lightroom. You will also have a 20-minute one-on-one session with Sarah, Melissa or Chelsea to ask any questions, receive feedback on your photography, as well as a group feedback session.
During the workshop/retreat, there will be the opportunity to also learn from Nikki (our host at Chalet Savoie Faire) in her cookery school whilst we prepare the food we’ll be photographing.
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
You’ll discover the basic rules of styling and composition.
We’ll explain techniques for shooting and editing seamlessly and quickly from camera to blog/website/social media.
Melissa and Sarah will shoot live demonstrations with a tethered camera set up (meaning you’ll be able to see our cameras and photos live on the screen as we demonstrate).
Photoshoot opportunities for you to have a go at shooting lots of food for your own. We will be on hand to help you creatively.
There will be an opportunity to shoot at the local market in beautiful Moutiers with Nikki as our guide.
THE DETAILS
The accommodation is luxurious and the food will be exceptional during your stay. Fontaines Naves is a picturesque mountain village, with stunning views. It’s situated at 1,300m altitude – perfect for cyclists, cross country skiers and those who love to hike through the forests. Situated just 30 minutes from the ski resorts of Valmorel and Meribel/ Courchevel. There will be an opportunity to visit the local market in beautiful Moutiers with Nikki as our guide.
All meals and accommodation are included during your stay. The nearest airport is Geneva and we will be co-ordinating transfers for an extra charge.
DETAILED ITINERARY
SUNDAY 9TH FEB
Arrival
Arrive by 5pm for pre-dinner drinks and a warm welcome from Sarah, Melissa, Chelsea & Nikki.
Enjoy a delicious dinner cooked by Nikki and then..
Relax in front of the fire whilst we set the scene for the following two days.
MONDAY 10TH FEB
Morning session
Using natural light and props to control your environment, shooting the raw ingredients you’ll be enjoying at lunch.
Working lunch shoot
Take the chance to photograph a finished and then clean plate after eating your delicious lunch.
Afternoon Session
Shooting a finished plate. Compostion, props and controlling light.
After Dinner
Editing tips for smartphone and DSLR images.
TUESDAY 11TH FEB
Market trip
A trip to historic nearby Moutiers, where you’ll be able select a product to shoot from sale to plate.
‘Product To Plate’
You’ll be designing your own shoot to tell the story of your chosen product from preparation to a simple finished plate.
Feedback Session
After time to edit your images, you’ll present the story of your product to the group.
Celebration Dinner
Relax and enjoy a final evening meal.
WEDS 12TH FEB
Tips for blogging & website design
Join Melissa & Chelsea for a final session over breakfast to talk about websites for food photography, tips for blogging and image workflow.
Depart
Or go skiing!
£995 per person
includes all meals and accommodation
Single room occupancy supplement available – please ask.
Payment plan available.
FAQ
Who is the workshop for?
- Foodies
- Food bloggers
- People looking to start/improve a food blog
- Nutritional Therapists /people working with food in the wellbeing sector.
- Photographers
- Instagrammers
- Social media managers
- Food photographers for food brands
- Content creators for food brands
- Café/restaurant workers / chefs looking to promote their work
Can I stay longer and enjoy some skiing?
Nikki will be able to able to offer additional nights’ accommodation as needed.
Do I need a fancy camera?
The techniques we’ll be teaching work well whatever camera you have. You’ll also have the opportunity to try our professional Canon gear and overhead tripods.
How much opportunity will there be to shoot?
The chalet is bursting with antique linens and gorgeous props and Sarah and Melissa will be bringing their extensive collection of table top surfaces.
Do I have to cook what we shoot?
We’ll also be looking at how to style raw ingredients and will be shooting a ‘produce to plate’ story after our trip to the market.
Should I bring a computer?
If you are already a photographer, there will be a session on editing with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, so you might want to have a laptop with you to edit your images.
