We have been busy here at Chef Photography recently with a lot of work from existing clients and some new National clients coming on board with us to look after their food photography.

Now whilst we love what we do, one of the most frustrating things is having to wait for our images to make it to market! We often shoot 6-12 months ahead of a product going live on the shelves and can’t make a song and dance about it! A few screen shots here should suffice for now.

A couple that spring to mind being a campaign I shot for Fonterra back in July last year for the Asia market which is still to launch and also new packaging shots for Farmer Browns eggs shot in December last year which will be used internationally in NZ, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and through the Pacific Islands. Watch this space as hopefully a fairly imminent launch is due……

One of my existing clients Countdown has been keeping me rather busy! We have had BBQ shoots, Xmas shoots, fresh fish shoots, ready meal shoots and simmer sauce shoots so a couple of screen grabs are below…

Lots more shoots with these guys are in the pipeline…

https://shop.countdown.co.nz

So one of the new clients I picked up is a particular favourite of mine……. Sals Pizza.

I spent a very enjoyable (and long day) at their HQ with James in charge of Marketing and Artur the Operations manager manning the pizza oven. Now on a normal days shoot I can capture anywhere from one image / product through to normally around 15-20 or so images. Well I set a new record shooting over 400 images for Sals. Every pizza was captured whole, half and slice along with combo’s and the rest of the menu.

Editing has been left in the hands of Luke and I’m really looking forward to seeing them on the menu / website soon.

https://www.sals.co.nz

Another new National client that I have recently started working with is…….. Premier Beehive, purveyors of great bacon, sausages and such like.

In the studio a few weeks ago shooting a range of soon to be launched patties in various flavours (which I’m not at liberty to discuss at this point!)

Best I can offer at this point is some very rough screen shots over a generic mask but watch this space in the future to see when the products launch and I can post the actual images shot plus the on pack art work…

https://www.premierbeehive.co.nz

And lastly for this blog post a shoot I did recently was about going back to my roots as a food photographer. When I made the transition from Executive Chef back in London to a food photographer, my early photographic career was spent capturing images for Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes and Bars before I headed off in the direction now in which I specialise, commercial advertising photography.

Location shoots are always both a challenge but also exciting. Trying to fit 150kg of kit into a working restaurant environment, tight spaces, chefs who come in early ahead of service to show their creations and then the time pressure of getting the menu captured ahead of packing up, getting out of the way and the restaurant being reset ahead of doors opening for dinner service at 5pm!

These images were shot at Al Forno in Takapuna for a website refresh, we shot most of the food menu, some wines and cocktails and also a few general restaurant shots as the space filled with clients for dinner service.

Again I can attest that the pizza’s served from the wood fired oven along with the rest of the menu were stunning – I’ll be back in my free time as a paying customer!

https://www.alforno.co.nz

What’s coming up next for us at Chef Photography?

Off to Rotarua this Tuesday coming, for a shoot at the iconic Dukes Bar and Restaurant nestled within the Princes Gate Hotel that’s been open for over 100 years…. After a 5am start to get to Rotarua, followed by a full day’s shoot then a drive back to Auckland we are straight back in studio on Wednesday for a three day Countdown shoot for a new range of ready meals about to launch, later on in the year.

https://dukesrotorua.co.nz

Lots of new and exciting projects in the pipeline to follow – watch this space!

In need of some stunning food or drink imagery for your business? Get in touch I’d love to help derek@dereksmith.co.nz

Look forward to speaking soon

Derek

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