Food photographer, stylist, and blogger Bea Lubas has been on the top of my favorite Instagram accounts for a long time now! I think it's especially her delicious looking "sweet tooth" pictures and her "breakfast in bed" inspirations that just keep me waiting in anticipation for her next post.
There's just something so special about her beautifully styled and photographed dishes, her gorgeous props and attention to detail, about the way she uses natural light, and the balance of textures and colors - yes, you're getting it: I'm a huge fan!
So, needless to say, I was over the moon when Bea agreed to an Interview with me, and I hope you'll enjoy learning more about her life, her views on food photography, and her tips on how to make it as a new blogger.
You were recently nominated a finalist of the U.K. Blog Awards 2016 - what an amazing accomplishment!! Huge congratulations, and absolutely well deserved! Now, I always love hearing the stories of how people find and follow their passion. So tell me, what was your life like before Bea's cookbook?
Thank you so much! I actually love hearing these stories too! My life, before Bea’s cookbook was…hmmm…a lot calmer! Hahahaha! But it was also very frustrating. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in my life and although I had my loving family and friends I couldn’t stop feeling that there was something missing. It was lacking something I would be passionate about! I would wake up in the morning thinking ‘there must be something out there for me, but how do I find it?’. So I set off on a quest to discover myself, bought a one-way ticket to England and tried absolutely everything to find what makes me happy. I found photography and fell head over heels in love with it.
What was first? The love for food or the love for photography?
Definitely love for food! How could’ve not been when your mum can work magic in the kitchen? :) But photography definitely made my love affair with food complete!
When and how did your journey as a food blogger begin?
My friend talked me into starting a food blog! I resisted for a while but finally took a plunge. I’m so glad I did!
Haha, me, too! I guess it is most food bloggers dream to be able to monetize their blog and quit their daytime job. How soon after you started your blog and in what ways did you start monetizing yours?
I have never monetized my blog but it has never been my intention. However, the blog gave me an opportunity to start my own business and to work on some amazing photography project. It took a lot of time and hard work and it wasn’t until about 2 years after that I was getting more and more work and I started to think about quitting my full-time job.
And where did this journey take you? How did your business evolve? What opportunities arose from the blog?
First of all, it has been an amazing personal journey. Photography teaches me to ‘see’. It makes me the person I’ve always wanted to be. It makes me more creative and confident, pushes me out of my comfort zone and challenges me every single day. I’ve also had a chance to meet amazing people along the way who really enrich my life and to work for clients from all over the world on some really exciting projects. Every day is an adventure!
Tell me more about your food photography & styling course. Was it fun putting it together?
Oh! The course was so much fun! I had a pleasure to work with the most amazing team and they really made me feel at home. The course was recorded live, so something I have never done before but it was an amazing experience! I received great feedback from people who watched it and I’m over the moon that people enjoyed it and that I could’ve been part of someone’s photographic journey!
And I've seen that you also offer workshops - so am I correct in assuming that you enjoy teaching others and working with people "offline"?
Thank you! Yes! I love sharing my knowledge and experience and the great part of teaching is that you can give away everything you know and more knowledge comes back your way.
You have a large following on Instagram - I myself am a huge fan, your feed is just so beautiful! Do you contribute a lot of your blog's success to your success on Instagram? Or what is your number 1 traffic driver?
Thank you so much again! Yes, I’d say, Instagram is number one traffic driver but it’s also probably because I hang around there the most. It really is a great app and it taught me so much about photography. It changed the way I look at things and it’s one of my favorite inspiration sources. Since I’ve started sharing a lot of pictures I’m also much more relaxed about my art and it’s very liberating not to take your work too seriously!
If you could give us fellow foodies and Instagramers one tip to instantly improve our food photos what would it be?
Hahahaha I wish there was just one magical tip I could give everyone but the truth is being a better photographer doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long process! But don’t be put off, it’s also the most rewarding, enriching and enjoyable process! Just be patient. Patience is the key!
If you want your photos to get better, learn light! I know everyone always talks about light but this only proves how important it is. The light can magically turn a scene into something extraordinary. For super sharp images and extra control, shoot on a tripod. This really changed the way I photograph today! Also, read images and note what you like about them. And don’t forget to shoot in raw! See what I meant when I said there isn’t just one magical advice :)
In a world of foodies and food bloggers, what would you recommend someone who's just starting out to differentiate themselves from the rest in order to get noticed and to "make it"?
Just be you! As simple as that. We are all different and have something special and unique, so make sure you show this in your photography. Pay attention to what you love! I mean everything, what music you love listening to, what clothes you love to wear, what places are your favorite to visit, what colors make you feel happy, what things do you get excited about. All those things reflect you and your style. Show this in your work! Also, believe in yourself and photograph what makes YOU happy!
And for yourself? What does Bea's future look like? Any goals for 2017?
For me? As always! My goal is to be a better photographer.
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