The 8 Best Savannah Food Photographers

They say you first eat with your eyes, and there is plenty of truth behind that saying. After all, it’s hard to enjoy a meal that doesn’t look good. If you are a local restaurant, advertiser, recipe publisher, or blogger, you know that high-quality photos for your website or menu are essential. And so do the following Savannah food photographers. They also know some food-specific tips and tricks so you can create images that get your customers excited to eat before they’ve had a single bite along. Rely on them and their wizardry to make your lovingly prepared dish look as delicious as it is. 

1. Shutter at the Menu

If you want naturally lit photos, look no further than Savannah food photographer, Somi. With a background in portrait and wedding photography, he knows plenty about how light affects the mood of a photo and has plenty of experience working in a studio. He works with strobes and ring lights to create shadowless commercial images. Dozens of local small businesses have trusted him not just to take a photo but create a brand. Thoughtfully staging the plate and adding reinforcing elements to the scene, his images have an editorial style perfect for advertising campaigns and marketing. 

2. Jason B James of Day Shift/Night Shift

If you want thoroughly creative art photos of food, give Jason B James a look. He doesn’t simply photograph gorgeous dishes. He creates them and then uses his impressive photo editing skills and an incredible amount of imagination to develop surreal delights. He has a masterful control of his artwork, all the way from initial collaboration through shooting the finished result. Jason is a detail-oriented artistic genius. His shots have a visual vibrance to them — soaked in color, with bright, textured backgrounds, they are dripping with pop art, retro vibes, and we can’t get enough of it. On par with some of the greatest food photographers in the nation, his work is instantly recognizable with just the right amount of fun and quirkiness to stick with the viewer long after they see the image. If you have a campaign in mind and want to work with someone who will take your idea and turn it into a playful visual feast, work with Jason. 

3. Maria Whiteway

Maria Whiteway calls herself an ordinary girl with extraordinary taste, which comes through her entire body of work. She is an avid baker and recipe creator and has spent years perfecting the craft of food styling and photography. Her expertise has garnered the attention of local restaurants with a desire to showcase their delectable treats with the personalities of the people who create such beautiful dishes. Maria is a master of restaurant action shots, blending food and lifestyle portraiture into a body of work that is inspiring in its abundance. She uses color as a design element and adds zest to her work — with cheerful, bountiful sets a signature of her style. 

4. Tamara Gibson

Tamara Gibson and her team cover all kinds of photography needs, but their commercial photography, especially food, stands out from the rest of their high-quality work for its styling. Rather than take a photo of a dish as it is, these Savannah food photographers design a set to enhance the visual appeal and add flourishes to tempt other senses. Lemon zest prepares the viewer for a tart delight. Luxurious settings give the sense of being pampered. And each element in the photo was thought out and placed there for impact — the signature of artists who care about the product they are photographing. 

5. Amanda James

Splitting her time between the South and New York City, Savannah food photographer Amanda James has a style influenced by both places. Think of the warm coziness of comfort food with a modern, sleek touch. She is not just a photographer. She is a still-life artist with a background in design. Composing her frames as any masterful painter would, she decides the precise composition, lays out complementary accessories onto a background that applies the shoot’s mood, with perfect lighting to boot. Her careful set design and arrangements create a sense of movement throughout the photo, giving it an energy all its own. 

6. John Alexander

At the intersection of fine art and commercial photography sits Savannah food photographers like John Alexander. His compositions are outstanding, with elegant plating that keeps the focus on the food. His use of bright light or shadows further enhances the mood and angling his whole scene just so creates a sense of depth and invites the eye to explore the composition further. His food portraits are simply delectable, with textures you can almost feel, and his eye for impactful settings is a marvel. Count on him to handcraft your setting and style plates with a minimalist’s eye to further refine the composition, all while highlighting the texture and visual appeal of your dishes. 

7. Angela Hopper

An award-winning photographer for almost two decades, Angela Hopper knows how to delight her clients and keep them returning for more. Over her long career, she has dabbled in various forms of photography. And she uses that experience in each of her shoots. Her portrait work blends into her restaurant branding shoots, emphasizing chefs’ love for their fine cuisine. She creates mouth-watering tableaus with an eye towards results, making her stand out from other Savannah food photographers. After all, food photography is about advertising the very best you have to offer, not just taking snapshots. And her work is commercial food photography at its high-resolution best. 

8. Hull’s Photo and Video

As a self-proclaimed foodie, Hilary Hull knows the elements of a good meal. Yet, it is something else entirely to take those elements and create a treat for the eyes equal to the joy to the tastebuds. Her specialty lies in emphasizing the texture and consistency of the foods she photographs — crusty artisan bread, creamy risottos, citrus bursting with flavor. Each item under her lens becomes a scrumptious tease of the palette. We particularly love her unfussy, rustic style, and we think you will too. 

Find unique photoshoot locations in Savannah on Peerspace