The 6 Best Food Photographers in Louisville

Looking forward to working with one of the best Louisville food photographers but aren’t sure where to start? Then Peerspace has you covered with this curated list of our faves! The Derby City is known for quite a lot. Muhammad Ali, KFC, and horse racing are just a few of the charms that spring to mind when we think “Louisville.”

But did you know that along with fantastic Southern cuisine and hospitality, you can also count on some of the finest photographers in the nation to document it all? That’s right! The Gateway to the South is also known for incredible creatives capable of showcasing the tastiest eats in the state. Get to know these top Louisville food photographers!

Once you find your favorite, check back in with Peerspace to discover amazing local venues to bring your creative projects to life. Our platform is the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, with hundreds of spaces in Louisville alone ideal for gathering and bringing your vision to life. But for now, let’s get back to our favorite Louisville food photographers!

1. Dean Lavenson

Operating out a 3,000-square-foot studio with a commercial kitchen and prop room, Louisville food photographer Dean Lavenson captured our attention with his zesty culinary arrangements. He lists dozens of national and international brands as satisfied clients of his, including Texas Roadhouse, Jim Beam, and Papa John’s — just to name a few.

His culinary images are largely intended for commercial advertising. In fact, they’re full of the sensory and emotional notes that speak to our hunger. We also love Dean’s preference for a subdued lighting environment. It alternates between an indoor restaurant and dark background product photography vibe. He gets close to his subjects, with textures and hints of moisture playing a strong role in his photography.

2. Chamell Burton Photography

“The next best thing to eating food, is photographing it,” according to food photographer Chamell Burton. She perfectly captures our feelings on the topic as well! After all, good cuisine is art in itself, and participating in its documentation and presentation is incredibly fun. Just check out Chamell’s portfolio to see for yourself. A graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie program, Chamell boasts experience as an artist who prepares and cooks food, in addition to styling and photographing it.

She regularly partners with local bars and restaurants, striving to find arrangements and dishes that best represent their brand to the public. And as a Getty iStock and Adobe Stock Contributor, it’s clear that Chamell is recognized as one of the best shutterbugs in the nation. We just love her well-lit, mindfully composed, high-quality food and beverage images.

3. Mickie Winters

In addition to capturing shots of good eats and drinks, Mickie Winters is a shutterbug of many genres, including commercial, music, portrait, wedding, and family photography. She has an especially consistent style across these genres. In fact, her food, family, and wedding work all use a similar color profile with contrasting bright white highlights and a matte profile that imparts a contemporary flavor.

Occasionally, she also brings in a moody, shadow-infused style. It’s this style that brings out punchy colors and fine details in dishes and ingredients. Coupled with her eye for complementary backgrounds and compositions that emphasize shapes and colors, Mickie is an ideal photographer for clients looking for food art over mere documentation. Ever the Renaissance woman, she also teaches photography workshops at several locations, including the University of Louisville and Union College.

4. Jolea Brown of Creative Photography

Having graduated from the University of Louisville with a double major in photography and communications, Jolea Brown brings both an innate creative vision and a strong background in formal study to her projects. Commercial, editorial, advertising, events, and portraits are where she focuses her efforts. And as a food photographer, Jolea collaborates with clients to create images that represent their brand in all its uniqueness.

Her work has appeared in renowned publications, such as Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Accents, and TOPS Louisville Magazine. Jolea’s food images show us not only the highlights of a dish but inviting aspects of each venue. Blurred-out elements of the establishment show us what sort of quality fine dining we can expect. All without taking away from the delicious presentation in front of us!

5. Jessie of Kriech-Higdon Photography

Jessie Kriech-Higdon has been creating images with impact for Louisville clients since 2004. With nearly two decades of experience, Jessie has formulated a holistic approach to the food genre that covers nearly any sort of collaboration local brands and businesses could want.

One particular aspect of Jessie’s work we love is that she often takes a documentary approach to her food photography. While representing the final dish is something she does exceedingly well, Jessie also tells the story of how a dish gets from kitchen to table. She steps into the back and shows the chefs kneading dough, working the grill, and arranging ingredients in a way that delights viewers.

6. Aaron Borton

https://www.instagram.com/aaronscottborton/

Aaron Borton is a freelance Louisville food photographer with a meticulous eye for especially artistic images. Rather than simply documenting a dish or ingredient, he goes far beyond. In doing so, he creates portraits with subjects that dance from documentary to still-life to fine art in styling.

His still-life food images in particular embrace shadows to let bare light portray form, texture, and hints of color. It’s exciting in ways we rarely see among professional food and commercial photographers. If you want your images graced with a refreshing artistic sensibility, Aaron should be one of the first photographers you call.

Bonus: Jessica Ebelhar

Jessica Ebelhar is a commercial photographer based in Louisville with a bright, modern style. She is a true standout on this list thanks to her dual talents: photography and stop-motion artistry.

She is also adept at still life flat lay photography, a classic fine art technique that is equally suitable for food projects. Team up with Jessica when you want to create food photography and graphics that really stand out to your audience. She can work remotely from her fully-equipped studio or on location as needed.

Louisville food photographers: conclusion

How incredible are these Louisville food photographers? Hopefully you did not browse this list while already hungry since the photos featured here look delicious enough to eat. That’s the power of incredibly gifted food photographers!

Contact your favorite to start a conversation about your project. And be sure to check out Peerspace to discover beautiful local spaces ideal for photoshoots, events, meetings, and more in Louisville and beyond.

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