The 6 Best Food Photographers in Riverside

Riverside is something of a food Mecca. It’s where the sprawling California citrus industry first began, and it’s home to incredible restaurants serving ultra-fresh food. It’s also just far enough from Los Angeles to have its own food ecosystem, as well as near enough to boast great chefs fleeing the chaos of LA’s food scene. With all this great food in the Inland Empire, it should come as no surprise that the most talented Riverside food photographers stay busy in and around the area. From where we’re sitting, it’s certainly satisfying to pore over their portfolios and soak in all the images of craveable food — the succulent lobsters, crisp citrus, bright vegetables, and rich sauces. Now, without further ado, here are the top Riverside food photographers.

1. Alan De Herrera

A powerful brand-builder, Alan De Herrera is a widely renowned food photographer who has worked with some of the biggest commercial clients around, providing content for print, web, and social media. He shoots colorful, textured food images that seem to drip with flavor. His photos are expertly styled to create a mood, as well as showcase the interplay of flavors and colors in the dishes he shoots.

His images create connection between people and the food he photographs, triggering our sense of smell and taste with nothing more than a perfectly styled and photographed shot. Work with someone who excels at every single level of food photography, someone who understands food and how people fall in love with it.

2. John Doukas

John Doukas take luscious food photos that genuinely show off both the flavor of your dish and the overall personality of your brand. He has a way of tapping into the heart of what makes your food special — what sets you apart from your competitors — and then convey that on a deeply instinctual level using his thoughtful, beautifully styled food photos. It’s no wonder he’s one of the most talented food photographers near the greater Riverside area.

3. Carl Kravats

Carl Kravats is a Southern California food photographer. He’s been around food his entire life, as his mother was a gourmet chef. And he’s been helping photograph and market food for over 35 years — first in New York, then, since 2004, here in Southern California. He’s a lover of food who appreciates it for its flavor, its beauty, and its nutrition, and he’s developed a style over the years that allows him to highlight all three of these aspects. His photos exude a wholesomeness and substance that’s insanely appealing. If you want to convey not just the flavor of your food but the value, we think Carl may just be the perfect photographer for you.

4. Devon VP Photography

Devon provides a variety of photographic services to the locals and businesses of Riverside. He’s a sought-after wedding photographer, real estate photographer, and commercial photographer, and though it’s not his main hustle, he takes some of the most interesting and lively food photographs around. If you’re a restaurant looking for someone who can conceive of and deliver truly unique food photography work, we’d suggest giving Devon’s work a good long look. He’s a super-creative photographer with incredible chops. No matter what he’s photographing, he captures engaging, rich, textured photos that truly connect with his audience.

5. Amanda Lee

Serving Los Angeles and neighboring counties, Amanda Lee believes that her theatre background gives her a particular eye for staging food shots, and we completely agree. Where many food photographers try to remove the background from shots as much as possible (thus allowing the viewer to focus on the dish), Amanda does a particularly nice job of incorporating background elements — despite the shallow depth of field — so that the colors and general feeling complement the foreground elements. She’s on the up and up, and we’re looking forward to seeing where she goes from here.

6. Ella Merrill

Ella Merrill is an all-around powerhouse of a photographer, serving the greater Southern California area for commercial work, weddings, and everything in between. She’s fully dialed in to the visual styles of the hippest, most artisanal foodie hotspots, and we particularly love her shoots for cocktails. What elevates a craft cocktail from your buddy pouring vodka and Red Bull into a red plastic cup is the quality of ingredients, skillful preparation, and expert knowledge of perfect proportions. Ella’s photography showcases all of these elements in delicious detail.

Thanks for reading our guide to the best Riverside food photographers. If you’re looking for a photographer to hire to help capture delicious images of your eatery’s entrees or images for your magazine’s latest restaurant review, these photographers will knock it out of the park for you. In our opinion, the No. 1 requirement of any commercial food photographer is the ability to take mouthwatering photos. And, in that regard, it should be absolutely clear that all of these photographers have the right chops to photograph your pork chops and then some. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to lunch.

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