The 8 Best Food Photographers in Tampa

Tampa, FL, has more to offer than sunshine and beaches. Newcomers to Tampa’s food scene can lose themselves in food ranging from Cuban fare to American, Asian, and other culinary delights. And great dining always translates to phenomenal dishes. After all, it’s hard work to get your dish from farm to table. Whether you’re looking for a traditional take or more of a documentary angle for your culinary brand, we’ve curated a list of some of the best food photographers in Tampa in 2019. So take a look and let us know what you think of these talented creatives!

1. Marlene Forand

As a food and prop stylist, as well as a shutterbug, Marlene Forand is a one-woman solution to your food photography needs. With over two decades of photography experience, her television, film, and print experience is a major reason why she’s one of the top food photographers in Tampa right now. We love how well Marlene alternates between up-close and layered images. Her macro detail shots show us what to expect in terms of texture and consistency. Plus, her nicely saturated colors suggest intense flavor! And her layered images perfectly capture the “hero angle,” the view that shows a tall or flat dish to best effect.

2. Chip Weiner

We love Chip Weiner’s thoughtful approach to food photography; he has a strong grasp of what makes food images appealing and worth shooting! In his own words: “I specialize in food photography because of its universal language. Everyone eats! I want my images to entice the viewer visually enough that they want to try the food. Most of my work is done table side in restaurants and emulating a diners view, like they were there.” As a result, Chip’s able to capture a narrative suggesting a backyard BBQ or al-fresco dining on a lovely spring afternoon. His stories enhance the beauty of a dish, rather than distract from it. And in doing so, he often shows us aspects of the venue, which showcases the brand that much more.

3. Jeremy Scott

What interests us most about Jeremy’s work is the angle he’s trying to cover. Rather than straight-up food portraiture, he’s aiming for a more documentary/journalistic angle. As he describes it, “I think of my style as Cinematic Photojournalism — a blend of sophistication and unfiltered moments. I consider everything from the visual story being told to the underlying message.” His portfolio definitely reflects this refreshing take, with a departure from traditional food photography to show us faces of staff, signage, preparation, servers, and every other element that goes into the final product. 

4. Meagan Klementowski and Aaron of Nutmeg Imageworks

Meagan Klementowski is the owner and operator of Nutmeg Imageworks, a commercial photography business based in Tampa, FL. Accompanied by her assistant Aaron, Megan boasts numerous satisfied clients, including Tampa International Airport, Bonefish Grill, World of Beer, and other nationally recognized brand names. She operates out of a 1600-sq.ft. natural light studio with a full kitchen, an extensive prop and surface collection, and a studio light setup, perfectly capturing your dish per your specifications. And looking through Meagan’s portfolio, it’s clear she can meet the needs of any client, with styles ranging from contemporary modern styles to moody, somber takes on food photography. 

5. Steven Kovich

Celebrity portrait, lifestyle, and culinary photographer Steven Kovich is one of the best food photographers in Tampa right now. With over three decades of food photography experience, Steven has a list of distinguished clients, such as Coke, Little Caesars Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, Miller Brewing Company, among others. His work portrays both casual and fine dining, showcasing both the dishes themselves as well as the venue. Steven prefers both tableside and views from above that highlight colorful, busy, artistic spreads for your enjoyment. The minimal depth of field occasionally used creates a dreamy, soft-focus style that stands out from traditional food photography.

6. Jordan Wise

Food and commercial photographer Jordan Wise uses a lifestyle angle to tell the story of each brand she works with. Thanks to her degree in photography and training in culinary arts, Jordan is uniquely suited to telling stories about food and culture. Her work has taken her on journeys from New York to Provence, as well as been featured in major publications nationwide, including Forbes, The Washington Post, CNN, and several others.

One aspect of Jordan’s work we really love is her focus on women in the culinary industry, which she captures in her aptly named project Women in Food. By connecting with and sharing the story of women business owners, creatives, chefs, and others, Jordan seeks to raise awareness of the roles women play in the food and beverage industry. Her documentary style, combined with a lovely desaturated, “moody” style is why Jordan ranks as one of the best Tampa food photographers.

7. Jen Bravo Creative

Photographer and creative content developer Jen Bravo seeks to tell the story of entrepreneurs in the Tampa Bay area. Commercial, food, family, and business portraits are all part of her visual storytelling brand. Jen’s food photography style is mostly vignettes of artfully arranged dishes, moving away from lifestyle and documentary takes to show us the main event sans distraction.

She finds the bold hero angle that emphasizes the best characteristics of each dish, using lighting perfectly tuned to suggest moisture, flavor, temperature, and other elements necessary to turn visual cues into emotional reactions. She epitomizes the art of the modern food photographer in bold fashion.

8. Angela, Ro, and Victoria of Angela Mann Photography

CEO Angela Mann, partnering with creative director Ro Martinez and photographer Victoria Mann, comprise the three-women team in charge of Angela Mann Photography. Their natural light photography and attention to detail has resulted in Angela Mann Photography being featured in over six magazines and 100 articles. As an internationally operating commercial photographer, Angela covers not just food but beauty and spa, headshots, editorial work, and other professional photography angles.

Her food photography is punchy and bright, featuring nontraditional angles and compositions that really catch our eye, like tilting the camera to emphasize pans of baked goods. We also love her background choices, ranging from white infinity backdrops to brick walls suggesting fine dining or rustic kitchen environments. 

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