Karen Thomas has one goal in her photography: to make you hungry, and she certainly achieves that. Whether she’s shooting an impossible burger or filming a slow-motion drink splash, her images ooze a rich sumptuousness that you can almost taste straight off the page.
You’re probably already familiar with Karen’s delicious work, although you’d be forgiven for not realising. Karen is a commercial food, drink, and lifestyle photographer whose work has graced billboards and magazines for some of the world’s largest brands. She was chosen by Hasselblad as part of its Hasselblad Heroines campaign, and DIYP was lucky enough to ask her some questions about her work.
DIYP: What inspired you to become a food photographer? Can you tell us a little about your background?
Karen: I studied photography at university, but I didn’t shoot food at that point (apart from the obligatory fruit still life!). I left Uni and assisted a range of photographers in fashion, still life, corporate, and cars, but it was only when I started assisting food photographers that I began to realise this was the area I wanted to work in. I’ve always loved cooking, so it was a natural progression.
DIYP: What has been the greatest challenge you’ve had to face so far in your career?
Karen: Making the leap from film to digital was a big challenge, but that was so long ago. The challenge is to keep evolving and stay on top of trends. The biggest challenge now is AI and the ramifications it brings.
DIYP: What do you enjoy the most about shooting food?
Karen: For me, it’s all about making food look totally delicious. Working with the food stylist to draw out all the things that are going to make you salivate, whether it’s an oozing chocolate melt in the middle sponge pudding or a juicy burger with some sauce running down the side. I do love working with splashes in drinks, that’s always fun.
DIYP: What are the major trends in food photography at the moment? And do you allow these to direct your work at all?
Karen: There are always new trends and I do use social media to see what’s happening with new exciting recipes. Flying food and action has been around for a while now and that’s been fun. We’re obviously now seeing shifts with AI but it’s still early days in food. With regards to trends in food, I’m enjoying seeing all the amazing steaks that are being made using Lion’s Mane mushrooms!
DIYP: What is the biggest mistake (in your opinion) you see people making when photographing food?
Karen: Treating it too much like still life and not making it look delicious. You can usually tell when a food photographer isn’t really into food. There is a bit of a disconnect. You can’t be detached; you need to really draw out the best in the food and get the viewer really salivating.
DIYP: Lighting is a powerful element in your work; what is your favourite lighting set-up or style?
Karen: I predominantly use Broncolor flash. It’s really versatile and I use different modifiers to achieve different effects. It’s perfect for splash work. I used to use daylight a lot but I now simulate daylight with flash to provide more stability (especially in winter with shorter days) on the shoot. I do have Kinos, red heads and other lights but flash is my go-to.
DIYP: Why did you choose to shoot with Hasselblad cameras, and how do you feel about being chosen to be featured in its Heroines campaign?
Karen: My first medium format cameras were Mamiyas (RZ’s), but when I moved over to digital, I changed to Hasselblad. I tested out various cameras at the time and Hasselblad gave me the quality of images that I was after. I was very honoured to be selected as a Hasselblad Heroine. It’s amazing to get the recognition from a brand that you value. I also knew that there hadn’t been a food photographer involved in the campaign before, so I was thrilled to introduce this genre.
DIYP: What advice do you have for anyone wishing to become a food photographer?
Karen: I’d say the best approach is to assist food photographers and learn on the job. You not only gain technical expertise but also an understanding of the industry and how to break into it. By assisting photographers for a few years (I assisted for 4), you can learn everything you need to succeed on your own while building a portfolio of work to show prospective clients.
You can see more of Karen’s work on her website, or follow her on Instagram.
