We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aubrie Cornelius a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Aubrie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

As the owner of Aubrie Cornelius Photography LLC I prioritize my clients and deliver beautiful images. I use top of the line photography gear, invest in workshops taught by top industry professionals, and have over 10 years of experience photographing & styling food.

My approach to food photography aims to prioritize communication with my clients to understand their aesthetic and business needs. This starts with sending out a welcome packet detailing my services to each prospective client and a questionnaire aimed at fleshing out their vision for each project. Next I have a discovery call where we go in depth into the project scope. This includes; image quantity, color scheme, prop usage, and product placement etc. Then the fun starts when I get to work preparing mood boards for client approval. In my experience laying this ground work makes each photo shoot more efficient and achieves better results for the client.

I work with each client to take their product and vision to the next level. I deliver higher quality images and bespoke branding which leads to more buyable product and to repeat business for my clients.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I step into the kitchen the aromas, vibrant colors, flavors, and stories that go along them, bring me home. Holding a camera in my hand, styling a food scene, and capturing that beauty feels incredibly special.

Most of my clients come to me because they themselves are passionate about food. They care about sustainability and where they source ingredients and they want to convey that passion to their customer base. Working together we tailor make a photoshoot to meet their needs. Sometimes that means photographing a more lifestyle, casual aesthetic and others it’s all about creating a highly stylized scene that feels very lux.

Storytelling is what has continued to inspire me throughout the years. Building a set from the ground up is one of the elements that makes food photography exciting. Choosing each detail from the color and appearance of backdrops, to the linens and silverware is satisying. Telling the story of the product & brand I’m shooting through color, texture and composition is my ultimate creative dream.

I work with many local and national brands whose passion for their products and their dedication to their vision continues to inspire me.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Investing in workshops taught by industry experts and reaching out to other creatives for mentorship are two things I wish I would have started doing earlier in my career. Once I chose to invest in furthering my photographic education I realized that it allowed me to upgrade my skills in ways that would have taken me years to do on my own.

Not all workshops are created equal. If I were just starting my photography journey I would look for workshops hosted by photographers who have both business acumen and consistent photographic skill. In my opinion you need both to be successful in this field.

I host a workshop on shooting food with artificial light and am passionate about mentoring incoming talent. My belief is that a rising tide lifts all ships and I hope that by encouraging and supporting other creatives I can give back to the community that has supported me through my own journey.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think as humans we all have this innate desire to create. When I’m not photographing food I am usually playing with my two wonderful kids, working in my garden, baking sourdough, or painting with watercolors. Creativity is the goal for me, not the destination. My greatest reward comes from the process of making something new and working to bring to life my vision.

Contact Info:

• Website: aubriecorneliusphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblonde_chef/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aubrie-cornelius-645a067b