Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sophy Liv of SophyEats, LLC. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sophy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The story behind SophyEats, LLC is extremely meaningful to me and I hope that it inspires at least one other person. As I mentioned in my previous VoyageBaltimore article in April 2022 , it was until recently that I was struggling to find my purpose and place in life. Each day felt like I was just exhaustively going through the motions of waking up, going to work, and running errands on repeat. It felt like each day was pointless and that I held no significance in this big world. It wasn’t until I was encouraged to be honest with myself to focus on one thing that genuinely brings me joy, effortlessly. At first, I felt silly to admit that food photography was the only thing that I found interest in, especially since I’ve been teased and mocked for taking photos of my food. But it’s more than just pointing and shooting your camera or taking a pretty picture. I’m able to express my creativity through vibrant colors, composition, and the emotions evoked. Furthermore, I’m also able to use my passion to help elevate local restaurants in my community by capturing eye-catching culinary photos. That’s how SophyEats, LLC was established. I wanted to work closely with local businesses to help build and market their brands.

Sophy Liv, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a food photographer on a mission to highlight and elevate local and minority-owned businesses in our community. Despite having major food allergies (including nuts, tomatoes, and many fruits), food is my first love. I see so much beauty in it. From the vibrant colors, culture, history, and love that goes into it, food is social. It brings people together. We eat with our eyes first, and I try my best to capture the perfect lighting, angle, and texture; bringing it alive to tell a story. It’s my goal to help businesses in our community, especially those just starting out, to showcase their best culinary work in websites and their social media platforms to elevate their brand.

Since my last VoyageBaltimore article earlier this year, I was able to establish my food photography business, secure contracts, and collaborate with more local businesses. Even in this oversaturated profession, God and my passion leads me first which keeps me focused on my mission.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I previously mentioned how oversaturated the food photography business is. It’s also very competitive and I’ve learned that many foodtographers are cliquish. It’s enough sometimes to have you second-guess yourself and your worth in the business. Especially when you’re putting more money into your business than you’re actually gaining. You become discouraged and start to wonder, why would a restaurant pay me to take their photos when there are thousands of others who can seemingly do the exact same thing? The thing is, although cliché, there’s only one you. There’s only one person that has your backstory that drives the foundation of your commitment, integrity, and passion. No two photographers will capture the same subject the same way. No two photographers will edit a photo the same way. Which I’ve learned along the way how important editing is. My point is, you’re still unique even in a supersaturated world. What makes me stand apart is my ability to recognize “my why”. Why do I stay up taking photos and editing until 2am? Why do I invest money on taking a Food Photography Masterclass? Why do I sacrifice my relationships with family and loved ones for this business? It’s all due to that pivotal moment when I finally realized that food photography is one of my purposes in life. My why actually allows me to connect with my clients. Of all the no’s I receive, I keep focused on establishing meaningful connections with my clients by taking the time to learn their backstories, their goals, and what specific things they’re looking for that can help elevate their brand. These connections are reflected in my work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn that you need to have a lot of followers on social media to be successful. Although I do believe that social media can help bring foot traffic and recognition to your business, I believe it’s not all about how many followers you have, it’s about the quality of your work. Yes, the old quality versus quantity rule. There are some foodtographers that have fewer followers than I do, but their work quality and portfolio is what actually drives their business. I also know photographers that barely use social media at all. They still use websites as their backbone. Which is the reason why I’ve slowed down on posting a lot of content in hopes of gaining more followers. Not to mention the tireless amount of hours poured into giving free marketing to businesses. I’ve instead been focusing more on producing quality work and working on the actual business aspects of SophyEats by investing in a photography masterclass, re-working my contracts, and building my website. Like I said, I do believe that social media is a great way to help generate our business, we just shouldn’t lose sight of the quality that we can bring to our clients.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: sophy.eats.dmv
• Facebook: sophy.eats.dmv
• Other: sophy.eats.dmv@gmail.com

Image Credits
Kelly Dear Photography LLC
The Everett Group, LLC