Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabriel Lucido. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Gabriel, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
As a food photographer, my work ethic is deeply rooted in my passion for capturing the essence of everything related to food. It’s a creative journey that demands dedication, attention to detail, and a love for photography. Just as a chef uses tools and ingredients to craft a delicious dish, I use props, surfaces, light, and composition to create a photograph that resonates with everyone. Collaboration with food stylists and clients has also shaped my work ethic. Their passion for their craft motivates me to uphold the highest standards in my photography. Clear communication, organization, and a strong sense of professionalism are essential to effectively collaborate and deliver images that align with their vision. Lastly, the never-ending pursuit of improvement drives my work ethic. I’m constantly learning new techniques, experimenting with different styles, and studying trends in photography. This drive to evolve not only keeps my work fresh and exciting but also pushes me to exceed my own expectations with every project.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Gabriel Lucido, my focus is commercial food photography. I started out working as a grip on short film sets and then slowly grew into other things like directing music videos, renting out video equipment, and making wedding videos. I finally found food photography and have been building this business ever since. My time is split between working on photoshoots, improving the business, and research.
The main misconceptions about food photography I’ve encountered have been that people think a food photographer and a food stylist are the same thing or thinking that food photographers mostly take photos for restaurants. In reality, I know very little about food styling and I’ve only photographed in a restaurant once. People might also think that to me, photographing an elaborate fine dining dish would be a preference, but I’d much rather take a photo of something mundane like soda and ice in a glass in an exiting way. This is not what people typically imagine when they think of food photography, but that’s good, I want people to look at my work and see something they weren’t expecting, otherwise my work wouldn’t be worth much to anyone.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The most impactful skill I’ve learned in my journey has been developing a good taste for photography. Ever since I’ve been able to identify good photography and what makes that photography good, everything has switched to easy mode.
The second most impactful skill has been an ability to thoroughly research any topic. In general, most people don’t inherently have a full grasp on how complex everything can actually be. Being able to fully deconstruct a problem and explore every facet of that problem effectively on the internet, which is full of sometimes conflicting, incorrect, or over-simplified information, is a very helpful skill to have.
Third, I would say understanding the basic science of light has helped me a lot in terms of visualizing a scene in my head and knowing what will and won’t work on set.
If I could give advice to people who are early in their journey I would say find people who are in the highest league, in terms of the brands they work with, and figure out what makes them and their photos special. Look up to them, don’t look up to the photographers whose work all looks the same.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
As a food photographer, I would say that my portfolio has undergone the most significant growth and improvement in the past 12 months. This process has allowed me to showcase my unique style even clearer. Ultimately, my portfolio is now a powerful tool for attracting clients and demonstrating my vision as a food photographer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studioxmi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioxmi/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/StudioXMI/
https://www.tiktok.com/@studioxmi
Image Credits
Food Styling by Elizabeth Normoyle and Peilin Breller.
