We recently connected with Ricardo Mora and have shared our conversation below.
Ricardo, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?
About 10 years ago I took the initiative to change careers and signed up for culinary school to go through their baking and pastry program. It was a scary change to make at the time, and I didn’t know if I could cut it as a pastry chef, but I wanted to do something I was passionate about. I worked really hard and did well throughout the program and also spent years working in restaurant and hotel kitchens. I thought I would continue working in pastry for the rest of my life initially, but over time it did take a toll on me, especially since I got injured on the job and never fully recovered. Over time I started thinking about getting into yet another field of work, but couldn’t decide what to do since all the skills I had developed for years just involved kitchen work.
Cut to 2020 and the whole world starting to shut down. I was unexpectedly told one evening at work that we would be closing down that night for two weeks. Those two weeks kept getting extended indefinitely and I never went back to that job. During that time after being furloughed though, I had the time to try learning something new and wanted to make the best of it. I had been interested in photography since my youth, and food photography seemed especially interesting to me, so I decided to buy my first camera and my first set of lighting equipment to practice taking pictures of food on my own. Over time I became much more invested in improving the quality of my work, and I started buying better equipment and investing in courses as well. I found that I was enjoying the photography aspect much more than the preparation of the actual food, and once I took on a few clients, I decided to officially start my own photography business. It was an uphill battle starting from nothing and learning how to get clients and how to manage everything in my business, but I have enjoyed it and I am glad I took the opportunity to turn this into a career.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I work with food brands, restaurants, and production companies to create new imagery that highlights their products. These images can be used for websites, product catalogs, ads, print in magazines, or even billboards. Each business that comes my way has drastically different needs, so I generally price each project individually and bring on any necessary stylists or crew to execute the client’s needs.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that I feel were most impactful would probably be my perseverance, dedication, and curiosity. It is really difficult starting a business on your own. Even taking on a hobby and setting aside the time regularly to master it is difficult, and a lot of people give up along the way. I tend to get really dedicated to something that piques my interest and the curiosity that I have drives me to always continue learning and improving. If it wasn’t for that I probably would have gotten bored and given up early on in the process.
As far as advice for others, I would let them know that it’s definitely not easy, and trying to turn a passion into a career can definitely take the joy out of it too. It is not for everybody, but it can definitely be worth it in the long run. As for those who really want to go for it, I would say not to be afraid to invest in yourself and your education. There are so many out there sharing their experience and knowledge and taking advantage of those learning resources is probably the fastest way to expand your skillset and improve your work. You should definitely not invest in every course you come across, as some of them are not great, but if there is a course that teaches something that you struggle with, that course might be just what you need to master your craft.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always happy to collaborate with others to create new work and help us both potentially get more work in the future. Generally, I am always willing to collaborate with any stylists looking to add work to their portfolio, so this could be any food stylists, prop stylists, or even a creative director that has a concept they have been wanting to execute. By collaborating with others we can create work to add to all of our portfolios and potentially attract new clients.
Any stylists or creative directors looking to collaborate can reach out to me by email or through Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rmoraphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.moraphotography/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-mora-food-photography/
Image Credits
Profile picture by Megan Morello
