Case Study: Red Charcuterie Board

Music has had a profound influence on my life. 

Many of my deepest and happiest memories are rooted in specific songs, y’all. So what better way to find inspiration than with music? I’ve often said that I love taking bold and dramatic photos. My goal is to focus on the main dish while incorporating all the colors of the rainbow. I believe I accomplished that and more with this bomb photo. Read on to learn how I used the lyrics of the song Maneater by Nelly Furtado to create this bold and electrifying portrait of this red charcuterie board.

Before this shoot, I was experiencing an inspiration drought, but that all changed one morning while on a walk. The song Maneater came on my Spotify. 

“Maneater, make you work hard.
Make you spend hard.
Make you want all of her love.”

Suddenly the image of a glorious charcuterie board rushed to my mind. I turned around and walked home as fast as I could. As soon as I got to my desk, I wrote down ideas for this charcuterie board.  

I knew two things before planning this shoot:

1. I wanted this charcuterie board to be bigger and bolder than Dallas.
2. I wanted it to be hotter than a honeymoon suite.

I created this story of this fierce woman with many admirers going to extra lengths to get her attention. One of her admirers put together this stunning charcuterie board. Do you think it worked?

Shot in natural light with blackboards placed around the photo. I wanted the shadows to be extra intense and the texture to pop.

Two of my favorite ways to photograph charcuterie boards is a flat lay angle (bird’s eye view) or up close. I find that flat lay shots tend to make the biggest impression and tell the best story.

We’re taking foods, from the naturally photogenic to every day, and making them look fresh and vibrant. Contact us today if you need help wowing your customers with amazing photos that showcase every dish beautifully and entice them into ordering more off the menu.