Combining Food and Culture With Photography

Jennifer Davick Take a Hands-On Approach to Messy Delicious Foods

Clients hire Jennifer Davick because her work communicates the intersection of food and culture, resulting in relevant visuals that capture the spirit of a product or brand.?And creating personal work is a big part of staying relevant. Jennifer’s Messy Delicious Food series is a perfect example of Jennifer translating what she is seeing in the world into her creative vision.

Link here?to read about Jennifer’s exploration of Messy Delicious Food.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I love a messy delicious food story. So, in the spirit of sauce-under-your-fingernails and awkward first bites, here’s a personal series coming to you from me and my BFF slash incredible food stylist Marian Cairns.”

Jennifer Davick

What did you learn on this project?

I was reminded of something I learned a long time ago… that spontaneity and instinct make strong photos. This particular project was all about making use of hands in the shot— unexpectedly— to communicate our all-American, summer-loving worship of burgers and fried chicken sandwiches! I was in the process of writing and designing a treatment for a bid, and I wanted to play with isolating gestures. It was impromptu and impulsive! I shot photos as if capturing something mid-sentence. Ultimately, we were looking to answer the question, “How can we keep the food appetizing, add humanity into the shoot while still keeping it thought-provoking?”

What was your most memorable moment?

It was one of the easiest test shoots I’ve done. And here’s why… I recently moved to LA, so I am just down the street from one of my best friends, who happens to be a food stylist. We were testing for a potential job and this project was a reminder of how simple it is to do something spontaneous. We got to hang out for a free afternoon make striking photos and?eating some great food afterward! It was fun!

Marian and I have such a long history of working with one another, having “grown up” together in the world of editorial photography. We were both on staff at?Time?Inc./Southern Living?while living and working in Birmingham, Alabama,?and shooting stories all over the South. We both decided to go freelance from the magazine world at the same time ten years ago. In fact, for a couple of years, we had a studio together in Atlanta! We both moved to California about six years ago – but I was hours away in Oakland.

Now she and I are in LA just down the street from each other again – working together, sharing meals, and #setlife stories.?It was great to take stock of how far we’ve come — from our ?rst freelance job together shooting a cookbook to now working on national ad campaigns.?It’s amazing to reflect on our journey. I feel very lucky to have such a good friend in the industry.

What would you like people to know about you and your work?

I stay alert,?taking?everything in and keeping in tune with culture and trend. I enjoy knowing what is happening in the world and where people are focusing their attention. I work intentionally to?adapt, tweak, and try new approaches.

Follow Jennifer on?Instagram?for motion and imagery, because what people eat and their experiences with food are stories worth telling.

Heather Elder is the owner of Heather Elder Represents; an agency dedicated to representing photographers and directors. Steeped in service, she is inspired by those with the gift to craft moments, tell stories visually, and who do it for a living.