By Conor Risch
© Elizabeth Watt
New York-based photographer Elizabeth Watt is among the food photographers invited to participate in the "Top Ten" program at General Mills Photography Studios. See work by more Top Ten photographers in the photo gallery.
The General Mills Photography Studios in Minneapolis produces more
than 25,000 images per year for General Mills brands like Betty
Crocker, Yoplait, Häagen Dazs, Cheerios and Muir Glenn, as well as
for the studio’s external clients. A pool of more than 100
freelance photographers and food stylists work in the recently
remodeled studios, and as many as 12 sets can be going on a given
day making images for packaging, branded magazines, Web sites and
other needs.
As part of General Mills Photography Studios’ effort to constantly
improve their work and to foster creativity at their facility, they
created a “Top Ten” program which brings in leading photographers
and food stylists to work for a day at the studios alongside the
staffers and regular General Mills freelancers.
To create the list of what they consider the top food photographers
and stylists in the country, each year photography manager Nanci
Dixon and food styling manager Cindy Lund ask ad agencies and
design firms that work with General Mills brands for
recommendations, then look at where those suggestions
overlap.
Dixon then interviews and invites the photographers to come in and
experiment with their products, and Lund does the same for
stylists. Sometimes photographers bring in stylists they prefer to
work with, Dixon says.
Each of the Top Ten photographers receives a day rate and all of
their expenses are covered. General Mills is granted usage for the
images the photographers create, and some of the photographs are
used for branded magazines, Web sites or packaging. Some of the
ideas and concepts also get shared with the General Mills brand
groups.
“Some [of the people we bring in] are very excited about teaching
others and showing others how they work,” Dixon says. “Our
[freelance] photographers will drop in and observe.”
Dixon says the “Top Ten” photographers appreciate the opportunity
to do whatever they want for a day with all of the resources the
studio can provide. “Every single person that we’ve had in wants to
come back.”
Related: Client Meeting: “
Farm to Tabletop,” April 2009 (for subscribers only)
General Mills Brings in “Top” Food Photogs To Experiment
April 30, 2010
By Conor Risch
New York-based photographer Elizabeth Watt is among the food photographers invited to participate in the "Top Ten" program at General Mills Photography Studios. See work by more Top Ten photographers in the photo gallery.
The General Mills Photography Studios in Minneapolis produces more than 25,000 images per year for General Mills brands like Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Häagen Dazs, Cheerios and Muir Glenn, as well as for the studio’s external clients. A pool of more than 100 freelance photographers and food stylists work in the recently remodeled studios, and as many as 12 sets can be going on a given day making images for packaging, branded magazines, Web sites and other needs.
As part of General Mills Photography Studios’ effort to constantly improve their work and to foster creativity at their facility, they created a “Top Ten” program which brings in leading photographers and food stylists to work for a day at the studios alongside the staffers and regular General Mills freelancers.
To create the list of what they consider the top food photographers and stylists in the country, each year photography manager Nanci Dixon and food styling manager Cindy Lund ask ad agencies and design firms that work with General Mills brands for recommendations, then look at where those suggestions overlap.
Dixon then interviews and invites the photographers to come in and experiment with their products, and Lund does the same for stylists. Sometimes photographers bring in stylists they prefer to work with, Dixon says.
Each of the Top Ten photographers receives a day rate and all of their expenses are covered. General Mills is granted usage for the images the photographers create, and some of the photographs are used for branded magazines, Web sites or packaging. Some of the ideas and concepts also get shared with the General Mills brand groups.
“Some [of the people we bring in] are very excited about teaching others and showing others how they work,” Dixon says. “Our [freelance] photographers will drop in and observe.”
Dixon says the “Top Ten” photographers appreciate the opportunity to do whatever they want for a day with all of the resources the studio can provide. “Every single person that we’ve had in wants to come back.”
Related: Client Meeting: “
Farm to Tabletop,” April 2009 (for subscribers only)
