The Nitty Gritty - with Dearna Bond

When I first discovered my love of food photography, I was frustrated that I could take a technically correct photo of food, but I couldn't make it look as stunning as those that I saw in magazines or online.

I signed up to Dearna's Food Photography and Styling Guides, hoping for a little direction and it taught me so much! My styling skills? I learned them there.

During the course I discovered that Dearna did not live overseas, as I'd thought, but in fact lived less than an hour from me.

We are now firm friends and love to get together regularly to take photos of food (what else?) and to also laugh, talk and brainstorm.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Im Dearna, a Hobart (Tasmania) based food photographer. And Business Analysts, which is my day job. I live in a cosy little converted cottage with my partner and our little pooch Maggie, and a little bub we’ll be welcoming in Feb 2019.

How did you get started?

Almost by accident! I inherited a love of food and cooking from my Mum and Grandmother, and started a food blog in 2013 to showcase the dishes I was creating. At that point I had no idea about food photography – I bought an entry-level DSLR but shot entirely on auto for the first six months or so.

I YouTubed and Googled a lot in that first year but still really struggled to understand the fundamentals of food photography, so in early 2015, I took an online course and that’s where I really started to understand things and see a lot of improvement. From there, I practiced a lot and shot whenever I could, and in 2017 I started teaching food photography myself, firstly through face-to-face workshops, and then in July I launched my online course via the Food Photography Guides

I’ve been teaching photography ever since, and also doing freelance work for local and interstate clients which I love!

What equipment do you shoot with?

A Canon 6D with a 24-70mm f2.8 lens

Do you prefer studio work or location shoots?

Usually studio work because I know the light, and have all my props, backdrops etc. But it’s always good to challenge yourself by shooting in different locations, and I love when you get an amazing location and are able to create beautiful content for a client in their own space.

Describe your style.

My go-to aesthetic is very dark and moody – I find this style of photography is best to really capture mood and convey a certain feeling. That said, a lot of my clients usually prefer a brighter style, so my commercial style errs more on the bright and minimal side.

Who do you admire?

There are a lot of really amazing photographers here in Tasmania – Cassie Sullivan, Jonathan Wherret, Natalie Mendham, and of course Naomi Sherman. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Naomi quite well over the past year or so and it’s not just her photography which is inspiring, it’s her whole approach – she is ambitious and driven, but not at all in a competitive way, in fact the opposite, her generosity never fails to impress me.

Outside of Tassie, I really love foodie accounts which are a little different and showcase the person making the food as much as the food itself – accounts like @adelasterfoodtextures who makes incredible art-on-a-plate, usually from food she has foraged, preserved and made herself in her native Sweden. Similarly, @evakosmasflores who was one of my first foodie crushes and who I learnt so much about food photography from when I first started out.

And of course, Donna Hay, who for me completely changed the way I view cookbooks. I have never wanted to be in a situation eating a certain type of food as I have when I first leafed through her Seasons cookbook about eight years ago.

What's your dream food shoot?

Based on my last response, would it surprise you if I said Donna Hay? Shooting for her magazine or cookbook would be a dream come true.

Also, I absolutely love the Tasmanian food scene and love showing off our amazing food and place, so anything that incorporates this is always something that really excites me to be a part of.

What's your "can't live without" prop, tool or piece of equipment?

If I can only say one thing, it would be a good, textured backdrop. And good lighting, of course!

Do you have one piece of advice for anyone just starting out?

Well, I have a whole suite of online courses aimed at beginners, so I have a lot of advice haha! But if I were to give one bit of advice, it would be to practise! And learn from whoever and wherever you can – the best camera won’t help you if you don’t know how to use it; the most beautiful props wont look that great if you don’t know how to style them; and your images will never be what they could if you don’t learn to properly understand light and use it to your advantage.

Sweet or Savoury?

Both! I definitely have a sweet tooth but I do try to limit my sugar these days.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Does anyone ever answer vanilla to this one!? ;) Chocolate, of course!

Four favourite instagram accounts?

Well, other than the ones I mentioned above, @sarahbellnutrition is a new(ish) favorite, and @missmarzipancom. I also love @anisasabet and @me_and_orla for the beautiful mood and amazing advice she offers – if you haven’t listened to Sara’s podcast (#hashtagauthentic), go and do it, now! You’ll thank me later ;)

Three songs to listen to while working?

It depends on the season – in spring summer, it’s something and funky and uplifting, like Charles Bradley or Lee Fields. In autumn and winter something a little more subdued like the National or Bon Iver.

What was the last cookbook you bought?

Simple by Yotam Ottonlenghi

If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family think you'd done?

Ha! That would never happen in the first place… ;) I asked my friends and they said “still watching Grey’s Anatomy”… old habits die hard!

Can you show us one of your early photos, along with a recent shot that you're really proud of?

Sure! The first shot is of pumpkin pie porridge. I remember thinking it looked really cool and retro with the tea cup succulent in the background. It was shot on auto, and I'm pretty sure I used some free online filters to really round out the look! The second one is of some chocolate cupcakes I made recently. They styling is a lot more balanced and really highlights the food, and the editing, done in Lightroom, further enhances it. It was a good 4.5 years between these shots which I hope shows that good photography doesn’t happen overnight and really does take a lot of dedication, persistence and practice!