London-based Krystal Thompson is a veteran food photographer who specializes in “elevated imagery for restaurants, hotels, and lifestyle brands.”
Still, in the world of photography, there’s always a new challenge around the corner — even in a familiar space. Krystal found this out during a recent assignment for Postmates, a San Francisco-based logistics company that operates a network of couriers who deliver goods in thousands of U.S. cities. Krystal was tasked with shooting classic ballpark food for one of Postmates’ new apps.
The goal for this shoot was to create images for a new collaboration between Postmates and Dodger Stadium. This shoot was actually pretty challenging and was definitely not representative of the norm in my food photography experience.
Considering the pitch, this was a decidedly contemporary assignment. And if you’re the kind of person who enjoys going to sporting events but doesn’t like missing the part of the game to get hot food, this app might be for you.
Using the Postmates app, game attendees can now order food from select vendors within the stadium, all from their seat and without having to wait in line. It’s pretty cool!
My role was to create the in-app transactional images for each menu item, as well as atmospheric imagery and group shots that Postmates could use for promotion and digital marketing.
Krystal had already worked with Postmates before this shoot, giving her an inside track to this gig.
I shot content for them previously with The Infatuation, an online publication for all things eating, drinking, and food culture. I was connected to them through one of the team members at The Infatuation’s L.A. office.
Since this was a nontraditional food photography assignment, Krystal had to navigate some unforeseen roadblocks. For one, she was saddled with an improper credential.
[The shoot] came together pretty quickly, so the stadium wasn’t quite ready for us. I was actually asked by security to leave while I was first trying to setup. Apparently, I wasn’t given the right media badge.
For another, Dodger Stadium gets around 40,000 people per game, so there was no way Krystal was going to get high-end food shots unencumbered after the first pitch. Since it was a one-day shoot, she had to work quickly to deliver the goods.
Because we had to wrap before the game started, we were racing against the clock and against a hot, setting sun to get these photos.
Best case scenario for a photographer is time to plan, time to setup, and time to think once the shoot has started. That’s when I feel like I’m really able to excel and deliver my best work. But sometimes (often), shoots don’t go that way, so you have to be able to think on your feet, make game-time (pun intended) decisions, and still deliver great images.
Operating efficiently without sacrificing image quality is a common challenge in this field. Fortunately for Postmates, they were in good hands with Krystal.
Stadium food isn’t necessarily known for being the most glamorous or complex, but my job is to make each item look as delicious as possible regardless. Sometimes that means spending a little extra time wiping sauce or propping up chopped onions before taking my shot; sometimes it means spending a little extra time making details a bit sharper or colors a bit richer in post-production.
I wanted these images to feel warm and inviting and nostalgic — to capture the rose-colored magic of attending a game (and enjoying the food!) at a place like Dodger Stadium.
See more of Krystal’s work on her Instagram page.
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