B.T.S. - PRE Meats Beef Done Differently

Another fun creative collaboration with our client PRE on a new advertisement for their brand. It was a great continuation of using color and talent showing the various meats and how they can be served. We got to create colorful environments and explore playing with the product. Each setup incorporated a bold color and we were able to pair it with a recipe. This is a product you want to cook at your next summer get together! I love how the final piece came together, and all the amazing stills we captured from each setup. Teamwork makes the dreamwork!!

Carolyn Somlo - Producer/REP

Gadi Solis - DP

Collin Breimeier - DIT

Thomas Schroeder - Gaffer

Emmanuel Terrell - Grip

Mary Valentin - Food Stylist

Dominic Cordilla - Prop Stylist

Izzie Copeland - PA

Shot At North Logan

Stills - Beyond Meat Commercial Shoot

This was a really fun shoot in Los Angeles at the end of the summer. I got to work with the best, Chuck Studios from Amsterdam and my favorite Table Top Director Olaf van Gerwen. Food really does get famous here. It was a real treat to be with a fun, creative team. Olaf was capturing the beautiful video work with food stylist Joseph Celis. After the scenes were wrapped I came onto set to work with the stylist, and models to capture various stills of the Beyond Meat Product and the recipe that went with it. It was great to capture the natural moments and real expressions of the talent. Of course we highlighted the food and showed how appetizing it was! It was a really great product to work with. The Beyond Team was there for the shoot and loved everything we were able to capture for them. It was a busy 2 days at the various spots on location. We captured a back to school scene, friends at their apartment, and a outdoor BBQ scene. It really takes a village to get these projects off the ground. I’m so glad I was able to be apart of it! You can see the work out now.

Go buy Beyond Meat, it is soo good!!

Perretti Photography LLC Now On Workbook!

Excited to share I’am now apart of Workbook! It is the place to get your work seen by top agencies in the industry! I’m excited to share some of my latest work and projects here. The involvement of Workbook’s staff making sure I showcase the best work and projects shows how dedicated they are to their artist. I hope you will take some time to check it out. Let’s work together!

https://www.workbook.com/portfolios/perretti_photography

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

B.T.S. Photo Shoot Buona Vita (Safe Set Covid-19)

It was so fun to work with Buona Vita again, this time updating their photography for their meatball cookbook and other collateral! With the new photography they are relaunching a new website and logo. The creative look for these shots was clean, modern, and appetizing. We really wanted to highlight the great quality in the meatballs. Also showcasing all the amazing ways you can use their product. The meatball is so much more than just a topping for your pasta. Can’t wait to see these shots up on their new site. Make sure you check out their products at your local supermarket.

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

Rocket To The Moon News!...

Excited to be featured on Rocket To The Moon’s site for artists we love! 2020 has been an interesting year with its highs and lows. Connecting with him and the worldwide production team he has was certainly a big plus to end the year! Looking forward to 2021 and the opportunities to work together on some great Food and Beverage projects. Check out the amazing talent they’ve also worked with here: https://www.rockettothemoon.net/

PORTFOLIO: https://www.rockettothemoon.net/felicia-perretti

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

B.T.S. Campbell's Photo Shoot

Growing up there were some brands you just dream of working with. Having the opportunity to work with Campbell’s came true! Lisa Russell brought me on as the photographer for this project. We had the opportunity to work with their snack division on some social content photography. This was so fun putting together stop motion and recipe photos. We got to work with The Snack Factory and Synders Pretzels. The recipes were great for upcoming holidays and the stop motion pieces were a playful way to use the brands. The photography had punchy color and light. Propping was great and helped elevate the brands. The Campbell’s team was very hands on and made the whole production run smoothly. In the end we walked away with great photography for them.

Can’t wait to see the images out!

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures On Set

As a photographer and business owner returning to work, I have a responsibility to keep my employees, clients, and family safe while on the job and when I return home.

The number one way for us to return to work safely is to respect the social distancing policy introduced by the CDC, as well as OSHA. These best practices are currently being adopted by Hollywood and Commercial productions as well as smaller productions across the country.

As a major metropolitan area, New York City was highly impacted and these health and safety guidelines have to be undertaken now as part of all production processes. 

Obviously shoots and the creation process have a social and collaborative component. As we try to work through these new guidelines please understand that these restrictions are new for all of us and we will do our best to deliver the highest caliber of work while keeping everyone safe.

https://www.asmp.org/covid-19

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

Create In Place

Excited to join forces with Create In Place, a production option to photo and video shoots while following stay at home orders. Let’s create something great! *Clients* Please inquire for additional info with password protected access. https://www.createinplace.com/

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

2020 Food Reel!

Kicking off 2020 in big ways! Excited to share this new year with a new food reel highlighting everything delicious about food. It was great to work with Micah Morton, food stylist extraordinaire on this work. We shot at Go Studios and worked with Adorama renting the necessary gear to make the vision come to life. I put together several storyboards and with myself, DP Desmond Reich, and gaffer Crystal Rodriguez we had 2 days in studio capturing the fun actions. In the end Vince Perretti editor, put the cherry on the top with coloring and sound design! Great work team!

Some sketches below of the storyboards

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

B.T.S. Honey Nut Cheerios Shoot

I recently got to work with CANTEEN on a Honey Nut Cheerios campaign, Director Etienne Proulx on the video side and myself on still photography worked to capture beautiful shots of the products. I was able to shoot beauty shots of their Honey Nut Cheerios in a branded environment. We had a hand model for the 2 days, who allowed for more dynamic shot options. In addition to shooting stills, we came up with really creative stop motion concepts, being playful with the cereal. This was a great job to be apart of, can’t wait to see this out!

Client: Honey Nut Cheerios

Studio: Be Electric http://www.beelectric.tv/

Agency: 72andSunny

Set Build: Swell - Makoto Aoki http://swellnewyork.com/

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

B.T.S. Video Shoot Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company

If there’s something I’m really passionate about in New York City it’s a good bagel! Once I came upon B.B.C.C. I knew I was hooked. I’ve had my fair share of bagels and hit up the “hot” spots but a true kettle boiled bagel was the answer. NYC knows that’s the only way to make a bagel and anyone that has had a bagel this was they wouldn’t forget it. Here’s a couple brief articles about the science of it:

https://www.thekitchn.com/food-science-why-bagels-are-bo-86711

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/05/21/405190434/chew-on-this-the-science-of-great-nyc-bagels-its-not-the-water

I really am writing this because it was so exciting to work with them to create a amazing bagel piece I could use for my portfolio but something they could also use for their advertising. I arrived ahead of the shoot to sit down with the owner to discuss my idea and vision and to make sure he was on board. Once that was settled I had some interview style questions to ask that would be sliced over the visuals in the end. When we agreed on a date my team and I shot for the good first half of their shop being open capturing the beautiful kettle boil process, their coffee being made, some of their signature sandwiches, and of course the happy customers. It was all about the beauty in the food so we had our cine prime lens on the entire time. In addition to that we had a tungsten light back lighting the steam and certain shots. Also we staged some shots at the front of the store and incorporated the natural light coming in. It was a fun day and flew by! The final product came out great, see it in my motion portfolio

Happy New Year! 2018 In Review...

Happy New Year! 2018 was a great year filled with growth, challenges, and successes. Working as a commercial photographer has evolved over the last few years and will only evolve more aggressively with technology’s peak in the industry. It’s great to revisit past projects, and lost bids because you can see how the work has improved, what other skill sets have been gained, and others that may need work. This business is about constantly growing so any opportunity to improve a skill is a positive thing. Also traits fine tuned should be looked over and maintained.

Similar to my past blog series “Diary of A Commercial Photographer” I’m reiterating the same thoughts and ideas that go through my head from the beginning of my career to now. The wheels are always turning, sketches for the next project are always happening, and always making sure I’m relating to my audience. It’s important to build those relationships, and today those relationships are friendships. Whether I’m working with a art director, graphic designer, or stylist we come together to problem solve and make amazing art!

That is always my goal in my career and I can’t wait to see you in 2019

Diary of A Commercial Photographer: What the future holds

Closing thoughts…

Get comfortable because marketing isn’t going anywhere. Beyond that you always want to be pushing the boundaries with your work. You cannot get complacent in this business or you will drown. I don’t want to scare anyone but you have to be on your toes always seeing what’s new out there, what you can be doing better or different. I feel that’s part of the fun! It keeps things exciting and it makes for a fulfilling career. This industry is full of changes so keeping an eye and ear out for it will only prepare you. I look to continue to grow and add to my business. Always be networking with new prospects, and enjoy the ride!

Diary of A Commercial Photographer: What I’m Doing Today

I’ve been doing this for close to 10 years. To some that’s a long time, and to a lot, I’m just getting started. Either way you can learn a lot personally and professionally working for yourself. In the photography business you have to be prepared for a lot of loses and learn from mistakes. For every “No” you will get that YES! It’s a very hilly battle with competition, slow periods, and even insanely busy times. For all the chaos you still need a plan. Without a plan or goal in mind you will just be spinning wheels.

For the success I’ve had, It comes from my commitment to shooting new work and marketing myself to the right audience. Companies like Agency Access, FOUND, and Yodelist don’t make this stuff up when they always tell us to market ourselves. It’s actually true and it works! When I talk to photo students in college marketing is always my favorite subject to talk about. In school you are learning the craft and becoming skillful in taking pictures, but how are you going to present that to the world? That’s where marketing starts. Before I even get into specifics (which there is not 1 answer for) CONSISTENCY IS KING. If you think your going to do it, you might forget about it in a month, then 6 months goes by, “wait what did I forget to do?” Maybe you got busy, or lazy, who cares, you have to do it or nothing in the long run will happen for your business.

Let’s step back and honestly think about this, who markets? Why? Easy example: Coca Cola. Everyone knows who they are and what they are about. How do we know? Because they are always marketing their product! I bet even more than before because soda sales are going down. Coca Cola has been a staple product for decades and you don’t see them slowing down in their marketing. They want their product on the top of your mind without any hesitation. When you hear soda what’s the first brand that comes to mind? Maybe Pepsi.. But then Coca Cola! hahaha! Consistent marketing will grow your business.

For myself I have come up with a marketing plan that I analyze every year. This is no secret and anyone can do it, it’s just who can do it consistently. I have my plan broken down by month and I list out my To-Do’s for the month. I make phone calls, I send an e-newsletter, I post to social media, I test shoot or update my website, I update my blog, I check out my LinkedIn page, I send out a printed promo piece, and a couple other things here and there. I don’t send an email or printed promo every month. I take into consideration my marketing financials as well as my audience’s email space and know they don’t want an email from me every month! You have to find the balance of keeping your work at the top of their mind but not to over reach and annoy them. Having the marketing plan written out helps keep you on track. With all the above itemized out over the course of 12 months I print it out and tape it right to my door in my office. It’s there to remind me what I need to do for the month. This works for me, but I know some people need more than that to remind them. Put reminders on your phone or computer, whatever works for you. Also what I have on my marketing plan might not apply to you. It comes back to your audience and how they like to see new work or to be followed up with. Whatever that plan may be 1 really great rule of thumb is to have at least 3 modes of marketing outreach.

When your new to business the funds might not be flying in so being budget conscience with marketing at first is fine. Social media is free, so is Facebook, and LinkedIn. Printed promos, and e-newsletters will have a cost. If your still on your family phone plan then make some phone calls to potential clients. Any questions? Email me: felicia@perrettiphotography.com

Diary of A Commercial Photographer: How I Got Started

Catchy title right?! :) I can’t say my post is actually from a diary but the idea of my real thoughts on the business in writing remind me of my diary I had when I was little. The "real deal" moments you had growing up that just had to get written down; documented, so you can look back and remember when… Since the recent closing of my college The Art Institute I know I won’t be able to visit the school and talk with photo students anymore. My post reflects my own experiences and opinions and were discussed with students at school.

I wanted to be a commercial photographer in 11th grade. I remember attending my local technical school that had an amazing commercial art program with the best teachers! They are still working there today and still inspiring students. They had a photo studio where I could shoot products, study advertisements, understand graphic design, and learn everything I could about photography. My first job at 13 was working at the local supermarket, so I was around food all day. Not a bad thing! :) When I would face off the shelves or be a cashier I would ring up items that had food photos on them. It was that moment I knew that’s what I wanted to do! I enrolled in college attending The Art Institute where it also had a commercial driven curriculum. During school I interned and assisted with commercial photographers in all genres and still came back to food photography.

Any advice I can give current photo students or someone looking to change careers, assist for as many currently working photographers as you can. This career is very much a learn on the job pace. You can’t just open shop without watching and learning from other pros, you are going to waste your time and money. The first impression you have on a potential client is your last impression so you want to make sure your best foot is forward. I know in today’s world everything is online where you can “learn.” There’s a huge difference in watching someone and actually being there and doing something, so don’t think there’s a quick fix or easy way out.

In addition to working under professional photographers you want to make sure and give yourself creative freedom. This is your career and it’s going to change a lot over time. You need to make sure and remember why your doing this in the first place. Let yourself be inspired by other photographers alive or deceased. Doing creative exercises like this will help you understand what you enjoy photographing. Have fun!

Exciting News! Working with Canteen: Video Production

Running a business can be challenging, scary, but exciting at the same time. You start to grow and opportunities arise that really can elevate your work, and brand. I'm excited to take a step toward working with an amazing group of people at CANTEEN. A premiere video food table top production company working with brands like Burger King and Bonefish Grill. Their current roster of talent is amazing and it's really an honor to be there with them. Can't wait to see what comes down the pipeline. This is a reminder to work hard, dream big, and keep an open mind!

In Motion: Creating a Storyboard

Still from a recent video shoot

Putting a video together isn’t simply picking up a video camera and shooting. Just like in still photography you sketch out the idea and start to visualize what you want. With a storyboard you sketch out how each scene will develop. Even if it’s 2-3 second clip, what is going into that visual? Also like shooting any production what’s most important is the planning and communicating it to the team. The more organized and planned you are for the day of the shoot everything will go smoother and no time or money is wasted!

Making a storyboard can be sketched out anyway, but usually it’s a number of rectangles(where you draw your vision) followed by lines or an area to write your specific notes on the action, if there’s script, lighting, and camera angle. You can sketch literally by hand or composite stock photos together or magazine clippings. Get creative! The rectangles ideally would fit the 16:9 ratio as video. I usually use the program Keynote, it’s a simple software that you can change and edit with by using text and images.

Personal Series: Dollar Store Dining Stop Motion

This is new, this is fun, this is my latest personal project! I wanted to really have fun with this project and challenge myself by going with my gut instinct. In the process of adding motion work into my portfolio I always found the stop motion pieces interesting. Taking a series of still images and sandwiching them together to make a 15-30 second piece was bringing the stills to life!
    Going to the dollar store as a kid there are always the memories of the novelty toy section; you know the really quirky toys you could pull pranks on your friends or siblings with. Maybe these would be stocking stuffers. One really fond memory I have is getting silly putty and squishing it on top of newspaper comics and seeing the print go onto the putty. That was magic to me as a kid. How was I going to bring this back to food but still have fun with it?
    If you have ever gone into the dollar store you should also be aware of the off the wall food brands and item combinations you have come across. For example: Larry The Cable Guy; he has his own food line, some of which is frozen biscuits and gravy. You may have seen Twinkies flavored ice cream. Another one is those widely toxic colored drinks that come in the gallons. There are some weird brands of food out there and you could probably find them at the dollar store.
    The combination of novelty toys and weird branded and flavored foods brought me to my latest project on Dollar Store Dining. The stop motion piece of these really helps capture the life in the novelty toys but gives me the opportunity to take the setup farther and show more humor and relation between the toys and the food. I hope you enjoy; this is about having fun with food!

Motion Series: On The Farm

This year has been an exciting transition to adding motion work to my portfolio. Building a motion section takes time, practice, and the right team to make the story come to life. Working with past clients like the few farms I’ve consistently been with over the years have been a great stepping stone to gathering footage and putting together in a cohesive story. The equipment we have been working with is the Canon C300, Canon 5D Mark 4, additional microphones, as well as various lighting and grip gear. Being on location is a challenge in itself but capturing moving imagery is another. The current piece we are working on has beautiful landscape pans of the farm as well as stationary shots interviewing the real farmers, not hired talent. I know the final cut will pair well with the still imagery I have captured over the years. DP STILLS BELOW.

B.T.S. Recipe Videos For Alli

Working with a group of creative, energetic, and talented people is what making a successful video is about. The time put into planning, executing, and producing makes that final piece all worth it. These are just some of first thoughts that come to mind working with ad agency Weber Shandwick, my food stylist Lisa Homa, props Kristine Trevino, hair and makeup Ananda Khan, camera crew of Good Boy Media, and talent Amy Castle. We produced beautiful recipe videos of the Alli brand highlighting their healthy lifestyle. The lighting throughout the pieces was bright with a natural daylight feel. We were able to produce this look for the whole day. Amy Castle’s personality shined through in these pieces running through the script with her. In the recipes we shared how easy it is to eat healthy and enjoy cooking! Check out the videos here. ALSO on my MOTION section of my website. BTS Stills by Kelvin Williams