Nicole S. Young

Here’s the test I always apply to food photography: does it make me hungry? If the answer is “no,” chances are, the photographer isn’t doing something right. The issues are typically minor; the lighting is off, or the food isn’t styled properly, or the angle doesn’t flatter the dish. Either way, the photo is missing that essential spark that makes you go, “Mmmmm…”

It’s therefore a supreme compliment to photographer Nicole S. Young that her food photography invariably makes me hungry. This is a photographer who made clams look good to me – a hard thing to do, since I don’t like seafood. Exquisitely styled, meticulously prepared, and perfectly shot, her images jump off the screen and have, more than once, made my stomach growl.

Food stock photography by Nicole S. Young

This Seattle-based shooter’s work goes beyond just making food look good, however. Nicole is a full-time stock photographer, selling her work through microstock agency iStockphoto. She’s equally adept at shooting lifestyle as she is food, eschewing complex and over-produced images in favor of a clean, simple aesthetic. Her work is solely represented by iStockphoto.

Nicole is also a published author. She has three books published through Peachpit Press: Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Canon 60D: From Snapshots to Great Shots, and Canon 7D: From Snapshots to Great Shots. In addition, she also has an eBook available through David DuChemin’s excellent Craft and Vision website, called (micro)STOCK: From Passion to Paycheck.

Seattle Skyline, by Nicole S. Young

Good photographers – photographers who have the ability to grow and constantly improve their work – have a propensity to expand out of their comfort zone as well. That’s something that’s absolutely true about Nicole. In addition to her stock photo work, she has branched out into landscapes, timelapses, video, and even cinemagraphs. She has travelled to Vietnam, dragging along her Canon 5D Mark II and 70-200mm f/4 lens, capturing some truly beautiful images along the way.

In addition to her photography and her writing, she’s also an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop, and serves as a Help Desk Specialist for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. She has numerous Photoshop tutorials on her blog, including some cool ones on the new Photoshop CS6 Beta.

You can learn more about Nicole by visiting about.me/nicolesy. Check out her work – you won’t be disappointed.