THE FOOD CREATIVE
Mariana Swedelson
It all started in the nineties in my grandmother’s kitchen in Bogota, Colombia. She taught me how to cook at an early age and, without realizing it, I was developing my senses and love for food. At fourteen, my family and I moved to the United States, where I attended The Culinary Institute of America in New York after graduating high school in California. By twenty-three, I had become the Sous Chef at a restaurant in Napa Valley. Later, when the path toward a successful and fulfilling career in the restaurant industry became unsustainable, I decided to leave that world and dedicate myself to corporate product development. During this time, I discovered food styling and found a new passion.
In 2022, the company I was working for had to downsize and I was laid off, forcing me to take a step back and think about what I wanted to do next. Photography was always in the back of my mind, so I decided to take the leap and start my own food photography business. Now I get to do what I love every day, working as a food photographer and stylist in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. It has not been easy, but I believe nothing worth living for is. I get to express myself through bold colors and delicious food, meeting people who are just as passionate as I am. Food photography is an art, so there is no right or wrong way of doing it. We all view the world through a unique lens, and each perspective is needed. If photography is what you want to do, I recommend going for it. Life is short, and the best way to spend it is by following your passions.
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 16.