HOW TO PITCH AS A PHOTOGRAPHER OR CREATOR: THE ESSENTIAL DO’S AND DON’TS FOR SUCCESS
You’ve bought your camera, practiced your food styling, nailed your videography, improved your recipe development and feel (nervous but) ready to earn an income doing what you love. The question now is - how do you find clients? How do you market your services and get noticed by brands?
There are countless ways to build up your client roster, but in today’s blog post I’d like to focus on pitching! That’s because regardless of whether you’re a novice food creator or a seasoned food photographer, pitching can play a crucial role in putting your work in front of the right people. It’s one of the most proactive ways to land new work opportunities, build lasting relationships with brands you love, and grow your presence in the food industry. When done thoughtfully, a well-crafted pitch can open countless doors, so it’s worth getting right!
In this post, I’ll walk you through the essential do’s and don’ts of pitching as a food photographer or food content creator, so you can avoid common mistakes and increase your chances of hearing “yes” from your dream clients. Let’s dive in, shall we?
BTW There’s a pitching email template you can receive straight into your inbox. More about that at the end of this blog post!
Warm vs. Cold Pitching: What’s the Difference?
Before we delve into the do’s and don’ts of pitching, I wanted to take a moment to highlight two different ways to pitch: warm pitching versus cold pitching.
Warm Pitching involves reaching out to food brands or restaurants whom you’ve engaged with before be it via social media or previous collaborations. In other words, these are businesses who know your name and are likely to be (vaguely) familiar with your work. Moreover, you might even have collaborated with them in the past, which means that they’ve had a need for your service previously; assuming everything went well, they have every reason to hire you again.
Because your prospective client has been ‘warmed up’, warm pitches tend to be a little more successful than cold pitches! That said, they need to be approached differently than cold pitches, so be sure to include a sentence about how you worked together in the past when you pitch to a warm contact.
Cold Pitching in turn involves reaching out to brands or clients you have no prior relationship with. It’s essentially an introduction to how you can serve a brand/client, an opportunity to present your food photography services and a way to put yourself on their radar. The success rate of cold pitching tends to be lower than with warm pitches and hence volume here (AKA sending out lots of cold pitches) is key to making this a successful marketing strategy, but more about that below.
Action Step: WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you have enough past clients and feel most comfortable pitching warm leads, go for it (using some of the tips below), but if you are relatively new to food photography or food content creation, then cold pitching might be the right way forward for you.
how to Pitch as a Food Photographer OR FOOD CONTENT CREATOR
SEND PERSONALISED PITCHES!
One of the most important pitching tips for food photographers and food content creators is to personalise every pitch you send! Take a little time to research the brand; get familiar with their products, values, visual style and recent marketing campaigns. Think about what makes them unique and what their specific content or food photography needs might be. Then, weave this insight into your pitch email to show you genuinely understand their brand and how your work can add value.
For example, if you’re pitching a vegan food company, highlight your experience working with plant-based recipes or mention your personal connection to vegan living, if relevant. This kind of tailored, thoughtful outreach is far more likely to grab attention and lead to a positive response.
avoid…
Copying and pasting a generic pitch email to each and every brand! It might be tempting to send the same pitch to dozens of brands to save time, but mass, generic outreach rarely converts well.
That’s because brands can often tell when they’ve received a templated message and it can come across as impersonal or unprofessional. Instead, keep every pitch high quality, well-researched and personalised as they will have a much higher success rate than dozens of cookie-cutter emails.
SHOWCASE A RELEVANT AND POWERFUL PORTFOLIO OR BODY OF WORK!
Whether you link to your Instagram account or a portfolio page, or include images of recent work directly in your pitch, it is incredibly powerful to show what you’re capable of.
Keep in mind that many brands receive frequent pitches from food photographers and content creators, so your best chance to stand out is by presenting a polished body of work that reflects your unique style.
Choose images in the portfolio you present that are not only technically strong but also align with the aesthetic and values of the brand you’re approaching. This demonstrates that you’ve done your research and can deliver content that fits seamlessly with their existing brand identity.
avoid…
A common mistake food photographers and food content creators make when pitching is reaching out to brands or restaurants whose visual style doesn’t match their own work. While it’s great sometimes to pitch as many food businesses as possible, you do want to aim for those that are most likely to result in a successful collaboration.
Therefore, focus your efforts on businesses that genuinely align with your aesthetic and approach to food — it will increase your chances of receiving a positive response and lead to more fulfilling, on-brand projects you’ll be proud to showcase!
clearly and concisely outline the value working with you will bring!
Whether you’re pitching a small local café or a global food brand, remember that hiring a food photographer or content creator is an investment for them. It’s your job to clearly communicate why working with you is worth that investment. In your pitch, briefly outline the specific value you can offer — how your images, recipe videos, or social media content can help elevate their brand, engage their audience, or support their marketing goals.
In your initial pitch, please don’t write an essay - brands simply don’t have the time to read it - but do outline in 1-2 sentences how your images or Instagram videos can help their bottom line, brand positioning etc.
AVOID…
One of the quickest ways to lose a brand’s interest is by sending a long-winded, unfocused pitch email. Keep your message concise, respectful of their time, and crystal clear about what you’re offering. Avoid overpromising results you can’t guarantee — instead, focus on the genuine benefits your work brings to the table. Highlight your strengths and unique selling points with confidence and let your portfolio speak for itself.
Don’t forget to follow up!
Following up is an essential part of successful pitching, especially for freelance food photographers and content creators. It’s natural to feel discouraged if you don’t hear back after sending your initial email - pitching can feel so vulnerable. But as a professional, it’s important to put those feelings aside and focus on building opportunities for yourself and the brands you want to work with.
After sending your pitch, don’t be afraid to send a polite follow-up email 7–10 days later if you haven’t received a response. Many brands are simply super busy, and a thoughtful nudge can often land your email at the top of their priority list.
Please ensure you keep your follow-up message short, friendly, and reaffirm your enthusiasm for working together. You might be surprised how often a simple follow-up turns a “no reply” into a potential opportunity.
AVOID…
While it’s important to follow up, it’s equally crucial to give brands adequate time and space to respond. Pitching etiquette matters, and following up too quickly or too frequently can come across as pushy. A good rule of thumb is to wait around one week after your initial email before reaching out again, adjusting slightly depending on the brand and the context.
Before you go…
I truly hope this blog post was helpful to get you thinking (again) about pitching your favourite food brands, publishers and restaurants!
Now, if you’re serious about your creative business and want to earn an income full-time as a food photographer or food content creator, I have just what you need!
You can do our 5-day free marketing challenge, which includes a pitch email template. Just add your email to the mailing list below and watch your inbox.
You can also join the Fearless Focus Business Mentoring and Mastermind program which opens its doors again this Autumn. You can find out more and join the waiting list HERE!