Food Photography Retreats for Future Insta-Stars Are a Thing, and They Don’t Come Cheap
Avo toast, runny golden yolk, a fancy matcha concoction and snap: You swear it’s the perfect flat lay. But if your “like” count is struggling, you might consider boot camp for up-and-coming influencers. (Yep, it exists.) Several food bloggers have opened luxurious all-inclusive styling retreats in remote (read: very photogenic) destinations. Straight from the horse’s mouth, you’ll learn the mechanics of arranging food, snapping photos and even marketing yourself on social media. Here, four fab trips you can take to majorly pad your portfolio.
Local Milk Retreats
You probably know Beth Kirby as @local_milk on Instagram; her photos are famously moody and farmhouse-chic. For a few thousand dollars, join her on a sailing trip on the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean, horseback a riding journey along the beaches in Sweden or on a luxurious lark through Lisbon. (You get the picture.) Her trips will teach you everything you need to know about snapping a food photo, no prior experience necessary.
Trips start at $3,000
First We Eat
Renowned blogger Eva Kosmas Flores, behind Adventures In Cooking (and the new cookbook First We Eat), will whisk you away on any number of dreamy experiences (from wine tasting in Bordeaux to foraging in ancient Croatian forests) while teaching you the nuts and bolts of food styling, lifestyle photography and growing your following. Standing on chairs is encouraged.
Trips start at $3,000
Box of Spice
If five-star resorts and amazing Indian food are your thing (like, aren’t they everyone’s thing?), this workshop, lead by blogger Rakhee Yadav, is for you. Head to northern or southern India to hone your skills in photography, food styling, social media and even creative writing. Along the way you might also learn more about yoga, fabric dying or meditation.
Trips start at $2,000
Milly’s Kitchen
Calling all sweet tooths: Blogger Olaiya Land hosts workshops with baking extraordinaire Yossy Arefi and other pastry chefs in far-flung places like Portugal and Paris. You’ll get your hands dirty in every single part of the food photo process: shopping, cooking, prop styling, food styling, shooting and editing. Plus you’ll eat a lot of good Pâte à Choux.
Trips start at $3,000