015: Using Your Camera To Connect With Food Culture and Its Creators

EPISODE SUMMARY – EXPLORING FOOD CULTURE

This episode was fun to record! This is what happens when you get two food photographers together on a podcast to discuss food culture.

Clay Williams worked in IT and Corporate Media before becoming a Photographer in 2006. Looking for an outlet to communicate with the world, and a way to express himself he discovered his love for Photography. Eventually, he began getting paid for his photos for blog posts and various websites which turned into a full time career.

What keeps him showing up? The people. The food culture. The way they express their culture, art, and their stories.

In this episode, Clay and I talk about making people feel comfortable when you’re photographing them, what it’s like photographing in active kitchens and anticipating what’s available to photograph. The aesthetic Clay is shifting to with his food photography and why digital is the better option for it. What it’s like to be a black Photographer.

About Clay

Clay Williams is a food photographer who began his photography career in 2006. He captures images of food, drinks, and the people and places that define food culture. Over the last 15 years his adventures have taken him on road trips through Argentina and South Louisiana. They have found him hanging off the back of food trucks from Paris to The Bronx. He has sweat it out in tight kitchens with Michelin-starred chefs and wandered through fields of livestock with butchers and chefs seeking the origins of the meat and produce they purvey.

He’s also the Co-Founder of Black Food Folks, a platform for professionals working in food and food media. The organization has provided a space to connect, collaborate, and share stories within the community.

If Clay isn’t behind the camera, he might be behind the stove cooking at home or out exploring local gems around the world. He lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, with his wife, Tammi Williams

Episode Breakdown

The pros and cons of digital versus film in the food industry.
The company Clay Co-Founded, Black Food Folks and its impact.
Why black food professionals need to create platforms of their own.
Behind the scenes of Food Photography and why Clay entered this industry.
How Clay builds report and makes people comfortable in front of the camera.
How to remain passionate about photography as a full time Photographer.
Our favorite photo editing tools.
Black foodies versus black professionals – what it means to Clay, and the biggest distinctions.