Inside our food photography studio in Darley Abbey Mills, Derby

Inside our food photography studio in Darley Abbey Mills, Derby

We love our bright and airy food photography studio

We're very lucky to have this gorgeous studio space in a Victorian cotton mill in a world heritage site in Darley Abbey, Derbyshire. As a blank canvas it's just beautiful - white walls, grey steels, large windows all the way down two sides and lots of versatile space to set up for our photography.

We've made it perfect for our content creation and commercial photography clients by designing it around what we love to do most; food and product still life photography. 

Focusing on still life photography means we don't need a huge space to accommodate large sets and kit; we shoot in a relatively small space, keeping our costs down (for us and our clients).  99% of our work is shot on the 1950's plan chest or a converted pallet on wheels.

For more information on our creative services please visit Olson.company

 

food photography restaurant commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

 

We also have a large, carefully-curated prop collection and vast selection of backdrops and surfaces - this is very useful when you're located smack bang in the middle of the country and a good 2 hours away from the prop houses of London and Manchester!

Working as a commercial stylist for over 20 years, Sophie has developed an extensive collection of vintage and modern props to suit food and product photography briefs - and anything we don't have we can source to an agreed budget.

You are welcome to visit our studio and see what we have to offer - please get in touch to arrange an appointment.

Here's a run down of the space and how we work on studio shoots - if you need any further information or our current rates please get in touch.

 

Location / 5 minutes from the A38 and 20 minutes from the M1, J28 to the south and J29 to the north. We're also a five minute taxi ride from Derby train station.

Our address is Middle Mill, Darley Abbey Mills, Derby, DE22 1DZ.

 

Prep kitchen / the first thing we did when we moved into the studio was build a kitchen! We have a cooker, hob, microwave, toaster, kettle, stand mixer, fridge, blow torches, waffle machine, turntables and all manner of specialist equipment to make food look amazing. Our studio is kept clear and minimal so it is versatile - we always have an extra table to make more prep space; sometimes we shoot eight recipes a day in here!

 

The prep kitchen

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

 

Props + backdrops / our prop collection has been developed over years of working with commercial clients from international tableware brands to organic growers to eco candle start-ups - we know what works as a prop (and what doesn't) and pride ourselves on having lots of options to help tell the story of the food or product and elevate your photography.  We also have festive and celebratory props to link with annual events and celebrations for those all important gifting opportunities.

We share our space with Sophie's backdrop company, Black Velvet Styling so have access to over 100 backdrop designs in marble, stone, wood and painted effects, as well as handcrafted and reclaimed surfaces, painted canvases and an extensive linen collection.

Most of the time we will have everything we need to style your shoot and our props are included in the studio photography fee; but on the rare occasion that you have a very unique brief or we don't have what you need, we can source things for you to an agreed budget.

 

A small selection of our props

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

 

Lighting + equipment / We like to keep things simple in our set up; we use the light that floods in through our tall mill windows and add in artificial lights and kit as your direction requires.  

Working mostly on table-top sets we can get ready and start shooting very quickly.

We tether to an iMac using CaptureOne so that everyone can preview the images on a large, calibrated screen.

 

Behind the scenes

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

 food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator  

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator 

 

Working remotely or alongside / You are welcome to come and work alongside us while we shoot for you - some clients like to be involved in the process and others just want to be in the room for quick sign off.  We have a very comfortable client area, the option of desks to work at, fast wifi and good coffee.

We also shoot for clients remotely, working with their products or creating food content in our studio while they carry on working at their usual place.  With a clear brief, agreed shot list and swift sign off process this can work very well.

In both cases we prefer to have any product at our studio at least the day before so it can be unwrapped and organised, ready to make the most of our shoot time.

 

The client area

food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

 

 

Film + video / Partnering with other fantastic creatives we can offer videography for video content and behind the scenes footage alongside stills photography.

 

Parking + access / We have one parking space directly outside the studio and a further four just fifty yards away.  Parking is free.

Our studio is on the first floor of the mill, up one flight of dog-leg stairs.

 

Prices / We charge a flat fee for photography and content creation - props and backdrops, prop/product styling, photography, editing and file delivery is included. 

Food styling during the shoot and any food shopping or prep is charged separately and includes full use of our prep kitchen and store cupboard ingredients. We can also provide recipe development and write up for web and PR.

Fresh food, foliage and any extra props can be provided to an agreed budget. 

To discuss your project please get in touch for an informal chat. For more information on our creative services please visit Olson.company

 

Examples of work shot in our photography studio

   

 

Location work + restaurant photography / We love working on location to bring interior and architectural elements to your food or product photography - this requires a different approach so please get in touch for more details. 

We can also shoot in your workplace or restaurant to bring your brands environment into your content - again please get in touch to discuss your requirements and we can figure out how these options would work best for you.

     

    food photography restaurant commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator

     

    If you're in need of food or recipe content or would like your products shooting by our experienced and passionate team please don't hesitate to get in touch - we'd love to hear about your project.

    Read more about our content creation and photography here.

     

    Props for all styles, seasons, celebrations and events

    food photography commercial studio derby nottingham leeds leicester darley abbey styling stylist still life content creation creator
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