Some of the most beautiful things you can produce do take time.
Rachel Korinek
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Rachel Korinek is the kind of photographer who doesn’t just shoot food, she builds every element of the image from the ground up. From sourcing the right props (hint: thrift stores are a goldmine) to lighting each scene with precision, she brings a level of intention to her work that’s easy to feel, even in the smallest details. Her photography is bold, clean, and quietly technical – designed to make you stop and look closer.
Before running her studio, TwoLoves, Rachel trained as a teacher and worked as an accountant. Photography started as a personal project, sparked by a now-classic book called Plate to Pixel, but slowly grew into a full-time business. Over the years, she’s become known for her polished lighting setups, her eye for color, and her ability to teach complex skills in a clear, approachable way.
In this conversation, she talks about how she learned to photograph food from scratch, how her style evolved after a two-year creative break, and what she’s focusing on now in both her client work and educational content. It’s a refreshingly honest look at what it really takes to sustain a long-term creative business-and how to keep evolving without burning out.
Here’s some of what we get into:
- How Rachel transitioned from teaching to full-time photography, and why the two skillsets overlap more than you’d think
- The challenge of learning artificial lighting, and why she still considers it the hardest part of her job
- Why she no longer tries to do everything herself (even if she once thought about learning pottery just to make her own props)
- Her take on color, texture, and the subtle choices that make a food photo cohesive
- What changed during her two-year break and how it helped her rebuild her style from scratch
- The current shift she’s seeing in online education, and how it’s shaping her new courses
Looking to get into food photography? Or just curious about how professionals think through their process? There’s a lot to take away from Rachel’s thoughtful approach. Enjoy!
Q: Can you paint a picture of how you being a teacher eventually led to you becoming a professional food photographer who now runs her own studio teaching others?
Rachel: I’m so grateful for that full circle moment. Straight out of university, I was actually an accountant. Then I did an exchange in the US, worked at summer camps, and realized I loved working with kids, so I became a teacher. Later, my husband and I moved to another state in Australia, and my teaching license didn’t transfer. Around that time, photography was just a hobby, but I thought, if I don’t try to make a business out of it, I might regret it. Eventually, I went full time, and because I love teaching, it became a natural part of my business.
Q: What’s one mistake that you learned early on that ended up teaching you something you still remember to this day?
Rachel: I always tell new food photographers that, first and foremost, we are photographers. Early on, I realized that while learning food styling and cooking helps with composition, it’s okay to buy food to photograph. Some people feel that’s cheating, but instead of spending hours baking a pavlova, I could focus on improving my lighting and photography skills. That helped me build a stronger foundation before layering on other skills.
Q: You took a two-year break from your business and photography. What led up to that and how did you come back feeling like your old creative style was no longer you?
Rachel: I became a mum, and my husband’s father was at the end of his life, so I needed to step back. That time off was serendipitous because I’d been feeling unsure about my direction. When I returned, I started with personal work and realized that photos that would’ve thrilled me five years ago didn’t excite me anymore. That pushed me to explore deeper, and I discovered I had evolved. I moved from a rustic, Instagram-worthy style to something more commercial, polished, and colorful. That break helped me see clearly what was waiting for me creatively.
🔗 Connect with Rachel Korinek
🧭 What We Talked About
🎼 From Classrooms to Cocktails
- Rachel’s creative journey began not behind a camera but in classrooms – first as an accountant, then a high school teacher.
- A chance encounter with the book Plate to Pixel by Hélène Dujardin ignited a spark during a university break, introducing her to the magic of food photography.
- Initially a hobby, her photography grew organically after a Google Image search landed her a client – a surreal full-circle moment that launched her into business.
📖 Honoring Evolution Through Photography
- Rachel views photography as a fluid, evolving practice. After a two-year break to become a mother and care for family, she returned creatively changed.
- Her shift from a rustic, Instagram-friendly aesthetic to bold, polished, color-forward commercial work reflects a deeper personal evolution.
- “Five years ago, I would have been thrilled to take this photo… and I wasn’t.” That realization was a pivotal turning point.
📷 Tools, Light, and Milkshakes
- Known for her technical mastery, Rachel emphasizes lighting as her most obsessive and rewarding challenge -“Lighting can make anything look half decent,” she says.
- Gear matters more in lighting than in other areas: she uses macro lenses, studio strobes, and tethered setups.
- A recent shoot that pushed her limits? Styling the perfect whipped cream-topped milkshake – a deceptively difficult, multi-day challenge that brought her immense creative satisfaction.
🔁 Teaching What You’ve Lived
- Rachel’s teaching style reflects her educational background – bite-sized, skill-focused learning instead of sprawling masterclasses.
- Through her platform Two Loves Studio, she shares deep dives into lighting, composition, and creative voice – now integrating her evolving aesthetic into new course formats.
- She believes in balancing quick wins (like editing) with long-term skills (like composition and lighting) that require real investment.
💬 Creative Boundaries, Style Shifts & Client Work
- Rachel advocates starting with what brings you joy – early on, she gave herself permission to buy food to photograph instead of making it from scratch.
- Style isn’t static: she now embraces her portfolio as a “living document,” knowing reinvention is part of the journey.
- Client work comes with creative negotiation. When expectations clash, she’ll shoot the client’s vision and then, if time allows, offer her own version – building trust while honoring her instincts.
🌍 Inspirations, Materials & Toughest Subjects
- Shooting soup? She’s all in. But her trickiest challenge: a translucent rice paper-wrapped mozzarella-and-chicken dish.
- She’s inspired by materials and design: backgrounds, ceramics, and glassware all shape her work. At one point, she even considered learning pottery to make custom props.
- Brown and orange foods are notoriously difficult – post-processing and careful lighting are essential to bring out appetizing textures.
🔮 What’s Next for Rachel
- In 2026, Rachel is unveiling a brand-new portfolio, developed after months of exploration and consulting to align her visuals with her evolving style and client goals.
- She’s considering a return to publishing – perhaps expanding her earlier eBook into a new resource on artificial lighting.
- Above all, she’s committed to keeping the slow craft of photography alive: “The most beautiful things you can produce take time.”
