Inspiring Creator Series: Anna Janecka

Anna Janecka is a London based food and product photographer. The Polish native is a natural both behind the camera and in the kitchen where she serves up mouth-watering images of cakes, cocktails and everything in between.

Anna’s dedication to her craft is evident in her work, a delectable celebration of her exceptional eye for composition, colour and detail. Each dish she photographs is meticulously presented to capture the vibrant flavours and ingredients within.

A thirst for learning and self-improvement has led to Anna becoming a rich source of inspiration to many photographers, stylists and creators, even beyond the foodie realm. Skills she has honed over time are now shared with the community she cofounded - the Food Creatives Network.

Anna proudly champions her fellow food photographers and has just released a curated book of recipes titled The Seasonal Table which features many of our own community members and favourite foodies.

Keep scrolling down to get to know Anna more and visually digest her deliciously good content.

Meet Anna Janecka

Welcome Anna! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello, I’m Anna! I’m a Polish girl based in London, UK. Here are three fun facts about myself:

  • I’m a crazy cat lover
  • I hate bananas and raisins
  • I’m definitely not an early bird, and I stay up till 1 am everyday

How did your journey to photography start? Have you always been a foodand product photographer?

I have been fond of taking photos ever since I remember. Before I started shooting food, I was photographing nature, landscapes, and portraits. However, it didn’t give me any excitement. I didn't feel fulfilled, so I decided that I need a break. In 2018 I moved to London, and I started to shoot images again! However, I was still looking for my thing.

In October 2019, I started my journey with food and drink photography. I was practising, learning new methods, and looking for my style. And I think I have found it. My style is simple, natural, and tasteful and more recently I also enjoy creating colourful, yet still simple scenes.

Anna has a beautiful knack for flatlay composition and colour harmony. Source: @anna_janecka

What equipment do you currently use for your food photography?

I work with Nikon D750 and 3 lenses, Tamron 24-70mm, Sigma 105mm macro lens and NIKKOR 50mm. I have so many props and it’s really hard to pick my top three favourites 😆

Tell us more about your lighting setup.

When I shoot with artificial light, I work with Goddox SL60W and a cheap supporting light Neewer 45W LED Softbox Lighting Kit.

Anna loves to share her lighting experiments and this shows the results of two different lighting placements. The first magical image uses backlighting and the second is the same scene using side lighting. Source: @anna_janecka

Do you have any advice to share with aspiring product photographers?

Be patient, be stubborn and never give up!

Experiment, read books or blogs, learn, and explore. We all were a beginner and we are all still learning. No one was born with all the skills and knowledge.

Your behind the scenes composing reels are very popular, any advice for creatives wanting to produce this type of content?

I simply bought a cheap tripod and Manfrotto phone holder. Set up this equipment for each scene you do, compose your content in Premiere Rush or Inshot and get sharing on your IG!

Anna has carved out a niche sharing her behind the scenes action from composing to editing. Source: @anna_janecka

How do you keep learning and evolving your skills? Any recommendations for courses, people to follow etc?

My recent investment is Eva’s video online course. I haven’t finished it yet, but I love it so far.

However, as a beginner with a very limited budget I was attending numerous free webinars, live sessions on Instagram and subscribed lots of newsletters from many photographers. I have to admit that YouTube is a sea full of free amazing lessons, I won’t be original saying that my favourite YouTube teacher was and still is Joanie Simon from The Bite Shot and Lauren Short.

[#cta]

Which other creators do you admire and find inspiring?

Bea Lubas forever! I love Rachel Korinek’s drink photography, Kimberly Espinel’s compositions and Costas Mills’ colourful and simple style.

Anna has become an inspiration herself to many, generously sharing her own tips and tricks, like this simple editing compositional editing tip. Source: @anna_janecka

What is next for you?

I’ve decided to teach and I’m about to start mentoring sessions, workshops, and image feedback, all on demand and hopefully with success! Early next year I’m planning to release my first online course 🤗

Thank you Anna for always supporting and inspiring our community. You can follow Anna’s journey and be inspired by her creativity over on her Instagram or visit her website. We are looking to seeing where your journey takes you Anna.

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