Setting the mood with Mélanie Rouselle: Creating for brands, inspiring the community

When we talk about moody food photography, Mélanie Rouselle is always one of the first creators that comes to mind. Her work is clean, polished and instantly recognisable with a rich, evocative style that draws you in.

What really sets this French creator apart is her versatility. Apart from being a talented food photographer and stylist, Mélanie plays an inspirational role in our community, teaching and mentoring other creators. She’s highly admired by both community members and our team alike.

While food is her first love, her niche goes well beyond the kitchen. She’s one of our go-to creators for stationery and pet content too, often featuring her well-loved (and very cooperative) cat in projects for our pet-focused brands.

Mélanie has worked with us on campaigns for brands like Sheba, Perfect Fit and BIC, and she’s consistently a pleasure to collaborate with. She understands the brief, delivers professional results, and brings her own creative perspective to every project.

Here’s a closer look at her journey and how she continues to create strong, considered work for our customers.

Let’s chat with Mélanie

Hi everyone! I’m Mélanie Rousselle. I’ve always loved cooking and sharing good recipes. That’s why I created my food blog in 2013. Through it, I discovered food photography which quickly turned into a passion. And I feel incredibly grateful to have made it my profession.

Since 2018, I’ve been working with brands, caterers and restaurants, creating photos and videos that highlight their products and services.

What I love most is food and beverage, but I also enjoy product photography, cosmetics, and pet photography. I would describe my style as dark and moody, with a strong emphasis on light and movement.

Outside of work, I love traveling and spending time with my cats, who often make appearances behind the scenes of my shoots.

Journey with Creatively Squared

I was recommended to join Creatively Squared by a colleague. I was drawn to the idea of working with international brands and work beyond food photography.

The most enjoyable—and also the most challenging—projects were the ones I did for Sheba. Working with cats is much trickier than working with food. It requires a lot of patience, but it was an amazing experience.

Mélanie's work is moody, full of emotion and visually stunning! She does an amazing job at understanding what the brand wants to communicate and brings it to life with such finesse! It's been an amazing privilege to collaborate with her on various projects. She is responsible, trustworthy and incredibly talented. She's someone you can rely on to follow brand guidelines, to dominate camera techniques, and really create content that excels project expectations time and time again! - Andrea Quintanilla, Account Manager

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Tools of the trade

I shoot with two Nikon Z6 II full-frame hybrid cameras, using a 105mm f/2.8 macro and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. For lighting, I rely entirely on Godox strobes (A300 and A600 Pro), with a Manfrotto 290 tripod and a C-stand. I use various light modifiers depending on the type of lighting I want to achieve. For video work, I use the Neewer CB300W and the Godox UL150 lights.

I handle post-production in Lightroom and Photoshop for photos, and DaVinci Resolve for videos.

What are your favourite props?

I have a very minimalist style, so I use few props. The one I use most often is probably a large black fabric that I use as a background. As for backdrops, I really like those from Club Backdrops, Capture by Lucy, and Errer Backdrops. Like any self-respecting stylist, I also have an impressive collection of cutting boards, fabrics and all kinds of small jars and containers.

I don’t have my own studio yet, so I do most of my shoots in my dining room. It requires organization, as I have to set up the equipment, shoot and then pack everything away at the end of the day.

Mélanie’s creative process

I plan every shoot I do, but the ones with Creatively Squared require less time since they are already well detailed by the team. Apart from my cats, I work entirely on my own.

Whenever I want to get into the creative zone, I enjoy walking in the forest. I’m lucky to live near a very large one. I can spend hours just sitting still, simply watching the birds. I also like to find inspiration outside of food photography, for example in other areas of photography or in TV series and films.

Finding inspiration

For videos, I love @gawx_art, @suprordinary and @lifeofriza, I follow them mainly on Youtube.  For photos, I love @useyournoodles, @thekitchenmccabe and @emmaivane

Top creative tip

Set aside time each month for a personal project with no client brief. Keep a notebook or digital doc to capture ideas whenever they come. Experiment with new techniques regularly to never get bored.

Lastly, what’s next for you?

Cinematic lighting for videos. I mainly rely on a single light, but I’d love to master setups with multiple lights.

Thanks, Mélanie, for all the creative goodness you’ve shared with Creatively Squared, you’ve definitely left your mark! Follow her journey at @lesrecettesdemelanie for nonstop inspiration, tips and advice.