Meet Ricardo Mora | Commercial & Editorial Food Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ricardo Mora and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ricardo, why did you pursue a creative career?
Starting my own business is something I had considered for many years, and I figured someday with enough time and experience I might be ready to go for it. I tend to be a perfectionist however and sometimes have trouble starting something new for fear of failing. Still, it is something I continued to think about, and many people would say that I should start my own bakery, because at the time I was working as a pastry cook for a hotel. My passion had been in making desserts for many years already, specifically gluten free desserts, because I had to remove gluten from my diet years earlier due to health issues. Working full time in kitchens though, I felt that I was losing my joy and the passion I once had for my career, not because I didn’t like sweets anymore, but because what was once a way for me to express my creativity and passion had become just a job. I was always working for somebody else and making the same desserts day after day. It just no longer brought me the joy it once did.

Fast forward to 2020 where so many changes were happening around the world and things became really uncertain, I lost my job as soon as the first lockdown happened in Los Angeles. I was told around 7:00pm that I would be furloughed as of midnight that night. Those first few months I wasn’t very productive. I was staying home all week and baking regularly but wasn’t doing much with my life otherwise. After a few months of lockdown, I decided I needed to take advantage of all this free time and learn something new. I bought myself my first DSLR camera and started learning everything I could. I started with YouTube, and from there I moved on to many paid courses online. I focused in on food photography and trying to learn how other photographers had turned it into a career. It seemed crazy that some people were getting paid so much money just to take pictures of food, and I wanted to learn how to get to their level. Still, initially I wasn’t expecting to make money with it, but a few people offered to pay me to take pictures for them. I then just kept practicing and investing in courses so I could further improve and start working with brands with larger budgets. There have been times of struggle, but having the opportunity to be creative and make money doing it is something that I think is worth pursuing.

I felt really nervous officially starting my business, but I am glad I did. I have made so many connections I wouldn’t have otherwise, and I’ve really enjoyed doing my work and seeing my client’s faces light up when we get an image they really love. Having the opportunity to be creative at work is something that I have always enjoyed, and with food photography every project I take on is unique and poses a different set of challenges. It is very creatively fulfilling, and no longer feels like I am doing the same thing day after day.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I can definitely say that it has not been easy. While I love being creative, I have found that working as a creative can also be difficult. There are times when motivation is low, or there is just a lack of inspiration, and in those moments it can be difficult to create new work, or at least work that I like. I think all creatives have these feelings at some point in their career, and unfortunately some of them stop trying altogether. I have seen that happen with people that I thought were very talented. It can be difficult to overcome these thoughts, but a few things have been helpful. One thing that has helped is talking to other photographers. So many of us face the same struggles and it can be hard to know that when looking at someone’s beautiful Instagram feed. Another thing that helps is trying something new. I consider myself a lifelong student and I’m always taking new courses or trying to learn something different. Instead of focusing exclusively on shooting stills of food, I have also tried learning more about videography and applying what I learn to some personal projects. I have also worked on some GIFs to add to my portfolio, so I can have more variety and other services I can offer to my clients. Lastly, sometimes when I don’t want to be indoors just taking pictures of food, I grab my camera and go on a hike so I can get some fresh air and try out some other types of photography.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Personally, I’m much more into nature and doing something adventurous as opposed to regular city life. One of the good things about LA is there is so much variety of things to do within a relatively short distance. There are also so many types of food to try all across LA. I would probably find a list of places to eat and start planning an itinerary around that. One day I would want to go to the Getty to enjoy the views and the garden, and then probably go to a hike in Malibu. I would also take a day to do something like a theme park or a boat ride. Something I got into a few years ago that I haven’t been able to do since before Covid is scuba dive. I would definitely set aside time to go out to Catalina Island and spend the day scuba diving.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A lot of people have helped support and motivate me to not give up, but if I was to give a shoutout to one person I think it would have to be Joanie Simon. She is a food photographer in Arizona, and she has a YouTube channel called The Bite Shot which focuses entirely on food photography. I came across her channel about 4 years ago and that is where I first started learning how to use a camera and how to manipulate light. She has since released a few online courses which I have also taken. I have learned so much from her over the years, and she is always ready to help others and answer their questions.

Website: https://www.rmoraphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.moraphotography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-mora-food-photography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/R.MoraPhotography