The 6 Best Food Photographers in Indianapolis

The Hoosier State isn’t always a first pick for noteworthy cuisine, but with a plethora of fine dining choices like the Capital Grille, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Beholder, and more, your downtown Indy experience need not be a hungry one! Restaurants need good branding, and good branding means talented photographers skilled at capturing emotional elements associated with each dish being showcased. If you’re an eatery or brand looking to collaborate with a local artist, consider these incredible creatives who are our favorite food photographers in Indianapolis.

1. Chris Whonsetler of WhonPhoto

Commercial photographer Chris Whonsetler brings a distinct vision honed by years of world travel experience, as well as his love for unorthodox approaches to work and art. In his own words, “Photography is my way of revealing the way I see the world… My goals as a photographer are to connect with businesses and help visually brand who they are, what they do, and where they do it.” His work is as much a reflection of his own brand as that of your business, with punchy colors and surprisingly active takes on food photography. Examples of dynamic shots include cookies being dunked in milk, drinks being poured, and burgers being enjoyed.

2. Kelley and JD of Skyler Creative

The masterminds behind Skyler Creative are JD and Kelley. Their attention and eye for gorgeous images extends to food, landscapes, and lifestyle photography across Indianapolis. Using a consistent, almost fine-art approach, JD and Kelley produce thoughtful culinary photos, many of which highlight sensory elements like color, density, and even cues for smell. Each background adds texture and contrast to the final dish in front of us. Their lighting style is quite varied, ranging from a moody, darker tone to brightness suggesting wide open windows streaming with natural light. 

3. Haley Neale of Little Robot Photography

Haley Neale’s approach to her craft is best described in her own words, “My style of photography could be described largely as ‘lifestyle,’ and I shoot on-location. Natural light combined with organic backdrops and a photographer who focuses on telling your story really make for wonderful photos!”

Her organic backdrops are a major selling point, with wood, marble, slate, and other appealing backgrounds adding to the contemporary flavor of her lifestyle food photography. Often, her food images tell stories of entertainment and enjoyment. We’re treated to different views of the venue in the background, bartenders deep in concentration, and glasses branded for recognition. Haley is a visual storyteller and certainly one of the best food photographers in Indianapolis!

4. Dave Pluimer

Award-winning food photographer Dave Pluimer is an Indy native with an eye for food, weddings, and architecture work. His food photography has been featured in numerous publications, including Edible Indy Magazine, Cara Magazine (in-flight publication for Aer Lingus Airlines), and Indiana at 200: A Celebration of The Hoosier State. David’s work is enjoyable because he tells the complete story of food, from prep to the final result, as well as the aftermath.

5. Katelin Kinney

While the vast majority of photographers use varying amounts of digital enhancement, few do so as boldly as Katelin Kinney. As Katelin describes her work, “Conceptual advertising photography is my specialty — add in a bit of surrealism and digital magic, and you’re right up my alley. Whatever your product or service is, I promise the images we create together will be anything but boring.” Her food photography stands out so much from everything else we’ve seen, as she employs filters, models, and other visually delightful enhancements. Few photographers have such a flexible range, making Katelin one of the best food photographers in Indianapolis right now!

6. Todd Taulman

Studio manager and commercial photographer Todd Taulman is a master of the culinary vignette: up close and personal shots of the item sans distracting elements. His images are clean and free of business in order to take us directly to the visual cues that invoke emotional and sensory responses to his work. In addition, his photography covers food preparation, fresh ingredients, advertising/branding styles, lifestyle photography, and much more. 

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