Recording and Notes From The June 10 Meeting

All about food photography!

Jun 10, 2026

Hello everyone,

Thank you to all of you who were able to join us for this week’s Mastermind Meeting. If you weren’t able to be there, I have both good news and bad news.

Before we get to that, let’s start here…

In the meeting today, one of the things we talked about was understanding your brand and what you want to communicate in your images. This, of course, starts with you: who you are, what you like, what your message is, and how you want people to feel about your work.

This is a theme that has been coming up a lot for me lately. Liza Debevec sent this article from Adam Grant to me this morning and it’s so good: Silence Is Not Violence. In the post, Adam lists his core values and what those values mean to him, then makes this point…

“You probably hold some of the same broad principles, but we may not be in lockstep on how to apply them. That’s to be expected. Most of our divides aren’t due to opposing values. They’re due to different views on how to live similar values.”

Halona Black shared a vulnerable and powerful piece this week about overcoming despair, reclaiming creativity, and embracing the profound privilege of growing old. She writes…

“But I have learned that the path to any real peace starts with telling yourself the absolute truth. You have to be honest about what you actually want.”

And Kalee Tilli reminds us that the path forward is almost always filled with discomfort. It’s the discomfort that delivers the messages we most need to hear and our willingness to embrace it, to sit with it and try to understand it, determine the quality of the thing that comes after.

“get comfortable being uncomfortable with the goal of adaptation versus complacency towards the niggling feeling that the day to day is no longer working in your favor.”

Our values are the bedrock of our life, our thinking, our perspective, and our work. They can, at times, be in conflict with each other. And, they are the thing that attracts people to us. They come through in our writing, in our photos, and in our conversations.

In today’s Mastermind meeting, Jessie-Sierra; The Last Bite and I both shared stories of how, when we first started taking food photos, we tried to be something we are not. For both of us, there was a frustration… a feeling that the work we were producing didn’t quite fit somehow. Like we were trying to shove a round peg through a square hole.

It was only when we were able to embrace who we are and learn how to communicate that through light, shadow, and styling, that the discomfort eased.

But, acknowledging the discomfort and paying attention to it came first. It always comes first.

If this resonates with you, join Liza and me on Friday for this two-part workshop, Creating a Values-Led Brand.

Then bring that work directly into your writing and your photography. And THAT is what we talked about in today’s Mastermind Meeting.

So, the bad news: There is no recording. I don’t fully understand what happened, but there was a technical glitch that prevented the meeting from being recorded. I’ve tried to recover it and have finally accepted that it’s a lost cause. 🤦🏻‍♀️

The good news: Jessie-Sierra; The Last Bite, Shelly Waldman, and I are teaching this same class for the Write Up Community later this month. So, if you missed the meeting today, I hope you’ll join us for this FREE class on June 30.

FREE: Intro to the Visual Language of Food Photography
This session is designed for food writers and recipe developers who want a deeper understanding about how to control the look and feel of their photos. You’ll learn how elements like lighting direction, styling, perspective, and the human element can influence the feeling of a photo and help communicate your brand, your recipe, and your story.

FREE: The Language of Food Photography

If you already know that you are ready to dive in to the full 2-part workshop, here’s where to find out more and register:

The Visual Language of Food Photography
This is a two-part workshop. The first session will be instructional and will include homework. The second session will be a hands-on workshop where we will roll up our sleeves and get to work. You will come away from this lab with:
How light and shadow create depth and texture
How color influences mood and emotional response
Styling choices that support your story and your brand
Composition, perspective, and visual flow
How incorporating human elements can make images feel inviting and alive

The Visual Language of Food Photography

Links and Resources

If you’d like to volunteer to teach a mini-masterclass at an upcoming Mastermind Meeting, please sign up here!
If you’re not listed in the Directory, leave a comment on the Directory with your name and publication and I’ll get you added!
Community Resources: A revolving list of resources from food writers for food writers
Collaboration Network: Find other Substack food writers to collaborate with
The Mastermind for Food Writers chat is a great place to connect with other food writers on Substack.
The Food Writers Business Lab is an online learning hub created specifically for food writers who want practical, affordable support for growing their businesses and expanding their reach.

About your meeting hosts

Rebecca Blackwell is a writer, recipe developer and food photographer who publishes two recipe websites and a Substack newsletter. She and her husband are nomads without a home base but with many modes of transportation, namely an RV, a motorcycle, and a sailboat. Rebecca writes recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure.

Liza Debevec is a social anthropologist, African studies specialist, and career/life coach. She writes two Substack publications that bring together her love of stories, food, languages, and personal growth. Originally from Slovenia, Liza now lives in Lisbon, Portugal, after many years in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and other corners of the world. Her work is inspired by the ways people connect through meals, words, and meaningful conversations.