This morning at IFBC we heard a powerful and inspiring presentation from Penny De Los Santos, Saveur’s senior contributing photographer. Her talk held the room; attendees paused their conversations, closed their laptops and listened intently as she shared insights from her work photographing food and people around the world.
If you’ve been following the conference hashtag, you may have seen how captivated everyone became. The usual live-tweeting tone shifted from clever quips to sincere appreciation, reflecting how compelling Penny’s stories and images were.
Penny left the audience with a hands-on assignment: practice food photography and share your best image. Several participants have already posted their shots using the conference tags, so browse the #IFBC and #HUNTPIC streams to see the results and draw inspiration from other photographers’ work.
Her session emphasized observation, patience and respect for subjects, and encouraged photographers to tell honest stories through their images. Whether you’re shooting with a phone or a professional camera, the challenge is the same: look closely, wait for the moment, and let the scene speak. Growing your visual voice takes practice, and Penny’s simple homework is a great way to build that muscle.
The room’s reaction makes it clear why photography matters in food media. Beyond recipes and reviews, photographs carry context, culture and emotion—elements Penny consistently brings into her work. For attendees, the talk provided practical tips and a renewed motivation to approach food photography with curiosity and care.
If you took part in the assignment, share your favorite frame and take time to study others’ images. Reviewing peers’ work is a quick way to learn new techniques and fresh perspectives. And if you missed the talk, consider exploring Penny’s portfolio to see examples of how thoughtful composition and compassionate storytelling create memorable food photography.