Yasmin Albatoul

Canon Ambassador Yasmin Albatoul's food images are never just about food. The Algerian photographer's gorgeous, mouthwatering – and sometimes gravity-defying – shots engage the viewer's senses, wherever they are in the world. And it's that connection with her social media followers all across the globe that motivates her as much as the desire to create stunning images.

"We eat food every day, but it's also something special," Yasmin says. "When people see my pictures on social media I want to send them a feeling – to make them hungry and to make them happy."

The following year Yasmin began a degree in psychology at the University of Batna but continued taking pictures in the evenings and during weekends and holidays. To expand her photographic skills, she read books, magazines and websites, and watched YouTube videos.

But it was when Yasmin began sharing her pictures on social media that things really took off. One of her online followers, a fellow female artist from Saudi Arabia, became a mentor, sharing insights with her about photography and still life and funding her new camera: a Canon EOS 600D.

Yasmin began freelancing as a photographer covering events and graduations at university, along with the occasional wedding. As well as shooting food from home, she also worked part-time as a clinical psychologist. After completing a master's in Clinical Psychology in 2018, she began a PhD at the Université de Sétif in Algeria, and at the same time, started working at Innova Studio, a photographic studio in the city. "They were already doing weddings and events but not food," Yasmin explains. "So I asked, 'why don't you shoot food photography?' That's how I started working with them in 2019."

Filled with cutting-edge equipment, the studio offered an incredible learning curve for Yasmin, as well as a great source of clients. And although the following year brought Covid-19 restrictions, her career was on the ascent. After winning $1,000 in the XPOSURE International Photography Festival competition in 2020, she upgraded to a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.

Yasmin is now commissioned by brands such as Danone, Kiri Foods, Laboratoires Vénus and L'Ombre Collection to share her shots of their products on Instagram, which get thousands of likes. "The client sends me their food or cosmetics and says, 'We just want to see our product look beautiful'," Yasmin explains.

How did you start shooting food or drink suspended in the air?
"I'm always looking for something new, thinking, 'what can I do next'? For me, food photography is not just about good composition and colours. I also want people to ask themselves, 'how did she take that photo'? Food photography is generally very static, but cooking is full of action, so I wondered how I could bring that action to my photography." 

What techniques do you use to achieve this? 
"I started by using the shutter speed and continuous shooting mode to freeze splashing liquid. It was difficult at first. Sometimes I'd take hundreds of pictures just to see one photo that captures the splash of water or coffee or juice. After this I realised that if I could take photos of a splash, why couldn't I make other dishes fly? I started learning lots of techniques. Sometimes I use shutter speed, sometimes I use accessories. For example, I use threads to keep objects stable, take the picture and then edit them out." 

How do you decide which dishes to make with the products you're shooting?
"I'm always looking for simple foods to photograph that don't take too long to cook so it leaves me more time for shooting. I always think, 'how can I cook food that will look delicious in a photograph – not for eating'. It's easy to shoot salad because it's fresh so it doesn't change like some food. A steaming cup of tea, for example, cools over time. You have to work quickly."

Social media has been a catalyst for your career. How did you build your following?
"I've done sponsored Instagram posts for different brands, not only based in Algeria but internationally, in Pakistan, France, India and Canada. That helped. But mainly it is about working hard to create images that make people say 'wow!' and want to share with their friends. I also sometimes write something in the post encouraging people to share the image."

"Food photography isn't just about the final dishes. It's about everything around that – the ingredients, the cooking and the eating. When I think about composition, I think about how I can make the viewer imagine that they are eating the food, whether that is by placing the plate in the centre of the frame or showing a hand pouring some coffee. It's about the feeling or the message that I am trying to transmit, and that can connect people all around the world."

Facebook: YasminAlBtoul.Ph

Instagram: @yasmin_albatoul