--- title: "National Geographic Traveller Food Festival Photography" date: 2022-09-10 author: "James Gifford-Mead" featured_image: "https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-359-copy-scaled.jpg" categories: - name: "Uncategorized" url: "/category/uncategorized.md" --- # National Geographic Traveller Food Festival Photography Quick Answer **The [National Geographic Traveller Food Festival](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/) photography captures the vibrant atmosphere, diverse cuisines, and joyful moments that celebrate global food culture and inspire culinary exploration.** After photographing their first event, I was contacted again this year to capture the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival at the [Business Design Centre in Islington, London](https://www.thebrewery.co.uk/). I was really excited to experience and photograph the vibrant festival, which aims to inspire visitors to take their own culinary adventure by exploring amazing cuisine from around the world. ![A bustling indoor convention with numerous attendees exploring various booths from different countries, such as Ecuador and Barbados. The venue features high ceilings and an arched glass roof, creating a bright and open atmosphere. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-297-copy-1-1300x867.jpg)## Fast-paced food festival photography – The brief and the plan This particular client loves how I get stuck in, throwing myself in at the deep end and getting right amongst the action. As an experienced [event photographer](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/), I’ve got an eye for capturing images that help to document the hustle and bustle of busy festivals like this. The client trusted me to photograph all the action, as well as the feeling of the day, documenting the buzz of a busy venue and engaged faces in the crowd. Not only would the images show what happened on the day, they would also be used in marketing materials to help to sell future events. ![A woman is placing a small item on a white counter at a busy indoor event. She holds a booklet in her other hand. Several people in casual attire are gathered around, engaging and observing. There's a sign with "Cymru Wales" in the background. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-285-copy-1300x867.jpg)![A woman in a blue shirt smiles and stands behind a table with colorful cans. A man in a red plaid shirt drinks from a cup in front of her. They are in a booth, and a fridge is in the background. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-331-copy-1300x867.jpg)![A chef wearing a white uniform and microphone gestures while speaking at a cooking event. Behind him, a woman in a black apron and several attendees are visible. Cooking equipment and ingredients are on the counter in front of the chef. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-359-copy-1300x867.jpg)The pressure was on, I’d been given a three-page shot list of must-have images and needed to photograph all of the festival stands, speakers, and workshops, as well as capturing the crowds enjoying the festival. I planned to travel light, with over 140 stalls, five stages, and a packed schedule of live demonstrations there would be a lot of ground to cover. As I was working amongst the crowd, I packed two cameras with zoom lenses ready to photograph talks by some of the top names in the international food world. ### Capturing action and reaction I started at 8am each morning and didn’t stop all day – my watch recorded that I walked over 40,000 steps! I had access to all areas of the festival, allowing me to get up close to all the famous chefs, I even managed to sample a few plates of incredible food. I was constantly keeping an eye on the schedule for each day, making sure I was in the right place, at the right time, and ready to capture the action as well as the reactions of the people in the audience. The job of an event photographer isn’t just to photograph the displays and planned events, but also having eyes in the back of your head to anticipate reactions from the crowd. ![A diverse group of people seated closely together, looking forward and smiling. The focus is on a few individuals in the front row, featuring men and women of various ages and ethnicities, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-239-1300x867.jpg)![A gourmet plate featuring pan-seared fish with crispy skin, topped with a poached egg. It rests on a colorful bed of diced vegetables, including red peppers. The plate is elegant with reflections on the black glossy surface. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-242-1300x867.jpg)![A diverse group of people sit closely together in an audience, smiling and engaged. One person wears a mask. The focus is on a woman with braids and glasses in the center. The setting appears to be lively and well-attended. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-458-1300x867.jpg)![A smiling woman with shoulder-length hair wears a colorful blouse and a blue apron with "MASAK CLUB" on it. She stands by a kitchen counter with a blender and various ingredients in an open, bright setting. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-464-1300x867.jpg)### My super power Getting photos of people enjoying the demonstrations is just as important as photographing famous guests and spectacular displays. Here’s where my hidden superpower comes in! I’m a pretty good lip reader as I’m hard of hearing, which gives me an advantage when picking the right moments and capturing people as they enjoy a big event like this. By lip reading from across the room I can anticipate reactions and get my self in the best position to capture them beautifully. ![A woman in a red apron smiles while holding a tray of food samples in front of a red booth with "Cymru Wales" written on it. A man stands nearby, with others in the background. The setting is a lively exhibition or fair. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-215-copy-1300x867.jpg)![Two women at a wine tasting event sample wine from glasses. They stand across from a person talking to them. A variety of wine bottles are chilling in an ice bucket on the counter. The background is blurred with a wall display. James Gifford-Mead Photography - Event Photographer London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/16.07.22-National-Geographic-Travellers-219-copy-1300x867.jpg)I’ve honed these skills ever since getting started in the industry, it’s something I’m known for, and I am really passionate about providing for my clients. You can find out more about my background and experience in another recent blog post about [**how I got started as a headshot and event photographer**](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/portfolio/how-i-got-started-as-a-headshot-event-photographer/). ### Fun, fast, and delicious! I have to say, it’s one of the most fun and hectic event photography jobs I’ve had in a while, and I loved every second. Being right in amongst the action and experiencing everyone getting inspired by amazing food from around the world was really fun to capture, and unbelievably tasty too! I’d definitely recommend visiting the next one, and I hope to be there again capturing all of the culinary adventures in National Geographic Traveller Food Festival photography. ### Looking for me? If you are looking for an [event photographer in London](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/), please do [contact](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/contact/) me to check my availability. I’d love to hear more about what you have planned and get involved in capturing it all for you – let’s see if I can beat 40,000 steps! [Get in touch](https://jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk/contact/)