Nivi Shaham is fascinated with telling the stories of chefs who focus on cooking the food that play a significant role in their own cultures.

Shaham won the Fujifilm Students of Storytelling competition for her photo series that, she says, “specifically explores how people come together through food and and conversation, and can symbolize to an outsider what their culture really means.”

Fujifilm created the contest to identify the next generation of U.S. storytellers, and to provide them with Fujifilm X Series or GFX System gear to bring their vision to life.

Rangefinder: What interests you as a storyteller? Which stories are you drawn to?

Nivi Shaham: As a storyteller, I find myself drawn to and interested in unique people—people who go against the grain in whatever they do and who are immensely passionate about something. A lot of the time, that means focusing on chefs who are working with a unique cuisine or ingredient, representing their culture through their food and taking their work in new and innovative directions. 

Rf: What stories do you want to share through your work?

NS: I want to share the stories of success. Often the stories told are those of hardship and disaster, and although I love those stories and find them essential and moving, I want to tell stories that empower individuals, stories that encourage the viewer to get up and accomplish their goals, and stories that inspire a new generation of storytellers, innovators and creators. 

Rf: Describe the evolution of your style and approach. How has it changed over time and why?

NS: When I got my first entry-level DSLR, I began photographing anything I could find. That meant taking my friends and shoving them in front of brick walls for a photo shoot, trying to chase birds to get them on my camera, and standing in front of the hills of my hometown to make something beautiful with them. Over time, I found myself drawn to many different genres of photography, starting with landscapes. I would go on little trips with my mom—my biggest photographic influence at the time—and our local photography group to beautiful places around California—Santa Barbara, Malibu, Yosemite—and try to create something equally as beautiful as the landscapes around me. Next, I found my passion in portrait photography and I pursued that for five or six years. Eventually, I found my niche in doing outdoor portraiture, getting my subjects out in nature, utilizing the light of the sun, and creating a warm and inviting photo. This changed a little toward the end of my portraiture stint, where I began utilizing the indoors with natural window light, but the principal was the same.

Now, I’m a food and still-life photographer. This came about when a huge shift in my diet occurred, causing me to begin cooking all my own meals. Doing so helped me find the beauty in food and inspired me to learn more about it. I followed hundreds of food blogs and my social media feeds were flooded with beautiful food day in and day out. I decided one day that I should bring my two passions together, cooking and photography. I attempted bleakly to photograph the food around me and was surprised at how difficult it was. I looked to those food bloggers I was following, and eventually food photographers for inspiration on how to get better. I still have a lot to learn with regard to food and still-life photography, but the journey ahead excites me. 

Rf: What are the key things you have learned or done that have helped you advance your career since you began shooting?

NS: I think the biggest key with photography for me was always staying true to myself and never shooting just for profit. There were times when I was pursuing portraiture that I attempted paid work—senior portraits, family portraits, etc.— and I found very little creativity in these shoots. I was limited to getting a pretty picture of an individual, and that was about it. Although this is not the experience for everyone, and there are incredible portrait photographers who are able to go about this differently, I found that this indicated to me that portraiture may not be my path. It was about listening to that inclination and pursuing more creative portraiture until eventually I found my full creative capabilities within food and still-life photography, which has enabled me to move forward in my photographic endeavors.

Rf: What is the most helpful piece of advice you’ve received and followed?

NS: On several occasions I have found myself getting bogged down by the technicalities of photography and lighting, forgetting that the best thing I can do is merely to shoot. On several occasions, photographers that I have reached out to have given me the same advice: Don’t worry about anything but shooting. Just keep shooting. This was and is still hard for me, as I love to know absolutely everything about what I’m doing before doing it. However this advice rings true and is the only way I have improved in my food photography. Had I continued to stress about all the technicalities, I wouldn’t have improved in the slightest from when I started. Photographers like Matthew Flores, Ryan Figard, Max Milla, Leslie Grow and Andrea D’Agosto have all given me this same, very important and effective advice. 

Rf: How would you describe your approach to food photography?

NS: My approach to food photography has changed since I started—now I have two approaches. When the task requires me to merely shoot to my capabilities, I embody that and shoot the food in the best way that I know how. Often that means uncomplicated lighting setups, simple styling and hand-holding my camera. When I have the opportunity to go more in depth with the food I am shooting, I approach it slowly and methodically. I plan out what I’m going to shoot, where I want the food placed and how I want it styled, and how I want my light to look, and I experiment with lighting it that way and other ways. These approaches will likely change in the next couple of months as I continue to learn and grow with my food photography. 

Rf: How has food shaped your personal relationships and how is that reflected in your work?

NS: Food was never too important for me before, apart from eating Israeli food with my family and feeling comfort in that. However, when a medical condition meant I had to limit nearly all the food in my diet, food took over my life. It did so in an unhealthy way for a period of time, being the only thing I could think about. However, once I regained my strength, I also regained my control over food and the role it plays in my life and my relationships. I began taking control of that food by cooking it myself. Doing so let me explore flavors and foods that I hadn’t before, and I felt empowered by food. Today, food continues to shape my relationships, some of which are based on food and our mutual love for it and how to control it. Other relationships feel limited by food, as there is more to explore than just the food on our plates. In my work, I try to accomplish both of these things. Loving the food and caring for it, but going beyond just what’s on the plate, getting to the stories that enable food its power. 

Rf: How have your studies affected your approach to photography and storytelling?

NS: I have always taken my studies very seriously, and as such I’m very academic in my approach to a lot of things. In my photography, just like writing an essay, I must outline what’s to be accomplished. Jumping head first would mean an incomprehensible essay, and in this case an uninspiring image. With storytelling, this is even more important. To tell an impactful story, planning must occur. My academics have enabled me to be methodical in my approach to taking photos and telling stories. They have helped me plan to prevent accidents and ask for forgiveness. 

Rf: Can you tell us about your submission to Fujifilm’s Students of Storytelling program? How did you come up with the project?

NS: For the Students of Storytelling project, I knew I wanted to include food in my story. I always had this idea to go further than just the food on the plate—I wanted to see and hear from whomever created the food. Why did they create the food? What were the steps they took to create the food? But even further than this, I wanted to see what cultural influences were in the food. Having had these questions, I combined them all to come up with the idea of telling the story of chefs cooking the food of their culture. This enabled me to get the behind-the-scenes insight on the food on the plate, while still respecting and exploring the culture from which the food comes. 

Rf: What works have you produced with your new Fujifilm systems?

NS: The Fujifilm system is like no other that I have used before. It has reignited creativity in me and inspired me to take more photos than I ever have before. For my story, I have had the ability to capture not just the food on the plate, but also the action beforehand. The shy move of the hand to create the perfect ravioli. The intense concentration while plating the perfect pasta dish. The chaos of the kitchen before the calm of the cuisine. The smiles as the aroma of the food fills the room. I’ve been able to get down and dirty with the chefs, seeing all the hard work and grime that goes into a plate of food.

Rf: Where do you see your work going from here?

NS: From here, I am focusing on becoming the best food and still-life photographer I can be. This means a lot of learning, practicing and exploring things that I haven’t yet. My goal is to become a commercial food photographer. I want to create the visuals that enable brands and companies to have relevance and influence. In order to accomplish this, however, I know I have lots of work to do. I am excited about the steps to get there—working with restaurants, small companies and brands, before getting into the big world of advertising.

Rf: Which brand, media outlet or agency is your ideal client? And why?

NS: My ideal client doesn’t have a name, because it has many names. My ideal client respects my creativity and empowers me to utilize that in my work. My ideal client aims to bring something to the world with their work that gives people excitement and value. My ideal client cares about the world around them and about making a difference. I would love to work with a brand like Ben and Jerry’s, one that respects social movements and progress despite being in a capitalistic industry. Other brands like Alter Eco, GoMacro Bars and Miyoko’s creamery mimic this respect, and I would love to work with them and brands like them. 

Visit the official Fujifilm Students of Storytelling site for more information about the complete program. Follow @nivishaham to stay up to date with Nivi Shaham.