Melodee Fiske describes herself as a wife, mom, Christ follower, and homeschooler.
You just know she knows her way around a Hobby Lobby.
When her boys were young, she put down the chalk and picked up a camera, determined to stay home while pursuing her passion.
That led to Melodee Lynn Photography, where she spent a few years capturing seniors, families, and weddings before launching Pretty Focused to teach others how to become professional food photographers, even if they have no experience.
What’s the catch, right?
Read on for my Pretty Focused review.
Melodee always loved cooking and photography, but never in a million years did she think you could combine them and make a career out of it.
Yet here she is, eight years later, snapping photos of cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles – for a whole-ass living.
You wanna do the same, don’t you?
You wanna be one of those people who can say, “I turned my passion into profit!”
Not just because photographing food is fun, but also because, let’s be real, these Costco trips ain’t cheap. Are they?
And the kids’ Invisalign isn’t covered by insurance. And can’t we just hire someone to hang the Christmas lights?
Point is, you’d welcome more money with open arms.
That’s where Pretty Focused comes in.
Melodee and her team could fill a Walmart Supercenter with all their courses, bootcamps, and masterclasses.
But before you wear out your credit card – $197 here, $247 there, and maybe another $397 just to learn the basics – you probably have a few questions.
For starters, is there really demand for food photographers?
Bigly, Melodee says. Mainly from food bloggers.
There are hundreds of food blogs fighting for millions of daily recipe searches, all needing to stand out visually.
Some have thousands of recipes on their sites.
Think they have time to do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, photographing, editing, uploading, writing, formatting, plus managing ads and sponsorships?
Nope – and you could be a huge help.
But please tell the first food blogger you work with: more things should be happening atop a plate of hot, crispy hash browns. We can do better than just eggs and ketchup.
Let’s move on to what the work actually looks like.
There’s two main types:
- Recreations: You’re photographing an existing recipe. You’ll follow the instructions, whip it together, take photos of the process and final result, and send them to the food blogger.
- Exclusives: This is new content. You’ll develop and photograph a brand-new recipe, without stepping on copyright laws or ethical boundaries. Don’t worry, Melodee can guide you through this.
How hard is it to get clients?
Once you graduate Pretty Focused, it’s surprisingly easy. You’ll get access to an exclusive site that connects you directly with food bloggers.
Post your recipes and services, and – voila – you could land a paid gig within hours of graduating.
Melodee thought of everything. If she ran movie sets and someone died in a scene, you’d never catch their chest rising or a pulse flickering in their neck.
Here’s the real question, though: What can you earn for a recreation or an exclusive?
According to Melodee’s survey of Pretty Focused students, the average recreation pays $275, while an exclusive pays $375.
If a recipe takes you about four hours to make and photograph, that’s $70+ per hour.
Sweet sassy molassy!
Now. What type of equipment do you need?
For set-up, Melodee has a portable table, step stool, styling board, stands, reflectors, and poster board.
For camera gear, she’s got a Canon 5D Mark IV, a Canon 50 1.2L, a Canon 100 2.8L, an expo disc, SD Cards, a computer, software, and a tripod.
For styling supplies? Neutral plates and bowls, brushed silverware, wooden serving spoons, white and clear baking dishes, clear mixing bowls, and linens.
Yeah, it’s a lot of stuff to buy upfront, but the potential to make it back quickly seems legit.
I like Melodee – she’s thorough and credible – but I wish she’d bundle everything into one super training for a single price instead of nickel-and-diming with a million mini courses and masterminds.
Q&A
Q: Melodee Fiske net worth?
A: Well, she was featured in an “Unlocking 6 Figures on Teachable” video, so you know she’s cleared that hurdle. With upsells and her own client work, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was grossing close to $1 million a year. But then you got taxes and expenses and bills and a whole family to provide for. But then you think, she’s been at this for quite a few years. So maybe $2-, $3 million?
Q: She doesn’t really flaunt it, does she?
A: Moms don’t really get down like that. Especially when you’re well moisturized and on a mission from God. Flossing for followers is probably a sin or something.
Q: How to contact Melodee?
A: Drop a comment under one of her YouTube videos or slide into her DMs on Facebook or Instagram. Speaking of sliding, why are those little bags of baby carrots always so wet? Anyway, you can also shoot her an email:
- Info@PrettyFocused.com
Q: Got a coupon code for me?
A: Nope, sorry. Melodee occasionally slips them in after you finish a course to grease the slide into the next one. You’ll still hafta pay to play, but if you’re in, keep an eye out.
Q: Why is Pretty Focused on Amazon?
A: So you’ll buy all kinds of shit through Melodee’s affiliate links, duh.
Q: Anyone complaining about Pretty Focused on Reddit, Trustpilot, or BBB?
A: Negative. I couldn’t find any Pretty Focused grads getting chippy. Melodee’s reputation shines brighter than a freshly-waxed church pew. Cue me as a kid, belting out “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” during Sunday service.
Q: How will AI impact food photography?
A: AI will likely reduce demand. Why hire a photographer when AI can spit out mouth-watering food images from just a text or voice prompt?
Q: Will AI kill food blogging?
A: Let me ask you: Would you rather click and scroll and dodge ads and close pop ups and play Where’s Waldo with the next step for your Honey Soy-Glazed Salmon or just have ChatGPT give you recipes, reviews, and tips instantly without the fuss? Not that there’s not value in personal touch, unique experiences, and storytelling, but I think the writing’s on the wall: you eat the food but AI will eat everything else.
Q: Point me to some Pretty Focused alternatives, would you?
A: Would be my pleasure. You can check out:
- Online Empires
- Six-Figure Scribe
- Proofread Anywhere
- The Etsy Selling Formula
- Write Your Way To Freedom
- No-Fluff Business Mentorship
Q: Why’d you write this? Just for the hell of it?
A: No, silly. There’s an ulterior motive here. You think I’m typing into the void of the internet for nothing? I want you to buy this program instead.